The desire of customers to eat nutritious foods is increasingly materializing into more than good intentions. Those healthy goals are now driving healthier purchases of snacks and drinks like trail mix, breakfast bars, almondmilk and other better-for-you beverages, and convenience operators are updating their offerings to stay ahead of the curve.
The push for healthier options
Earlier this year, Technomic’s 2017 Consumer Trends Forecast reported that one of the most important consumer trends would be operators touting “a balanced approach as the ‘best medicine’ to support an overall healthy lifestyle.” This aligns perfectly with the many people entrenched in the better-for-you movement, which promotes choosing simple, nutritious options over highly processed foods with calories but no nutrients. In today’s world, people want food that’s more than just fuel. For instance, instead of purchasing a soda, consumers might reach for a no-sugar-added juice or a plant-based beverage like almondmilk, both of which offer vitamins and minerals.
In recent years, consumer packaged goods have seen strong growth with the biggest gains being achieved by companies targeting “the fast-growing market for protein-rich foods and healthy, ‘mindful’ snacks,” as noted in research released in 2016 by The Boston Consulting Group and Information Resources Inc. The convenience channel outpaced all other outlets the study measured, contributing “39.6% in terms of growth, which is more than its fair share.” Consumers want healthy, mindful food and beverage options and they want them on the go.
Beverages and beyond
Taking a closer look at the beverage category can illustrate this trend playing out.
According to Technomic’s 2016 Beverage Consumer Trend Report, powered by Ignite, about a fifth (18%) of all consumers say that the availability of healthy beverages is very important to them when choosing where to buy a drink. Additionally, more than half of consumers (56%) say they would be more likely to purchase beverages that are naturally sweetened and free of artificial ingredients and high-fructose corn syrup.
One such beverage, almondmilk, is rapidly growing as conventional milk is on the decline. Nielsen data shows almondmilk as a $1 billion business in grocery, growing at 10%, while over the last three years, conventional milk sales have been shrinking, down by 16%.
With beverages like almondmilk growing in popularity and customers increasingly caring about the availability of those beverages when choosing where to shop, it’s easy to plan the logical next step: Stock healthy beverages and snacks, and customers will come looking for it.
This is especially true at c-stores where many shoppers are already accustomed to stopping for drinks on the go. According to Technomic’s Beverage report, 43% of consumers say they have purchased a beverage from a convenience retailer in the past month, and consumers overall purchased an average of about 3.3 drinks over the course of that month.
Offering these sought-after, better-for-you products on shelves will make c-stores more desirable destinations for consumers looking for healthier options. Almondmilk and other drinks free of artificial flavors and colors, along with organic cheese snacks, meat snacks, trail mix and breakfast bars, are exploding on the scene, and the opportunity is ripe for retailers to take advantage of.
This content is sponsored by DanoneWave Away From Home’s Silk Single Serve Almondmilk. Contact your DanoneWave Away From Home representative to learn how our Wellness Beverage Experts™ can help optimize your operation. 888.620.9910 | danonewaveawayfromhome.com
This post is sponsored by DanoneWave Away From Home