Convenience Store News Bestows 35 Products With 2022 Best New Products Awards
CHICAGO — The winners of this year's Convenience Store News Best New Products Awards represent a dynamic lineup of comfort and indulgent snacks, yummy foodservice offerings, and on-trend beverages.
While healthy eating is still an important consumer trend, this year's entries focused more on comfort foods and indulgence, compared to previous years when new product entries emphasized attributes such as low sugar, low calorie, and other better-for-you benefits.
Now in its 26th year, the Best New Products Awards program recognizes the marketers that introduce the most innovative, high-quality products into the convenience channel that meet consumers' evolving needs and fit a convenience store's value proposition.
Products introduced to the market between April 30, 2021 and May 1, 2022 were eligible for entry in 47 different categories. A panel of consumers judged the submitted products on value, convenience, appearance and packaging, along with attributes such as taste and ingredients for food items. Judging was supervised and tallied by Past Times Marketing, a New York-based consumer research and product-testing firm.
Based on the consumer ratings, 35 products new to convenience store shelves have been selected for recognition in this year's competition.
The winners are:
ALTERNATIVE SNACKS
Barebells Caramel-Cashew Protein Bar, Vitamin Well USA
BEER
Goose Island Tropical Beer Hug, Anheuser-Busch
CANDY: CHOCOLATE
Reese's Big Cup with Potato Chips, The Hershey Co.
CANDY: GUM
Extra Refreshers Fruit Mix, Mars Wrigley
CANDY: NON-CHOCOLATE
Starburst Airs Gummies, Mars Wrigley
CANDY: OVERALL
Lindt Classic Recipe OatMilk Chocolate Bars, Lindt & Sprungli USA
CBD: BEVERAGES
Mad Tasty Pure Sparkling Water, Yuzu Citrus, Mad Tasty LLC
CBD: VAPE
Forth CBD Vape Pen, Mixed Berry, E-Alternative Solutions
CIGARETTES
VLN Cigarettes, 22nd Century Group Inc.
FLAVORED MALT BEVERAGES
Jack Daniel's Country Cocktails, Pabst Brewing Co.
FOODSERVICE: BAKERY
Yeast-Raised Donuts, Golden Dough Foods
FOODSERVICE: BASE INGREDIENTS
Chorizo Sausage Strips, Johnsonville
FOODSERVICE: BREAKFAST
8-Inch Egg & Sausage Cheese Frozen Pizza, UNO Foods
FOODSERVICE: CONDIMENTS
SupHerb Farms Ready-to-Use Sauces, SupHerb Farms
FOODSERVICE: DINNER/HOME MEAL REPLACEMENT
MorningStar Farms Incogmeato Homestyle Chik'n Tenders, Kellogg's
FOODSERVICE: LUNCH
Southern Style Chicken Sandwich, Tyson Foods
FOODSERVICE: SIDE DISH
Chester's Mac & Cheese, Chester's Chicken
HEALTH & BEAUTY CARE
Buck Shots, DAS Labs LLC dba Bucked Up
HEALTHY SNACKS
Ostrim Premium Chicken Snack Sticks, Ranch, Protos Foods Inc.
LIQUOR
Truly Vodka, Beam Suntory
OTHER TOBACCO PRODUCTS: CIGARS
Swisher Sweets “Life is Sweet” Contest Packaging, Swisher
OTHER TOBACCO PRODUCTS: SMOKELESS
Black Buffalo Zero, Black Buffalo Inc.
PACKAGED BEVERAGES: CARBONATED SOFT DRINKS
Dr Pepper Zero Sugar, Keurig Dr Pepper
PACKAGED BEVERAGES: ENERGY DRINKS
AMIN.O. Energy Sparkling Drink, Glanbia Performance Nutrition NA
PACKAGED BEVERAGES: JUICE DRINKS
Minute Maid Aguas Frescas, The Coca-Cola Co.
PACKAGED BEVERAGES: RTD COFFEE DRINKS
Iced Latte, Community Coffee
PACKAGED BEVERAGES: RTD TEA
Pobble Bursting Bubble Tea, Mixed Berry Hibiscus, DD&B Solutions LLC
PACKAGED BEVERAGES: OTHER
Designer Wellness Protein Smoothie, Designer Wellness Co.
PACKAGED ICE CREAM
Main Avenue Creamery House-Made Ice Cream, United Dairy Farmers
PACKAGED SWEET SNACKS
Our Specialty Treat Shop Brownie Dessert Pizza Slices, Rich Products Corp.
SALTY SNACKS: NUTS & SEEDS
Beer Nuts Original Bar Mix, Beer Nuts Inc.
SALTY SNACKS: READY-TO-EAT POPCORN
Act II Butter Lovers Popcorn, Conagra Brands
SALTY SNACKS: OVERALL
Cheez-It Puff'd, Kellogg's
WINE
BuzzBallz Espresso Martini, Southern Champion/BuzzBallz LLC
OVERALL INNOVATION
TruShot 2.0 Mobile Dispensing Cleaning System, Phoenix Research Industries/S.C. Johnson