So what is your thought about convenience stores? Do you go? If so how often. If you don't go, why not? Do your husband/wife or significant others go? If so, what are they buying?
What do you think about the snacks and food items sold there?
Please be as descriptive as possible about the products, the stores themselves and the overall experience.
Thanks!
When I think of convenience stores the first to come to mind are Quik Trip and of course 7-Eleven. Locally I primarily stop for gas, the kind I put in the car not in the stomach :)I will sometimes grab a drink or some gum/candy bar if I go in at all.
ReplyDeleteI think convenience store is alost an oxymoron especially in a metroploitan area as there is usually a grocery store or fast food restaurant by most every store which will have better prices and better choices and or selection when it comes to food products.
Where I do find a use for the convenience store is along the highway on trips or in smaller towns where a lot of the stores have a locally owned restaurant offering hamburgers or sometimes chicken or mexican food along with the usual gas pumps. This offers the consumer a better product and the store to expand its clientele.
I mainly go into a convenience store (7-Eleven) to get my kids a Slurpee after a game. I rarely buy myself anything from them if I can help it, because my perception is they just serve junky-type food. We went on a road trip to Florida over Christmas. It was a 20-hour trip so we stopped in a lot of convenience stores where we bought Twizzlers, pretzels and gum mostly. I had brought along cracker chips in the car so I ate those. They're not a place where I would do most shopping.
ReplyDeleteThe last time I went to a convenience store was to grab a newspaper for my dad when he was visiting. I usually get my gas from Kroger or Costco because its cheaper, so I don't even go there for that. My perception is that is it junk/fast food. I have seen signs for donuts, 2 hotdogs for $1, monster sized drinks. I figure the prices must be expensive on the rest of the items because it is a small "convenient" stop. My husband does occasionally stop by 7-11 for gas and sometimes a coffee. It is on his way to and from work.
ReplyDeleteWell, I have to admit that I have gone to 7-11 for their taquitos as a late afternoon lunch when I've "forgotten" to eat. The one in my neighborhood has a nice coffee bar and also fresh fruit and fresh vegetable individual serving trays. They also have deli sandwiches.
ReplyDeleteI don't frequent 7-11, but these days, would choose them over McDonald's (haven't eaten there since July when my family watched Super Size Me), because of their fruit/vegetables and sandwiches.
On road trips to Houston, my family loves to stop at Buc-ee's. We eat deli and barbeque sandwiches, chips, icee's, nuts, cheese, fruit, and bottled water.
Convenience stores...As some have said before me, we use convenience stores for one of two purposes:
ReplyDeleteThe first situation is usually if we have forgotten a water or Gatorade before a sports practice (or if we are running late). Often, I will pick up a "Big Gulp" or coffee while we are there. This is almost always at a 7-11 or Quick Trip.
Second, when we travel on a road trip, a convenience store stop (typically in a small town)becomes a treat. That's when we go ahead and splurge by purchasing snacks for the road. Snacks like M&M's, Corn Nuts, Icees, chips and fountain drinks are often purchased. We very seldom purchase the "fresh" items.
I have to say that I don't frequent convenience stores while at home in Richardson Texas. However....one of my FAVORITE convenience stores is ABC Stores located in Hawaii. It seems like they have one on every corner!! (76 to be exact....including 8 in Guam and 8 in Las Vegas!) They are open 365 days a year and some of my typical purchases would include, chocolate covered macadamia nuts, Kauai cookies, Maui mochi, hurricane popcorn, rice crackers, pickled mangos, boiled peanuts and even a spam musubi or two (Japanese rice roll with fried spam wrapped with a strip of seaweed). They also carry the more traditional items such as gum, candy and potato chips but who wants that when there's all the other good stuff. They are far from dirty or dusty and everyone that travels to Hawaii pops into an ABC store for one thing or another. So while I'm in the travel mode, there is a convenient store in Fort Walton Beach Florida that has the BEST fried chicken and potato wedges!!! OMG this is a must stop location on your way out of town. Then as Al mentioned there are those places that have gas station tacos! Yum! When I'm not fortunate enough to find one of those "special" convenient stores, I purchase things like corn nuts, mustard pretzels, or popcorn. A beverage would be a specialty coffee drink from one of those machines or bottled water. I definitely steer clear from those "serve yourself" items such as hot dogs, taquitos, pizza or donuts. Never know who touched what and put it back. Yuk!
ReplyDeleteWe have a 7-11 near our house and we will go there for wine/beer sometimes or coffee/sports drinks if we are on our way out somewhere and do not have time to go to the store and just want to get something quick. Sometimes when we get gas at the 7-11 we will get a snack or drink. I also will stop by a Quick Trip or 7-11 when taking a road trip (Austin/OK or Houston) and get drinks/snacks/sandwiches/coffee. If I can get to a Quick Trip I prefer it to 7-11. Buc-ee's is amazing as well - I would stop there over anywhere else for road trip stuff - snacks, bottled water, sandwiches, candy or gum.
ReplyDeleteWe will also stop at 7-11 for Slurpees in the summer - my kids love them!!
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