CHICAGO-- Combo meals speak to the value equation for many consumers, and these items can also help promote add-ons and boost sales for convenience-store operators. For these reasons, and in order to remain competitive with one another, quick-service restaurants have been adding more combo-meal offerings to the menu for a while now.
In order to steal share from fast-food restaurants—c-stores’ biggest competitors—operators should consider what consumers want the most in a combo meal.
Here are five insights on the topic from Technomic’s recent Convenience Store Consumer MarketBrief ...
Made-to-order entrees are the most popular item to be included in a combo meal, consumers say. Approximately two-fifths of c-store customers would bundle a made-to-order entree with a beverage, whereas a third of guests would choose to bundle a made-to-order entree with a side item.
A little over a third of c-store consumers would bundle a ready-to-heat or ready-to-eat entree with another entree (either made-to-order or prepacked retail). Bundling two entrees together could appeal to those with big appetites or help drive traffic for parties of two or more.
Looking specifically at made-to-order entree combos, consumers' top three preferred pairings are made-to-order beverages, prepared sides and ready-to-eat entrees. These pairings are all foodservice items, pointing to a preference to bundle foodservice items with other foodservice offerings.
Beverages in general (all types) are the most popular pairing for side items, especially retail side items—such as bagged chips or pretzels. Nearly half of consumers say they would pair a beverage with a retail side. Three in 10 consumers expressed interest in pairing a prepared side with a beverage.
Two-fifths of consumers say they would pair similarly small-portioned dessert items with beverages—foodservice beverages in particular.
Among c-store consumers who purchase gasoline, more than two-fifths say they enter the store less than half the time, according to Technomic data. Offering gas combos with beverages—especially made-to-order beverages—may be an opportunity to improve that statistic as such combos appeal to about half of consumers, and could therefore help drive in-store traffic and increase overall spend.
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