convenience store

American  

noun

1. a retail store that carries a limited selection of basic items, as packaged foods and drugstore items, and is open long hours for the convenience of shoppers.

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convenience store British  

noun

1. a shop that has long opening hours, caters to local tastes, and is conveniently situated

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Etymology

Origin of convenience store

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Inside the convenience store, patrons chatted cheerfully as they waited for the shrimp fried rice and fish strips that make Food N’ Geaux a neighborhood staple.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

On a wall outside the convenience store, Esther Osayande’s painting “Sankofa” depicts a bird with its head turned back, surrounded by flames.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

A barrier was briefly erected outside a convenience store in 2024 to stop people from standing in the road to photograph a view of the snow-capped volcano that had gone viral.

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

Lucien Myette began engraving four years ago, after working at a Stewart’s convenience store.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

The salon was in the middle, between a Chinese restaurant called Happy Joy and a convenience store that sold lottery tickets.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie