A new survey by AlixPartners says that foodservice, far and away, is what consumers purchase most a convenience stores.

Foodservice topped the list at 27 percent, 10 percentage points ahead of packaged beverages. Cigarettes were third at 13 percent. For this study, foodservice included prepared foods as well as hot, cold or frozen dispensed beverages. 

The study recommends that retailers who offer more choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner will be best able to continue foodservice eating and purchase frequency, which has been increasing industry-wide with a compound annual growth rate of 13.2 percent since 2012. It also points out that 46 percent of consumers want "better for you" options.

Other findings include factors for stopping at a c-store for a meal: 21 percent is location, 18 percent price, and 14 percent food quality. Older consumers favor location and convenience while Gen X and millennials favor price and food quality.