Nine Demands of Today's C-Store Foodservice Shoppers

Convenience store (or "c-store") customers are always evolving. The current demographic has changed dramatically in recent years, with shifting preferences and expectations regarding products and services. C-stores are doing their best to meet these demands, developing new strategies to retain customer loyalty. To better illustrate the needs of the current demographic, we've listed 9 demands of today’s c-store shoppers from CSP Magazine.

1. Diverse, Young, and Tech-Savvy

Today’s c-store shopper tends to be a young and tech-savvy individual. 77% of the Millennial generation are "Super Heavy Users", or shoppers who frequent a c-store a least once a week. These young consumers are also a diverse bunch, with a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds. To top it off, millennials have grown up in an era of vast technological advances, so they have high expectations about foodservice technology.

2. Cleanliness

96% of c-store customers say that a clean shopping experience is extremely important to them. Clean stores, fresh food, and well-labeled products make an enormous difference.

3. High-Quality Ingredients

The current c-store shopper is interested in finding high-quality, fresh ingredients. 86% of shoppers report that premium ingredients are a huge factor in their buying decisions.

4. Unique Breakfasts

C-store shoppers love breakfast sandwiches, but they also crave some variety in their meals. 67% of shoppers say that they would like to see a more diverse menu for on-the-go breakfast options.

5. Location

C-store shoppers often choose their stores based on proximity to their home or workplace. After all, c-stores are about convenience. 67% of shoppers say that location factors greatly in their decision for shopping.

6. Healthy Food

This generation of consumers are healthy eaters, and they prefer food and drinks with nutritious ingredients. 65% of c-store customers say they wish that c-stores offered more healthy food options.

7. Grab-and-Go

C-store shoppers are typically working in busy, fast-paced industries. They are constantly multitasking and on-the-go. 62% of c-store shoppers wish that stores offered more options for grab-and-go food, so they could have a quick and easy meal.

8. Customization

Some consumers want the ability to grab-and-go, but other c-store shoppers want more control and customization of their meals. 46% of customers say they want more made-to-order options, which offer more flexibility and freshness.

9. Beverage Quality

Finally, 89% of c-store shoppers say that beverage quality makes a big impact on which stores they frequent. To draw more shoppers, a store should offer a wide variety of high-quality beverages, with nutritious and innovative ingredients.

Discover equipment, system solutions and resources from Alto-Shaam to help you to meet the demands of today’s c-store foodservice shoppers. Sign up for A Taste of Alto-Shaam demonstration today.