Cold and frozen dispensed beverages are oftentimes viewed synonymously with c-stores, and in 2024, retailers are looking to drive sales with a focus on frozen and flavor variety.
“We have increased (in sales) over the previous year; shockingly, our frozen is trending really well for this time of the year,” said Jessica Russell, food service director for Clark’s Pump N Shop, which has 68 locations in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia.
Especially as the seasons change into the warmer months, customers will be flocking toward colder and more refreshing beverages.
Clark’s installed six- to 10-foot islands in most locations for its cold dispensed setup, with frozen products facing the kitchens. Russell noted Clark’s is known for its fountain ice, and fountain units dispense a range of flavored drink options.
“The unit holds about 20 flavors in a box that can be combined to create numerous varieties. In our slush line we offer up to nine different flavors on our counters,” Russell said.
Looking ahead, Russell hopes to launch aggressive bundle deals with Clark’s food program, such as fountain drinks with lunch or dinner items.
Young Oil’s Grub Mart, with 11 stores in Alabama, has different dispensed setups depending on the store, but in general offers traditional fountain beverages, milkshakes, slush drinks and more. A few locations offer frozen coffee, iced lattes, iced cappuccinos, etc.
Heading into the future, Brian Young, vice president of Young Oil, believes c-stores will end up focusing more on immediate consumption.
“We’ve had to move into more of the impulse drinks. Anything that you can have at this time, I think it’s going to be a continuing trend,” he said.
For Grub Mart, Coke, Diet Coke, Mtn Dew and Dr Pepper are top performers for fountain drinks, and Mtn Dew and Coke are also popular among frozen carbonated beverages.
As for milkshakes, Grub Mart sticks with the best-selling flavors. “Most people rave, but for whatever reason, we can’t seem to surpass Sonic and McDonald’s or Dairy Queen, and most of our stores are fairly close to all those,” said Young.
Frozen Alcoholic Beverages
Aspects of Grub Mart’s dispensed segment have not been growing as much as the chain would like, but what is selling well is the company’s frozen alcoholic drinks.
Popular flavors include Blue Hawaiian, Bushwacker and Peach, among others, but “of course, it always varies (based on) who your customer is,” said Young.
In some areas, Mudslides will sell better, perhaps occasionally topped by the Hurricane flavor or similar, while in others, different flavor profiles are the top choices.
