Catherine Porter, Sara Lee Foodservice’s senior customer marketing manager, tells Convenience Store News that convenience, value, and flavor are three trends that are propelling C-store business. Bundled promotions and other value-added offerings have been highly successful during 2009.
There has been a shift in high-traffic times as well. C-stores generally are less populated in the early morning and tend to draw more customers in the mid and late afternoon—with different product needs.
Sara Lee is one company that has responded to these shifting shopping patterns with new on-the-go products, with new packaging and integrated merchandising that leverages the trust in the Sara Lee brand.
Prediction: We may soon see U.S. C-stores adapt some form of the Japanese approach to C-store merchandising, where packaged goods are rotated throughout the day. Brand marketers should monitor developments in C-store merchandising to react to trends.
