Foodservice commissary sales in convenience stores last year were flat as the category confronted an increasingly financially challenged consumer on one hand and continued loss of foodservice share within the c-store environment to prepared food on the other. Still, vendors and distributors maintain that the commissary category plays an important role for independent retailers with limited resources for a full-scale foodservice program and quality-control assurances for multi-outlet c-stores, with opportunity for all retailers to capitalize on emerging consumption trends.

Flat commissary sales in 2024 “was not an anomaly,” said Matt Hautau, vice president of merchandising at Core-Mark, as it was in line with trends for other c-store categories. “We’re in a recessionary environment. Trips are down and basket size is down,” he explained. The recent inflationary environment, Hautau continued, “is dragging down c-store consumers and challenging significant behaviors that we’ve benefitted from for a long time. Commissary isn’t being challenged any more than other commodities.”

Overall foodservice sales—which includes prepared food; commissary; and hot, cold, and frozen dispensed beverages—accounted for 27.7% of in-store sales and 38.6% of in-store gross margin dollars in c-stores in 2024, according to preliminary NACS State of the Industry Report data. Prepared food is the dominant player, with a whopping 72.5% share of foodservice sales in 2024.

“Commissary—which includes the subcategories of sandwiches and wraps, ready-to-eat meals; thaw, heat and eat; and sides and salads—is often touted as one of the most convenient options for consumers on the move,” remarked Emma Tainter, NACS research analyst. “Consumers are looking for convenient grab-and-go options that commissary can provide and, according to 2023 Convenience Voices data, 21.9% of respondents said they purchased commissary within the last two weeks.” Indeed, the commissary category enjoyed sales increases throughout the pandemic, recording year-over-year sales gains each year through 2023, Tainter added.

Among commissary subcategories, sandwiches and wraps (43.9% of category sales in 2024) and ready-to-eat meals (34.8%) dominate.

Consumers Pinched

While inflation edged down somewhat in 2024, “consumers are still feeling pinched,” said Tainter. “When prices go up, rarely do they go down.” As a result, commissary items—particularly those comprised of fresh fruit and vegetable ingredients—have been impacted. Inflationary concerns in 2025, of course, have only intensified, and the category could again suffer the consequences.

In addition to inflation, the commissary category is facing stiffened competition from store-made food offerings. “Prepared food is where people are moving to and commissary is being adversely impacted,” explained Tainter, noting, though, that c-stores that have their own commissary programs appear to be bucking the trend.

Jon Cox, vice president of retail foodservice at McLane Co., said that while commissary may be losing share to prepared food in c-stores, it’s important to note that “food is growing overall. Consumers today have more options, so the pie itself is getting larger.” While it used to be that commissary was the only option for items like sandwiches and salads for c-store consumers, that has dramatically changed, Cox said. “Commissary is still a big part of foodservice. It’s just that now there are more offers,” he explained.

Big Benefits

The foodservice commissary category continues to provide retailers with a number of benefits. Labor savings are a key attribute. Hautau explains that the implementation and maintenance of a prepared foods program can be too sophisticated and costly for some operators. “You have to have the right labor and the right training,” he remarked. “That complexity makes it more difficult to execute,” while with commissary, food production is largely in the hands of the supplier.

Food safety and quality is another consideration. Commissary products, such as those from McLane, are produced in federally regulated facilities. “The products meet label and nutritional guidelines,” said Cox, noting that with onsite food production, if a retailer runs out of a certain cheese, for example, and substitutes it with another, the label needs to be changed as there could be different allergens. Moreover, commissary facilities allow for a consistent product, an important factor for multistore operators. “The national customer is a great fit” for a commissary program such as McLane’s, Cox said. “We offer consistent ingredients, such as a ham and Swiss sandwich on a pretzel bun,” with the potential for national distribution. But such products are also available to regional operators, he noted, allowing them to “offer something unique in their marketplace.”

Paul Dodson, vice president, business development, at NuVue Foods, said that commissary programs such as his company’s fresh and frozen lines can easily supplement c-stores’ own prepared food items. “Even for some stores that do their own on-site building of product, we can supplement with unique items like pretzel rolls that they may not be able to get,” he explained. Cox also sees opportunity for commissary in stores that are focused on proprietary foodservice items. “If you’re building a pizza or chicken program, building a sandwich may not be your core competency,” he said, advising, “do what you do really well and use commissary as an additional piece.”

The biggest challenge to commissary products, vendors note, is the potential for spoilage and resulting waste. But spoilage and waste will vary depending upon how the product is packaged, stored and delivered. “Our product is fresh, never frozen,” said McLane’s Cox, “so the clock starts ticking immediately.” With a seven-day shelf life, McLane’s Central Eats products can be ordered in small quantities and piece picked, helping to reduce spoilage.

NuVue Foods also offers a fresh line of sandwiches to Midwestern c-stores. “But we saw a need for products that require a longer shelf life, as some c-stores don’t have the discipline for high waste that comes with a fresh program,” explained Dave Salerno, president of NuVue Foods. “So, we developed products that freeze and thaw appropriately for c-stores. We’ve filled the gap for c-stores that don’t have a labor force for their own commissary.”

Opportunities Abound

Despite commissary’s lost share within foodservice in recent years, suppliers and others see opportunity for the category thanks to emerging consumer and daypart trends. “People are moving away from three meals a day and snacking more,” noted NACS’ Tainter. This could bode well for commissary products like packaged salads, pickles, hard-boiled eggs, cut fruit and veggies. Cox and Hautau point to growing demand for protein-filled snacks and the role that commissary could play. Consumers on GLP-1 medications, for example, are “now snacking in a different way,” Hautau remarked, paving the way for innovation within protein-enhanced snacks.

And while the lunch daypart tends to encompass most c-store commissary sales, breakfast shows significant potential. Commissary suppliers now showcase a wide variety of breakfast sandwiches—designed for both the cold case and warmer. Indeed, Dodson notes that while commissary sandwiches are synonymous with lunchtime sales, in actuality, many of those sandwiches are purchased from the cold case in the morning for consumption later in the day.

Commissary vendors also see potential for new product offerings. In the spring, McLane expanded its Fresh program to feature King’s Hawaiian sliders and sandwiches, as well as a Central Eats watermelon and mango cup with tajin. The new products “help c-stores get creative,” Cox explained. “C-stores want differentiation but they also want new products to be easy to execute,” the McLane executive said.

NuVue Foods, meanwhile, introduced its Craver Bowl line last fall, and according to Dodson, the company has received a lot of positive feedback. “While the bulk of our business is still between the buns, Craver Bowls appeal to retailers interested in something to supplement their sandwich business and consumers who want something to eat with a fork or spoon that feels hearty,” he said of options like the meat lover’s breakfast and Southwest-style taco bowl. New products for c-stores from Core-Mark include Fresh Take Crustless sandwiches in peanut butter and strawberry jam and peanut butter and grape jelly flavors, with more flavors in the works. The new items are 2.8 ounces each and are “a nice grab-and-go snack or meal component and respond very well to 2-for pricing,” Hautau said.

Simple adjustments like “different carriers, different sauces and different cheeses” can go a long way in sparking commissary sales,” Cox advised. Dodson’s recommendation to c-stores is that “there’s waste in all aspects of foodservice, not just commissary,” and c-store operators have to be able “to stomach throwing away some food.”

But the most effective way to drive sales of commissary products, suppliers agree, is to properly merchandise the items. Dodson encourages retailers to merchandise a stocked cold case whenever possible. “No one wants to see just two sandwiches in there,” he explained. Hautau believes that commissary items can spark impulse sales and build larger baskets if merchandised creatively. And Cox advises c-stores to promote the category with signage and bundling promotions, such as sandwiches with chips. But most of all, the McLane executive encourages retailers to not give up on the commissary category. “Having commissary with other foodservice products makes you a destination for food,” he said. “Just because sales may be flattening, they’re flattening in a bigger pie.”