are in cash; and easily resold merchandise, such as liquor, lottery tickets and cigarettes, is on site. Most convenience stores have a cash drop slot into a time-delay safe to limit the amount of cash on hand. Many have installed security cameras to help deter robberies and shoplifting. Because of their vulnerability to crime, nearly all convenience stores have a friendly relationship with the local police. To reduce burglaries when the store is closed, some convenience stores have bars on the windows. Similar concepts Convenience stores to some extent replaced the old-fashioned general store. They are similar to Australian milk bars, but unlike these are often franchises and not "Mum and Dad" small business operations. In Britain, corner shops in towns and village shops in the countryside served similar purposes and were the precursors to the modern European convenience shop (e.g. Spar). In the Canadian province of Quebec, dépanneurs (often referred to as "deps" in English) are often family-owned neighbourhood shops that serve similar purposes. Truck stops, also known as "travel centers", combine a shop offering similar goods with a convenience store with amenities for professional drivers of semi-trailer trucks. This may include fast food restaurants, showers and facilities for buying large quantities of diesel fuel. The equivalent in Europe is the motorway service station. Neighborhood grocery stores not big enough to be considered a supermarket often compete with convenience shops. For example, in Los Angeles, a local chain operates neighborhood grocery stores that fill a niche between a traditional supermarket and convenience shop. Because they stock fresh fruit and fresh meat and carry upwards of 5,000 items, they have a lot in common with the supermarket. Due to the relatively small store size, customers can get in and out conveniently or have purchases delivered. In Belgium, convenience shops known as night shops are only permitted to open at night. See also List of convenience stores National Association of Convenience Stores Take a penny, leave a penny Filling station Types of retail outlets Automated convenience store References Further reading External links Convenience Store News (convenience store industry trade publication and online news source) Convenience Store Decisions (convenience store industry trade publication) cstore life magazine (The official publication of the Canadian Convenience Stores Association) Australian Convenience Store News (industry trade publication) NACS, the Association for Convenience and Fuel Retailing Convenience Central (convenience store industry trade publications, event and news source)