CHICAGO -- Seventy percent of convenience-store shoppers enter a store with the intention of buying a beverage, according to a recent consumer study, but only 43% of those have a specific brand in mind when they enter the store.
"There are a lot of impulsive people making their way through the store," said Sam Brewster, manager, shopper insights, for Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Plano, Texas, during CSP's Cold Vault Summit as he discussed the results of the Over the Shoulder/Egg Strategy Research study.
According to the results, carbonated soft drinks are the No. 1 planned beverage purchase/trip driver in convenience stores, and 51% of beverage shoppers walk straight to the cooler when they enter a store. But with 57% of beverage shoppers going in with no specific brand in mind, there is a lot of room to drive impulse buying.
"Many c-store shoppers are loyal to particular stores because they offer a good selection of beverages," Brewster concluded. "Shoppers want the staple brands, plus a wide variety of beverage types, brands and flavors.
"Target them with communications across the store," Brewster suggested. "Use product-focused, experiential messaging. Make your store an explorer's destination by offering a variety of types and flavors."
The most effective in-store communications, he said, link a product to the shopper’s occasion/need state or use of appealing graphics/copy to make the product immediately craveable.
According to the report, the top store choice drivers are:
- Convenience location
- Quick in and out
- Bottle/can beverage variety
- Fountain beverage variety/quality
- Cleanliness
- Food quality
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