CSNews Bestows 2017 Best New Products Awards

10/16/2017
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NATIONAL REPORT — Thirty-six products new to convenience store shelves in the past year have been selected as winners in the 21st annual Convenience Store News Best New Products Awards competition.

The CSNews Best New Products Awards program recognizes and honors the marketers who introduced the most innovative, high-quality products that meet consumers’ evolving needs.

This year’s winners certainly reflect changing consumer needs, with many featuring and playing to aspects of the foodie culture, spurred on by millennials. That means many of this year’s best new products are made with local, pure, ethically or naturally-raised and grown ingredients, which are readily transparent to the consumer. For instance, most of the alternative and healthy snack winners are chock full of fresh and organic ingredients. And the winning flavors of many products are bold, reflecting the multicultural influence in the United States.

Judging for the 2017 CSNews Best New Products Awards was supervised by Past Times Marketing, a New York-based consumer research and product testing firm. Contest entries were rated and awarded points by consumers based on the criteria of taste, value, convenience, healthfulness, ingredients, preparation requirements, appearance and packaging.

The 2017 CSNews Best New Products Awards honorees are:

Alcoholic Beverages/Beer: Amstel Xlight

Alcoholic Beverages/Cider: Strongbow Mini Cans

Alternative Snacks/Fruit Snacks: Fruit Gushers Sour

Alternative Snacks/Health & Energy Bars: FITCRUNCH Birthday Cake Bar

Alternative Snacks/Meat Snacks: Perky Jerky Beef Stick

Candy/Chocolate: M&M’S Caramel Chocolate Candies

Candy/Mints: Breath Savers Protect

Candy/Novelty & Seasonal: Trolls Candy Fan

Dairy Beverages: Horizon Organic Milk Aseptic Quarts

Dairy Products: CheeseHeads Sticks

Edible Grocery: Yo Momma’s Style Colorado Green Chile

Energy Products: FORTO Coffee Shots

Foodservice/Breakfast: Big AZ Western Style Omelet Wrap

Foodservice/Condiments: Califia Farms Barista Blend

Foodservice/Lunch: Hillshire Farm Premium Chicken Sausages, Bacon & Gouda

Foodservice/Snacks: Bosco Sticks Ham & Cheese

Frozen Novelties: M&M’S Brand Ice Cream Bars

General Merchandise: Personalized Lanyard Keychains

Health & Beauty Care: Nicorette Gum

Healthy Snacks/Crackers: Good Zebra Spirit Animal Crackers

Healthy Snacks/Other: Goodfoods Chunky Guacamole & Tortilla Chips

Liquor: Cafe Agave

Non-Edible Grocery: Purina Beneful Grain Free

Packaged Beverages/Alternative: Wonder Drink Kombucha

Packaged Beverages/Bottled Water: Volvic Natural Spring Water

Packaged Beverages/Carbonated: Belvoir Fruit Farms Organic Cucumber & Mint Lemonade

Packaged Beverages/Juice Drinks: Califa Farms Tangerine Juice

Packaged Beverages/RTD Tea: Gold Peak Tea Chai Latte & Vanilla Chai Latte

Packaged Sweet Snacks: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Salty Snacks/Nuts & Seeds: BIGS Tapatio Chile Limon Sunflower Seeds

Salty Snacks/Other: Take 5 Snack Mix

Tobacco/Cigars: White Owl Blue Raspberry

Tobacco/Cigarettes: Gold Crest Cigarettes

Tobacco/Electronic Cigarettes & Vapor Products: Cue Vapor System

Wine: Gallo Family Vineyard Sweets

Overall Innovation: Califa Farms Nitro Cold Brew Mocha

Susan Durtschi, an experienced buyer and product development specialist for both brick-and-mortar and online retailers, is president of Past Times Marketing, a consumer research firm. For the eighth consecutive year, Convenience Store News partnered with Past Times Marketing for the Best New Products Awards. Past Times works via focus groups and through online surveys with consumers across the country to judge new products. For more information, go to www.pasttimesmarketing.com.

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