One of the things that makes a craving a craving is that you can’t plan it ahead of time. It’s something that sneaks up on you, but when you want it, it must be satisfied. According to Technomic’s research, 60% of convenience-store visits are unplanned. But when a customer decides to drop in, that craveable item had better be there.
Customers who visit a QSR because they have a craving rate that occasion and brand higher for value. Comparable research hasn’t yet been done for c-stores, but Byrne believes that the principle is the same.
“If you can have consumers walking away with a stronger sense of value,” he said, “that’s a win across the board.”