More Than a Morsel of Opportunity

Convenience store operators are leaving money on the table today by not doing enough in their foodservice programs to attract, satisfy and become the hottest destination for snackers.

Only 22 percent of recent convenience store snack purchases included prepared foods, according to the findings of a joint consumer research study commissioned by Tyson Convenience Foodservice and Anheuser-Busch. A summary of the findings was revealed during the 2015 Convenience Store News Foodservice Summit, held in partnership with Tyson Convenience Foodservice in March.

The “p.m. snack” daypart (after 2 p.m.) is especially open for more convenience foodservice business. The research showed 46 percent of convenience store visits happen after 2 p.m., and 50 percent of convenience store snack purchases happen between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m.

“The traffic is there. They’re visiting the stores then. They’re buying snacks, but convenience stores are not connecting as well as they could on the prepared food side,” Kevin Miller, senior marketing manager of Tyson Convenience Foodservice, noted during his presentation at the Foodservice Summit.

To improve, c-store retailers must understand what drives consumers’ p.m. snacking.

Click here to continue reading the "More Than a Morsel of Opportunity" special feature, published in the May Convenience Store News Guide to Snacking.