Why Mandali, and why now

Independent convenience stores are a large, steady business. But the way owners hire, buy and get help has barely changed, and the pressure on them is growing.

1. Hiring is the biggest cost and the most broken process

Labor is the largest operating cost for convenience stores (NACS). Employee turnover in the industry typically tops 100% a year (NACS). In our own fieldwork, owners told us they lose a cashier about every six months (Mandali fieldwork, 300+ conversations). Most of these hires still happen through WhatsApp groups and word of mouth, with no reliable way to check who is walking behind the register.

2. A generation is handing over the keys

Of 272 owners we asked about the future of their stores, 201 are handing the business to the next generation or selling it (Mandali fieldwork). The next generation grew up on smartphones and expects better tools than a group chat.

3. Costs keep rising

After labor, card swipe fees are the industry's second-highest operating cost, more than rent and utilities. Convenience stores paid $21 billion in swipe fees in 2024, up more than 80% since 2020 (NACS). Independent owners carry these costs without the buying power of large chains.

4. Trust does not scale through a phone

The community already works together. It shares deals, recommends workers and vouches for people. But that trust only reaches the people an owner has met. Messages get buried, and good deals are missed. Mandali gives that network a permanent, searchable home, so a trusted recommendation can reach an owner three states away, not just down the street.

See the market facts and how we are approaching it.