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Small convenience stores report sales decline; staff to pursue targeted outreach and support
Summary
A brief outreach to 25 convenience-store and gas-station operators produced seven responses; most reported declining performance and cited foot-traffic, theft and wholesale-cost pressures. Staff recommended continued follow-up and targeted assistance rather than regulatory changes.
City staff reported preliminary outreach results from convenience stores and gas stations in Evanston: seven responses from a roster of 25 registered establishments found most operators reporting worsening financial performance over the past year.
Zack (staff) said 71% of respondents reported declines and that foot traffic and rising wholesale costs were frequent drivers cited by owners. Several respondents asked for targeted support such as storefront grants, improved police presence to address petty theft and technical assistance to modernize storefront presentation.
Zack told the committee that some owners requested permission to sell product categories allowed in neighboring communities (for example, certain flavored tobacco or vaping products), but that staff do not recommend pursuing regulatory changes in response to those requests; instead, staff proposed follow-up conversations, targeted grants and licensing assistance where appropriate.
Why this matters: Convenience stores and gas stations are distributed across wards and can be sensitive to cross-border competition and state-level regulatory change. Committee members suggested follow-up strategies including targeted grant support, focused outreach and referrals to licensing and small-business resources.
What’s next: Staff will continue follow-up calls with operators, explore possible targeted grant or storefront-improvement options, and report back with proposed assistance measures.
