According to a CSPnet.com report, c-store food trends predicted for 2014 include everything from healthier snacking to store-brand, versus name-brand, items.
The Dec. 19 story said supermarket guru Phil Lempert’s forecast shows a trend towards "better-for-you snacking."
"We witnessed a huge proliferation of better-for-you packaged snacks and beverages this year. The trick for retailers will be finding the right product mix between core SKUs and the new, better-for-you crop, and determining where in the store to place the more healthful items. Lean on suppliers for category-management support," the report stated.
The report also stated that a ConAgra Foods survey shows over half of consumers go to a particular retailer because of their in-house brands. "We’ve certainly seen the power of private label for some c-store retailers, and the growth and evolution of c-store foodservice will further help elevate the c-store brand," the report said.
One more thing the report revealed was the trend towards "fast casual" foods which are of better quality or are healthier. "We’ve all heard former Wawa CEO Howard Stoeckel’s vision of creating a new segment: Fast casual to go. Many c-store chains have the fast-casual attributes down: speed of service, customization, and certainly convenience. The competitive challenge is delivering the quality that makes customers willing to pay that little bit more," the report stated.
To read the entire report, click here.
