Breakfast isn’t just the most important meal of the day—it’s many consumers’ favorite meal. Even a busy morning or a rushed commute won’t keep consumers from picking up a toasty bagel, a hearty egg sandwich or a refreshing iced coffee along the way.
And the breakfast-food cravings don’t disappear once the morning has passed. This means convenience-store retailers have a prime opportunity to expand breakfast offerings—and sales—throughout the day.
Since COVID-19 hit, however, consumers’ breakfast habits have changed significantly. With more consumers working from home, many are choosing to eat breakfast later in the day. And according to Technomic’s Q3 2020 C-Store Consumer MarketBrief, 41% of consumers say their jobs never switched to working from home, while 19% say their jobs did transition to working from home but they are now back to commuting again. For these consumers, c-store breakfast remains relevant. Among the 40% of consumers are still working from home, many may be looking for breakfast outside of its typical hours, such as later in the morning or early in the afternoon.
According to Technomic’s 2019 Breakfast Consumer Trend Report, offering breakfast items throughout the day is likely to increase revenue. The study indicates that two in five consumers strongly agree that they enjoy eating breakfast foods at nontraditional times, and 31% say they are now purchasing breakfast outside of morning hours more often. It also indicates that the number is even larger among the age 18-34 crowd, marking a growing segment of consumers likely to order breakfast food later in the day. Plus, for the 60% of consumers who say they skip their morning meal at least once each work week, offering all-day breakfast provides them the opportunity to enjoy the meal whenever they please.
Regardless of when they prefer to eat breakfast food, there’s one thing consumers call for unanimously: convenience. Even beyond the c-store market, consumers emphasize portable, ready-to-eat offerings now more than a couple years prior, according to Technomic’s Breakfast report. And for c-store shoppers in particular, it’s safe to assume that convenience is non-negotiable.
Fast service, freshness and profit margins are all important areas of focus for retailers. Although sales have fallen in 2020, they are expected to bounce back strong in 2021, according to Technomic’s August 2020 Foodservice Industry Forecasts. A return to commuting will drive demand and c-stores have an opportunity to capitalize on sales. Purchases are expected to rise as the economy reopens and more consumers begin commuting again—an estimated 26% to 36% more than in 2019—so c-stores must prepare for significant rises in demand to maximize their all-day breakfast program’s profitability.
Luckily, Einstein Bros. Bagels offers a solution. Already a fan-favorite brand, Einstein Bros. offers convenience retail solutions to solve the all-day breakfast puzzle.
Einstein Bros.’ modular unit is a compact quick-service-restaurant designed to deliver the same high-quality, great-tasting convenient breakfast foods served at standalone Einstein locations—with a smaller footprint that’s perfect for convenience stores.
The modular unit offers a simplified, easy-to-operate breakfast platform that provides c-store customers with a quick stop for great breakfast food— familiar foods from Einstein Bros. Bagels that are fresh, nutritious and portable. Offerings range from classic bagels with a cream cheese “shmear” to savory egg sandwiches and pizza bagels—perfect for later in the day, as well as ultra-trendy cold brew coffee in a variety of flavors. Installation includes all design, equipment, construction, and training support while keeping the initial investment low and the floor plan as small as 130 square feet.
No matter what’s happening in the world, breakfast is still the most important meal of the day—no matter what time it happens! All-day breakfast can be a boon for retailers.
To learn more about kicking off a profitable all-day breakfast program with the help of an Einstein Bros. Bagels modular unit, visit www.einsteinbros.com, call (720) 458-9735 or email petrolicensing@coffeeandbagels.com.
This post is sponsored by Einstein Bros. Bagels