On-the-go eating has long been a retail mantra, and today’s youth give the phrase new meaning. Younger consumers are adventurous about their food, seeking unique and creative flavors and products for snacking opportunities.
According to Jared Koerten of Euromonitor International, marketers should try to appeal to the lifestyle demands of millennials (born between 1980 and 2000). These groups represent a combined 43.7 million consumers with $1.1 trillion in spending power, so for c-stores, winning their dollars is crucial to success.
Who Are Millennials?
One significant lifestyle demand of younger consumers is round-the-clock-eating. "Millennials snack more often than any other age group," Koerten said. "They snack more outside traditional meal times, and they snack to replace traditional meals." This demographic also seeks portable grab-and-go products they can consume on the run, such as yogurt, snack bars and ready-to-eat cereals.
Millennials are also concerned about healthy eating, with preferences for spice, heat and texture in their snacks and “no artificial anything. They enjoy food and they have an appetite for snacks,” Koerten said.
They also care about convenience, speed, packaging clarity and foods high in protein and lower in sodium, fat and other less-than-healthy ingredients. They are young, hip and tech-savvy.
Supermarket guru Phil Lempert said these younger generations share a mentality of “you only live once,” even with their food experiences. “Despite the fact they are just starting out their careers and have high college debt, they are driving snacking trends with their focus on food enjoyment,” he said.
And they’re not alone; even the older generations are grazing more. Baby boomers are also moving from three meals a day to as many as nine, Lempert said.
Portable Is Desirable
As millennials make their way through significant life stages, their food, beverage and foodservice segment preferences and behaviors evolve, said Anne Mills, consumer research manager at Chicago-based research firm Technomic.
“A one-size-fits-all approach will miss the mark with this unique group of consumers,” Mills said. “Operators who understand the dynamic and varied needs of millennials will be better positioned to succeed with consumers.”
Convenient, portable snack options are increasingly important to consumers as they develop faster-paced lifestyles. Recent Technomic research indicates 60% of consumers cited portability as an important factor when choosing a snack, compared to 55% in 2012.
Mills said c-store snack offerings are also becoming more premium and sophisticated. At York, Pa.-based Rutter’s Food Stores, a slew of portable, flavorful and affordable appetizer offerings dominates the chain’s foodservice category, such as pork wings, mahi-mahi fish bites, beef short ribs and jalpeño bites—all of which can be eaten as a snack.
The variety of these snacks appeals to a broad palette of tastes around the clock, said Jerry Weiner, vice president of foodservice for the 60-store operation. Rutter’s also offers its customers an array of sauces from which to choose, from the store’s own Bada Bing sauce (a spicy, hot dipping sauce) to ranch dressing, mustard dressings, ketchups, marinara and salsas (including black bean), which appeals to younger consumers’ desire for customization.
Another key to success, he said, is the snacks’ portability. They’re served in an angled-top cup that fits in the cup holder of a car. “These items are popular at our 47 stores that offer truck fueling, because drivers can eat and drive,” Weiner said. “They are portable and easy for them to consume while they are moving. Every time they turn the brakes on, it costs money, so they like to be able to eat while driving.”
And while the line of portable snacks is not designed specifically for millennials, it seems to be quite popular with this age group, especially late at night.
“My favorite time of day is 2 a.m. when all the bars close. These are popular items because they are portable, simple and relatively affordable ... and greasy, which goes well with alcohol,” Weiner said.
This post is sponsored by Nestlé Professional