Consumers are slowly resuming their pre-pandemic patterns of life, which for many includes commuting to and from work or school, and picking up meals and snacks to eat on the go or at their desks.
Research from Technomic’s 2021 Convenience Market Annual Report found that many c-store shoppers who worked from home for a sustained period of time in 2020 and 2021 are returning to their normal routines. In fact, 28% of those who had been working remotely are now back to commuting to the workplace, the report found. This is good news for convenience stores looking to see a renewal in foot traffic.
The report forecasted 7.6% growth for c-store food and beverage sales in 2022, compared to 5.1% sales growth forecasted for quick-service restaurants.
Consumers are spreading their c-store foodservice purchases across dayparts, with afternoon snacking leading the way, closely followed by lunch and breakfast purchases, according to Technomic’s research. During a one-month period late last year, 50% of consumers reported purchasing an afternoon snack at a c-store, and 33% reported purchasing lunch. Breakfast followed at 29%, and other snacking occasions also attracted a significant share of visits, with 25% purchasing a morning snack, 24% an evening snack and 12% a late-night snack.
Retailers should be prepared to accommodate consumers who are seeking portable, handheld meals and snacks throughout the day. Their menu of prepared foods should be filled with crave-worthy items that enable them to compete with quick-service restaurants in terms of flavor, quality and innovation. The foods on the menu should also be easy to prepare to minimize labor requirements and should cross-utilize ingredients in multiple items to limit waste.
Tyson Foodservice offers a range of products for c-store operators that meet all of those requirements, from ready-made sandwiches for breakfast and lunch to handheld snack items such as Bosco® stuffed breadsticks and State Fair® corn dogs. Items such as Jimmy Dean® Loaded Meat Lovers Bites and State Fair® Crispitos filled tortillas are also perfect for between-meal snacks at any time of day. Tyson Foodservice also offers protein-rich sandwiches to cover all dayparts as well. BIG AZ®, Hillshire Farm® and Jimmy Dean® sandwiches are quick, easy and delicious solutions for hungry shoppers.
For more menu inspiration to help c-store foodservice operations prepare for the return of consumers on the go, click here.
This post is sponsored by Tyson Foodservice