Insight Research and NACS Announce Partnership for ‘Best Foodvenience Store in the World’ 2026
Insight Research and Global Convenience are proud to announce that the 2026 edition of the internationally recognised ‘Best Foodvenience Store in the World’ competition will be co-hosted alongside NACS, marking a major new chapter in the growth and global reach of the initiative. The 2026 search for entries begins in July and we will see the winner announced both online and live on stage at the The Retail Marketeers’ Convenience Leaders Convention in Hamburg, Germany on November 12th.
Now firmly established as one of the convenience retail industry’s leading global recognition platforms, the competition celebrates excellence and innovation in foodvenience through a unique combination of customer experience, operational excellence, and commercial performance. The search for the 2026 ‘Best Foodvenience Store in the World’ winner will be the third event since it was founded in 2024. Previous winners include Applegreen in Ireland and Rutters in the USA.
Since launch, the initiative has attracted entries from across the globe and has become a powerful platform for industry learning, showcasing the very best examples of modern convenience retail and foodservice innovation.
The new partnership with NACS will significantly strengthen the competition’s international profile and industry engagement, bringing together two organisations with a shared commitment to supporting convenience retail innovation and knowledge sharing worldwide.
Dan Munford, Founder of Global Convenience and Insight Research, commented:
“The ‘Best Foodvenience Store in the World’ competition has always been about more than selecting a winner. It exists to help move our industry forward by sharing ideas, recognising excellence, and creating a truly global showcase of innovation in convenience retail. Partnering with NACS for 2026 represents a major step forward for the initiative and reflects the growing importance of foodvenience within our industry worldwide.”
The 2026 competition will continue to operate as a fully online global programme, with no entry fees or geographical restrictions, enabling retailers from every market to participate and showcase their achievements on the international stage.
As with previous editions, participating stores will receive dedicated online profiles featuring photography, video content, and detailed insights into their foodvenience strategy, operational approach, customer proposition, and innovation initiatives.
The competition’s judging process will again combine evaluation from a global panel of industry experts alongside verified international industry voting, helping ensure a robust, independent, and representative result.
The announcement follows continued momentum for the initiative, with previous competitions attracting tens of thousands of industry votes, strong retailer participation across multiple continents, and extensive global engagement through digital and live industry platforms. Current NACS CEO President Frank Gleeson co-founded the Best Foodvenience Store in the World competition together with Insight CEO Dan Munford when he was working with Insight Research as a Board Advisor prior to his current role. Here Frank explains the ethos behind the competition.
Best Foodvenience Store in the World 2026 Key Dates
- July – Entry Opens
- 8 September – Entry deadline
- 17 September – Profiles live & judging begins
- 15 October – Shortlist announced & online voting opens
- 5 November – Voting closes
- 12 November – Winner announces online and live at The Retail Marketeers’ Convenience Leaders Convention
About Insight Research & Global Convenience
Insight Research is a global strategy and research business specializing in the retail and mobility sector. It helps the C-suite and broader industry navigate the future through a series of collaborative initiatives like the ‘Best Foodvenience Store’ and ‘Smartest Store’ in the World competitions and also retailer share groups. Global Convenience is one of the World’s leading convenience industry media platforms and is home to the Future of Convenience podcast.
