Convenience stores have been empowering their customers with choice for as long as they’ve been in existence. Certainly, having a rigorous product assortment has been part of that equation. And now, amid a growing numbers of robust foodservice operations, c-stores are banking on consumers’ love of having it their way.
From self-serve coffee bars with seemingly endless flavor choices to roller grills with multiple sausages and toppings, and fountain dispensers with varied soda options and added flavorings, the proof is in the pudding—or, more appropriately, the smoothie.
It was only a matter of time before enterprising suppliers and c-stores teamed up to offer customers a do-it-yourself frozen beverage or treat option. Equipment and food suppliers alike have been unveiling products for smoothies, frozen yogurt and soft serve at a steady clip for a while, and retailers are starting to notice. After all, they have the numbers to back up all that demand: Americans spend more than $12.8 billion a year on smoothies.
According to a Mintel Smoothies and Shakes report, most smoothie drinkers like to order them as snacks, which is in keeping with other recent data that suggests that consumers are looking for more healthful snacks, and are likewise snacking more often. Most important, smoothie drinkers indicated that fast-food smoothies taste as good as the ones purchased at smoothie shops.
While smoothies and other frozen treats are somewhat seasonal, 28% to 46% percent of consumers purchase smoothies on the go, 8% of which are purchased at c-stores, according to data provided by Vitamix.
That said, frozen treats still reign, with $1.1 billion in annual ice-cream sales in c-stores alone, according to data compiled by Nestlé, maker of Dreyer’s, Edy’s, Haagen-Dazs and other ice-cream brands. Retailers such as RaceTrac are upping their presence in make-your-own frozen yogurt and soft serve by innovating their offers. RaceTrac’s Swirl World, which debuted in 2012, offers 10 flavors of frozen yogurt and 40 toppings for customers to create their own personalized creations [CSP—Oct. ’13, p. 225].
What follows is just a sampling of the newest and shiniest equipment items to help retailers add a frozen beverage or treat option to their growing, highly customizable foodservice programs.
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