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Clark Howard's Tips

Convenience stores get more fancy

May 19, 2005

Clark and his daughter stopped at a convenience store to get gas this weekend, and he was surprised when she walked out with a relatively healthy item.

According to recent news reports, the new trend in convenience stores is high-end meals, fancy cheeses and breads and basically gourmet food items.

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Stores are trying to attract more women into these stores because women are more likely to buy things but they don't often go into gas station stores because they are scared.

As a result, companies are building nicer buildings with extremely well-lit and clean facilities.

The idea is to get you to think about it as something other than a gas station.

It will include fancy, gourmet packaged foods as well as MREs (meals ready to eat).

Owners know that there is no money in the gas people are buying, so they're trying everything else to entice you into buying more.

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