ATLANTA — “Long-term demand trends in U.S. food culture are causing tectonic shifts in the industry today and threaten the convenience channel’s very essence,” states a new report from NACS and the Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council (CCRRC).
Drawn from research from the Hartman Group, the CCRRC surveyed thousands of adult consumers to “understand how convenience is understood today, where convenience stores are currently situated in the consumer’s food and shopping rotation and how they can best be positioned to align with the consumer’s evolving array of need states and requirements.”
The survey report, titled the Changing Face of Convenience: How C-Stores Must Adapt to Survive and Thrive, said convenience stores fall into a wide variety of strategy types, from traditional to modern, neither of which is better or worse, depending on market and customer base.
To compete effectively in the future, however, the study concluded, “operators should focus on making their stores the most inviting spaces they possibly can. This can be done in myriad ways—from a greeting by a friendly employee to new snack discoveries to premium coffee and fresh pastries to engaging digital experiences.”
Here’s a look at some of the results of the study …