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Convenience Stores Now Offering Fresh, Better-For-You Foods

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Convenience stores are known to be dark, dusty, and laden with artificial food. But this stereotype is slowly changing as some upbeat convenience stores are offering fresh and healthy meals on the go. The Goods Mart in Los Angeles is setting an example of a new wave of convenience stores. As the brainchild of Rachel Krupa,  The Goods Mart is shaking up traditional models of convenience stores by offering healthy and high-end products from local brands.

Like 7-Eleven But With Better-For-You Foods

Just like the famous and conventional 7-Eleven, The Goods Mart offers a wide variety of products. The only difference is that the ingredients do not contain artificial colors and preservatives.  And while 7-Eleven provides its slushies and coffee self-service bar, The Goods Mart serves coffee and slushies from local companies with responsible practices. Companies like La Colombe and Kelvin Slush Co that help organic products.

But it is not only The Goods Mart that is picking up with the better-for-you foods trend. Another brand of a convenient store is Foxtrot. With five locations in Chicago, the store’s big driver is coffee, wine, and ice cream. It does not look like a convenience store but a  coffee shop. According to co-founder Mike LaVitola, Foxtrot started as an online delivery service for convenience store items like snacks, wine, and coffee. But the need for more organic and better-for-you convenience store items pushed the need for Foxtrot to open its very own brick and mortar stores.

 

Denver-based Choice Market, which opened recently, is banking on its organic bananas as its top seller. But aside from its bananas, it also has a robust made-to-order sandwich, salads, and smoothies. While 90% of the shelves are stocked up with fresh and healthy products, 10% of its shelves are still filled with traditional convenience store CPG brands like Coca-Cola.  Just looking at these three convenience stores, you can see society is embracing a new culture of better-for-you foods.

How The Trend Affects Local Consumers

Customers now have increased expectations of what convenience stores should feel and look like.  The popularity of this new wave of convenience stores is pushing for more competitors to enter the market. Foxtrot, for example, is planning to open more stores in a couple of months because of the high demand for such convenience stores. Other companies are emerging and following suit.

Gone will be the days when convenience stores are notorious for selling items that are artificial and unhealthy.  The new wave of convenience stores are not only inviting as they elevate the experience of their customers, but it also teaches people how to eat healthily. It gives everyone available better-for-you foods to make better choices.  Expect for more stores to open not only in Chicago and Denver but many other parts of the country too.

Inspired by www.newhope.com

Merchandising Strategies Can Boost Better For You Snack Sales

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Researchers at Utah State University conducted a three-month study testing different merchandising strategies at convenience stores to determine if you could improve better-for-you snack sales. Their study found that placing fresh fruit and other healthy snack options near the checkout area plus promoting their beneficial attributes increased sales on many of these items. Another study developed by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) found that better-for-you snack sales increased by 34% when merchandised next to traditional snacks.

What Merchandising Strategies have the Most Success?

Point of purchase displays near checkouts hosting a variety of healthy options from clean label granola bars to whole fruits and vegetables saw the most success in the Utah State study. Food manufacturers have spent much time in R&D to reformulate snacks and create packaging that speaks to the health benefits, but they are losing momentum in retail. Placement and callout need to be improved to showcase why these snacks are so much better for you than traditional ones.

“Both the healthy checkout and better-for-you planogram tests showed that low-cost tactics can be implemented at convenience stores to grow sales of healthier foods. What works in some stores may not work across all stores, but the success of these tests clearly shows that convenience stores can be a destination of choice for better-for-you items.”

Carolyn Schnare, Director of Strategic Initiatives at NACS

Retailers have to buy into the health-focused movement to see the real benefits. It can be a win-win for retailers and food brands as the clean label movement continues to pick up steam.

The Better For You Planogram Study

The better for you planogram study tracked by NACS looked at four low-calorie snacks in a few convenience stores. They found that integrating these products in with fan favorites on the endcaps of aisles significantly boosted the sales. Veggie chips sales were up 119% during the study! Better for you sales and GrandFusion is a crucial ingredient helping snack foods making powerful health claims on their packaging. Our powdered blend of fruits and vegetables stabilizes and concentrates the natural vitamins and minerals so that you can quickly add super nutrition without impacting flavor or texture of your end product. Let NutriFusion help you take your healthy snack to the next level!