As customers look to treat themselves, they’re turning to c-store bakery cases for indulgent pick-me-ups. Bakery sales are booming and should continue to grow, according to John Benson, partner in the restaurants, hospitality and leisure practice at AlixPartners consulting firm. Over the past two years, he pointed out, total bakery, which includes packaged sweet snacks…
Quality, Variety Drive Roller Grill Sales
Roller grill offerings that signal quality to the consumer are likely to drive sales in 2023. Although many convenience stores are focusing on making investments in on-site kitchens and food preparation, roller grill items are still an important part of c-store foodservice strategy, said John Benson, partner in the restaurants, hospitality and leisure practice at…
Hunt Brothers Pizza Is a Foodservice Headliner
Over 15 years ago, Fleet Morris Petroleum’s Fleetway Market locations added Hunt Brothers Pizza to its foodservice mix. And, according to Casey Comfort, the company’s food and beverage director, in just over the past three years sales have increased by 20%. “We chose Hunt Brothers for our pizza program because it is simple to execute,…
Dispensed Beverages Record Double-Digit Growth
All signs point to growth for frozen and dispensed beverage sales in 2023. Cold and frozen dispensed beverages have remained strong growth categories for convenience stores over the past two years, reported John Benson, partner in the restaurants, hospitality and leisure practice at AlixPartners consulting firm. He explained that top-line revenues recovered to pre-pandemic levels…
Pizza Brings Steady Sales Increases
Pizza remains a go-to meal and snack for consumers throughout the day and a thriving profit center for convenience stores. Nouria’s New England stores have been seeing “a steady increase” in sales especially at lunch and dinner. Roland von Gunten, the company’s director of culinary fresh foods, said he expects that trend to continue. “People…
Viewed as Healthy and Versatile, Chicken Delivers
Baked or fried, chicken’s versatility, healthful halo, value and convenience make it a favorite meal or snack for American consumers. At SunStop Convenience Stores and Markets, Michelle Weckstein, director of food and beverage brands, has seen rising sales in the category over the past year and expects to see continued growth. “We incorporate our chicken…
Profits by the Cupful
C-store retailers are adding excitement to the hot dispensed beverage category with bean-to-cup coffee machines, a variety of options, limited-time offerings and promotions. 2021 and 2022 were big years for hot dispensed beverage upgrades for GPM Investments’ convenience stores. In addition to its traditional brew stations, the company installed bean-to-cup equipment in 525 of its…
Chicken and Pizza Sell Day to Night
As c-stores look to grow their foodservice offerings, pizza and chicken programs are helping retailers to drive sales and expand into new dayparts. When Pak-A-Sak convenience stores added a Hunt Brothers Pizza program, the change to its foodservice program was like night and day — literally. While the majority of the chain’s foodservice sales come…
Raising the Coffee Bar
C-store retailers are investing in their coffee bars, upgrading equipment and cross merchandising to recapture sales, which declined during COVID-19. Those efforts appear to be paying off for c-store operators. In its fall “2022 National Coffee Data Trends” report, the National Coffee Association (NCA) stated that while out-of-home coffee consumption has yet to fully recover…
Does My C-Store Need to Implement Order Ahead?
The rise of made-to-order foodservice has presented convenience store retailers with an operations dilemma. While customers have taken to the freshly prepared meals and snacks, they still expect instantaneous service and minimal lines. The pandemic has also created a demand for contactless or at least semi-contactless shopping. A growing number of retailers are meeting these…