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

In July 2018, 28-year-old Markeis McGlockton took his young son into a Clearwater, Florida, convenience store to purchase snacks.

From Slate • Jun. 4, 2026

TOKYO—Toshifumi Suzuki was a midlevel executive at a Japanese retailer when it opened the first 7-Eleven convenience store in Tokyo in the 1970s.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

In the shopping precinct, the glass door of the convenience store is shattered.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

The Iowa-based convenience store chain will replace medical technology company Hologic in the S&P 500 before trading opens on Thursday, S&P Dow Jones Indices said.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

In my interview, I had been promised a thirty-minute lunch break, but this turns out to be a five-minute pit stop at a convenience store, if that.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich