As I write this, the Internet is ablaze with news that McDonald’s finally figured out how to offer breakfast all day. (As one of my more, let’s say, laid-back friends said, “Now I have no reason to try to wake up before 10:30.”) White Castle also announced it would start offering its breakfast menu—which includes Breakfast Belgian Waffle Sliders and Hash Brown Nibblers—around the clock.
All of this means c-stores must stay on the offensive to maintain their strength not only at breakfast but also with the variety of foods they offer 24/7. And one way to do that is with a quality cup of coffee.
According to Technomic, one out of every four consumers says they are purchasing hot beverages from c-stores more often than they were a year ago. Millennials overindex here, with 41% saying the same. Of those consumers, 71% are purchasing less often from coffee shops, and 63% are cutting down on their purchases at fast feeders. Ladies and gentlemen, nice job.
And although lattes and mochas are becoming an expectation rather than a point of differentiation, retailers would do well to take a cue from Sheetz and Mapco and truly perfect their cup of simple brewed joe. That’s what makes up the majority of your coffee sales, and those consumers are your most frequent hot-beverage shoppers.
So fine-tune your beans, grinders and brewers. Those things can’t be covered up by a bunch of foam and syrup.
Abbie Westra, author of the Hungry Mind blog, is deputy group editor of CSP. Contact her at awestra@winsightmedia.com
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