U.S. consumers taking advantage of foodservice options being offered by convenience stores, often at the expense of restaurants; 27% of consumers who purchased food at a convenience store said a fast-food restaurant would have been their next choice

Cindy Allen

CHICAGO , November 29, 2011 (Technomic) – As convenience stores continue offering busy consumers more options for meals and snacks, new research by Technomic finds consumers are taking advantage of the expanding foodservice options, many times at the expense of quick-service restaurants. Of consumers polled on their most recent convenience store foodservice purchase, 27 percent indicated that if they had not bought their meal from the convenience store in question, they would have purchased it from a fast-food restaurant. Interestingly, that number is nearly identical to those who said they would have ordered from another convenience store.

"Convenience stores are increasingly falling into the same consideration set as fast-food restaurants," says Technomic Director Tim Powell. "This really speaks to the enhanced foodservice offerings in convenience stores as well as evolving consumer behaviors. In our recent survey of more than 3,700 consumers who visit convenience stores, 82 percent said they purchase prepared foods from them at least once a month, while 52 percent do so at least once per week."

In order to help convenience store operators and others aligned with the foodservice industry stay informed about consumer perceptions and behaviors with regard to convenience store foodservice, Technomic has developed the Consumer C-Store Brand Metrics Shopper Insights Report, which delivers unique competitive intelligence from the perspective of the consumer.

Other interesting findings include:

More than 1 in 4 consumers (27 percent) said they purchased an afternoon snack during their most recent visit, while 19 percent purchased lunch. A significant number (23 percent) also indicated they only bought a beverage.
Impulse buying plays a big role in convenience store foodservice purchases. Thirty-one percent of c-store foodservice consumers said that seeing an item, which triggered a craving, was the primary motivation for purchasing it.

The Consumer C-Store Brand Metrics Shopper Insights Report was compiled using a nationally representative sample of 3,755 consumers and individual c-store visits. The report includes chain rankings and comparisons by attribute, visit satisfaction and customer loyalty metrics, as well as competitive set identification and profiles of 20 convenience store chains with demographics and attribute ratings on over 30 attributes. The attributes relate to service, hospitality, unit appearance and ambiance, food and beverage quality, convenience, takeout, and overall value.

Consumer C-Store Brand Metrics is available to all members of Technomic's Convenience Store Insights Group and is also available separately for purchase by non-members. Technomic's Consumer Brand Metrics programs provide key competitive insights critical to understanding and benchmarking brand performance for restaurants, convenience stores and hotels.

Brand coverage for Consumer C-Store Brand Metrics includes:

7-11

ampm

Aplus Convenience Stores

Casey's General Store

Cenex

Chevron

Circle K

Corner Store

Cumberland Farms

Hess Express


Holiday Stationstores

Kangaroo Express

Kum & Go

Kwik Trip Speedway

Pilot/Flying J

Quick Trip

RaceTrac/RaceWay

Speedway

Stripes

Wawa

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