Sides, combo meals and even small equipment purchases can take your foodservice program from blah to booming. By Erin Rigik, Associate Editor. The International Dairy Deli Bakery Association’s (IDDBA) “What’s in Store 2012” report revealed consumers are buying more prepared meals at convenience stores that provide quality and variety to shoppers. Just being on top…

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market launched a contest to engage customers, while expanding its side dish range. Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market has launched a Summer Side Dish Recipe Contest for customers to help grow its popular side dish offerings. Customers can participate in the Summer Side Dish Recipe Contest by submitting their original side…

While commissary products are growing in popularity at c-stores, not all retailers are at the same level. Luckily, options abound in ways to integrate commissary products for all quartiles. By Erin Rigik, Associate Editor Commissaries and a centralized distribution system are becoming more popular across all foodservice segments in both convenience stores and supermarkets as…

Commissaries account for a quarter of all supermarket and convenience store prepared food purchases, according to Technomic. In a first-of-its-kind study, Technomic found that commissaries (also known as meal assemblers and central kitchens) are the source of a large percentage of all foodservice purchases in both supermarkets and c-stores. Commissaries have recently become more popular…

Whether it’s sandwiches, wraps or salads, chicken’s flexibility allows for a variety of healthy menu options. By John Lofstock, Editor. Convenience stores are going fresh and healthy, but not quickly enough for consumers, a new research report suggests. Convenience stores have been a growing outlet for produce, but consumers want more. More than half (52%),…

GIANT Food Store’s convenience store offers fresh meals, groceries and fuel for on-the-go customers in Lancaster, Pa. GIANT Food Stores opened the doors of its second convenience store, GIANT To Go, on Thursday, May 19 at 8 a.m. in Manheim Township, Lancaster County, Pa. The 4,000 square foot store, located at 2339 Oregon Pike, offers…

Fresh foods, traditional c-store offerings available at new smaller format store. United Supermarkets has entered the convenience market, introducing its first United Express standalone convenience store location this week in Lubbock, Texas,  Chain Store Age reported. The new United Express offers six fuel pumps, fresh foods and traditional c-store items. “Our goal with United Express…

In today’s health-conscious world, convenience stores are expanding their menus to include more healthy snacks and meals. By: John Lofstock, Editor. While cash-strapped consumers are cooking at home more often to help ease tight budgets, a new study by the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) found that these shoppers are on the lookout for…

There’s a reason why American Retail Services (ARS) of Oceanside, Calif.,  chose sandwiches as the centerpiece of the budding foodservice program it’s launching in its 100-store chain. Chicago-based market research firm Mintel International estimated in September 2010 that despite the challenges of the recent economy, sandwich shop sales grew 3.1% in 2010 to $24.3 billion.…

Versatility makes chicken one of the most popular segments in foodservice. Chicago-based market research firm Mintel International reported new menu items in convenience stores and QSRs in 2010 were chicken-based as these retail segments expanded to compete with supermarkets. Mintel’s QSR report noted that 43% of respondents said they wanted healthier menu options at restaurants…