Convenience Store Beverage Sales Face Some Pressures

Uncertainty over the economic environment and its impact on the consumer is spilling over to beverage category. Goldman Sachs' "Beverage Bytes" first quarter retailer survey, beverage sales in the in the convenience channel decelerated to +1% vs. +2.8% in the final quarter of 2024. This in turn drove convenience store retailers' expectations for growth this year lower compared to the fourth quarter 2024 survey, according to Bonnie Herzog, managing director at Goldman Sachs.