Improve Your Convenience Store Performance Through Strategic Signage
Signage represents one of the most powerful yet underutilized tools for convenience store sales growth. Capturing customer attention often happens in seconds, but truly effective signs for C-store locations don’t just communicate information — they drive tangible business results through increased visibility, enhanced customer experience, and stronger brand perception.
At Stratus, we’ve helped convenience store locations nationwide implement complete brand strategies that reach those goals — and more. With a comprehensive approach and extensive exterior signage solutions, we ensure your biggest and boldest brand elements connect you to your customers.
Over 130,000 Installed Elements: Review our 2025 Exterior Signage Fact Sheet here.
4 Ways Signs for C-Stores Address Growth
Attracting New Customers with Compelling Exterior Signage
Research confirms what successful c-store operators already know: your signage is working 24/7 to bring customers through your doors. FedEx research indicates 76% of consumers have entered stores they’ve never visited before based solely on signage quality and appeal. This represents a massive opportunity for c-stores to capture new business through strategic exterior branding.
For c-stores located near high-traffic areas, illuminated signs displaying fuel prices and promotions significantly increase spontaneous visits from passing motorists. These first impressions are crucial — especially considering 85% of your potential customers live or work within a five-mile radius of your location.
Influencing In-Store Purchase Decisions
Well-executed interior signage doesn’t just help customers navigate — it actively influences buying behavior. Point-of-purchase displays, endcap signage, and promotional graphics guide consumers toward high-margin or impulse items. The data supports this strategy: studies from the Point of Purchase Advertising International (POPAI) indicate in-store signage can increase sales by as much as 30%. This effect is particularly powerful when highlighting limited-time offers or bundled promotions near beverage coolers or checkout areas.
Enhancing Overall Brand Perception
The quality of your signage directly affects how customers perceive your entire operation. According to consumer research, 68% of shoppers believe a store’s signage reflects the quality of its products and services. Professional, consistent, and well-maintained signage communicates quality and builds trust — essential factors for c-stores competing against larger chains.
Clear navigational elements, category labels, and wayfinding signage improve the shopping experience by reducing friction and confusion. The easier and faster customers can complete their shopping, the more likely they are to return — and to purchase additional items during each visit.
Driving Fuel Customers Inside
Perhaps the greatest untapped opportunity is to use signs for c-stores to help convert fuel-only customers into in-store shoppers. Technomic’s research indicates only 58% of consumers enter the store after fueling up — leaving significant potential for growth through strategic signage at the pumps.
For instance, implementing pump-top digital screens displaying current in-store promotions has proven highly effective at enticing fuel customers to enter the store, significantly increasing promotional item sales.
Need Signs for Your C-Store Locations? Turn to Stratus
As the leading national sign company with extensive experience across multiple industries, Stratus delivers comprehensive signage solutions tailored specifically for convenience store operations. Our approach combines strategic design, quality in-house manufacturing, and efficient implementation to maximize your signage investment.
With nationwide reach and local expertise, we ensure consistent quality across your entire portfolio — whether you operate a single location or hundreds of stores. Our team brings over 150 years of combined experience helping leading brands implement and maintain their vision through exterior signage, interior branding, refresh & rollout programs, lighting solutions, and complete brand maintenance.
Ready to transform your c-store’s performance through strategic signage? Contact our team today to discover how Stratus can help.