Consumer Travel Lifts C-store Foodservice Trips

CHICAGO — As more consumers seek out beverages and food items that are easy to eat while on the go, the convenience store channel is increasingly benefiting, according to recent research from The NPD Group.

Visits to c-store for foodservice items, including beverages and prepared foods, were up 2 percent in the three months ending in November 2022 compared to one year ago, while consumer spending on foodservice menu items at c-stores was up 8 percent for the combined months of September, October and November compared to the same time period in 2021.

Additionally, both units and dollars of foodservice products shipped from broadline foodservice distributors to c-stores increased by 3 percent and 13 percent, respectively, compared to one year ago.

NPD found that the breakfast and morning snack periods, or morning meal daypart — which accounted for nearly a quarter of foodservice visits to c-stores — grew traffic by 3 percent and served as a key contributor to total visit growth during the most recent quarter. The evening snack period increased by 4 percent and was a vital component of foodservice traffic growth at c-stores during this time.

Lunch and dinner foodservice visits both grew 2 percent year over year, while traffic during the afternoon snack daypart was flat compared to one year ago.

Although beverage-only orders make up more than half of c-store food service visits and drive growth for the channel overall, the popularity of burgers and breakfast sandwiches ordered at c-stores throughout the day is also proving to be a growth driver. Burgers are a popular item at lunch, dinner and during the afternoon snack period, with burger servings increased by 12 percent during the quarter ending November compared to one year ago. Servings of different varieties of prepared breakfast sandwiches from c-stores rose by 8 percent year over year.

"Convenience store foodservice is benefitting by more people commuting to and from school and work and generally out and about more," said David Portalatin, author of "Eating Patterns in America" and NPD food industry advisor. "The growth in convenience store foodservice visits is a positive sign for the U.S. foodservice industry overall."

Based in Chicago, The NPD Group offers data, industry expertise and prescriptive analytics to help clients grow their businesses in today's retail landscape and prepare for the future.