The sunset of the nightshops ?

INSIGHT - The business model of "night stores" is faltering in Belgium. With a low penetration rate, a popular image of being "more expensive than practical", and consumers demanding a more sophisticated offering, this convenience store must reinvent itself, like structured chains such as Night & Day.

© FRe

Belgium has approximately 1,000 stores classified as night shops. This figure remains approximate: many outlets operate somewhere between a late-night shop, a bookstore, or a convenience store, making accurate counting difficult. Their role, however, is clear: they are urban businesses used for late-night shopping or quick fixes. Nearly two-thirds of their users live in cities.

The customer base is small but very active. Only 27% of Belgians visit a night shop at least once a month, but among them, nearly half go every week. Purchases are mainly impulsive, driven by immediate needs: a sweet craving, an unexpected visit, or a spontaneous party. The most common categories are alcohol, non-alcoholic drinks, snacks, and ice cream, with an average spend between €5 and €15.

The recipe for profitability? Alcohol and soaring prices

Alcoholic beverages represent 40% of total sales (excluding tobacco), and this category is overwhelmingly dominated by beer at over 70%, with Jupiler as the flagship product in all its variations: the 33cl can, the 50cl can, and also the 24x25cl crate. The second best-selling beer is Gordon, followed by Leffle Blond.

In the non-alcoholic beverage category, Coke leads with 25% of total sales, followed by Red Bull with one-sixth. Lipton Ice Tea completes the top three.

To remain profitable, managers often charge high prices: on average 65% more than traditional retail. Many even source their products directly from chains like Colruyt, Aldi, or Lidl.

The night shop is not a store for partying students

The convenience store owes a significant portion of its business to tobacco. And the trend is clear: smoking has been declining for two decades. The proportion of daily smokers fell from approximately 26% in the late 1990s to 15.4% in 2018 (Sciensano), a decrease of 40%. The number of heavy smokers has halved over the same period.

Vaping doesn't compensate: despite an increase among young people, regular use remains around 4% among adults. The result: less tobacco sold, therefore fewer visits and fewer additional purchases.

Daily alcohol consumption is also decreasing, especially among 45-64 year olds, falling from around 20% in 2013 to less than 10% in 2023. Among 15-44 year olds, it remains below 5%.

This decline also sheds light on the profile of visitors: the night shop is not a student shop, but rather a local shop for working adults. Those aged 45–65 are more present than those aged 18–44.

When the late-night shop becomes a local shop

The sector operates at two speeds. On one side, there are structured chains like Night & Day and White Night, which define themselves as convenience stores rather than late-night shops. On the other, there are numerous independent businesses, often run by entrepreneurs from immigrant backgrounds (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan). For many, this represents a means of economic integration. But this role comes with real constraints: late hours, long shifts, and incivility.

Structured players are less exposed to the decline in tobacco sales. Night & Day, founded in Namur in 1993, has become a well-known convenience store chain in Wallonia and Brussels, with 120 stores and approximately €150 million in revenue. The group has transformed the format: convenience store, bookstore, sandwich shop, post office, partnership with Shell, and opening hours from 7 a.m. to midnight rather than all night.

Consumer expectations confirm this trend. 61% consider night shops too expensive. They want a wider selection, more healthy products, and more pleasant stores.

In short: to remain relevant, night shops must move beyond the image of "convenient but expensive" commerce and evolve into a modern, more refined and more comprehensive proximity store .