Today’s retail landscape for consumable goods is complex. Consumers shop multiple channels to find the right mix of quality, selection and pricing, with retailers’ competencies determining the shopping map. We go to the grocery store to buy fresh foods, specialty stores such as Whole Foods to buy special-occasion foods and Walmart for inexpensive packaged foods. And big-box retailers such as Target are often used for everyday health and beauty items.
Stores are identified and defined by what they are “good for.” Which begs the question: What are c-stores good for?
As it stands now, c-stores aren’t particularly “good for” anything apart from the obvious benefit of convenience. Most c-stores haven’t focused their business to offer anything distinctive, with c-store shopping more or less defined by “destination shopping.” Also, grocery stores offering expanded hours, mass stores designing smaller footprints and drug stores increasingly offering food and beverage options are impeding upon the traditional convenience channel, making any distinction even slimmer.
C-stores, other than their usual business, should differentiate by doing something really well— something they can own, which then becomes a known competence to consumers, and a siren’s call to bring in traffic. This “something” need not be complex, but it must stand out among other offerings as a focal point. Given why consumers currently visit c-stores, we believe that, near-term, the best opportunities lie in the food and beverage categories.
Similar yet Different
Within food and beverage, we would look to products that are familiar yet readily amped up in quality, while keeping in mind that there is an inherent threshold that would make certain high-quality products unviable in a c-store environment.
Familiar: Sandwiches, hot dogs, beverages such as beer and sodas, pizza, ice cream and other long-familiar tastes will be very accessible to c-store audiences. We don’t want to challenge their expectations too much—at least initially. However, once that special something has been established, stores can incrementally play in less familiar spaces to expand that uniqueness.
Bumped Up a Notch: This means adding extras to familiar foods and leveraging quality distinctions where possible. For instance, instead of “barbecue,” offer “Kansas City sweet barbecue”; instead of fries, try “smoky chipotle fries.” A few “bumped up” healthier SKUs would also be good.
Believable: Don’t make things too fancy or premium. Doing it right with common ingredients is likelier to succeed within the c-store context. For example, offering goat cheese and figs would seem odd to most in a c-store. Also, while many types of cuisine have appeared across America in recent years, be cautious with offerings that require special skills to prepare. In other words, don’t make something such as Thai or Indian finger foods, which would push it too far in a c-store context. On the other hand, something such as Bahn Mi (a Vietnamese sandwich made on french bread, with barbecued meats and fresh vegetables) is simple enough in terms of preparation to work.
Special Touches
Many c-stores out there have a special something that people strongly associate with the store:
- A giant chicken “statue” sits atop Speedy Mart in Longview, Wash. Described in one Yelp review as a “dive” with “really, really good fried chicken,” it is revered among locals for exactly that.
- Super Deli Mart is a humble Seattle store with functional aesthetics that specializes in beer; it offers a selection that rivals most specialized beer stores. It has live taps so one can get a growler refilled, or enjoy a frosty brew while scarfing down a sandwich (such as the popular “Cheesy British”). This store is a perfect example of doing things very well in categories that sit right in the pocket of what c-store shoppers are looking for, without going over the top.
- C-stores/gas stations in the Acadiana region of Louisiana are often known for homemade sausages known as Boudin. Locals are very proud of their sausage, and the Boudin has gained national attention from foodies and the food media that serves them.
These examples make it clear that one need not become a miniature Whole Foods to be known as a c-store that is “good for” a particular something. With a little bit of work, such a reputation is within the grasp of every c-store.
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