Space is always at a premium in c-stores, but the channel can take advantage of its strengths to counter this challenge by capitalizing on impulse buys and focusing on the best-sellers in each region. C-stores have an advantage because they tend to be where people buy on impulse and buy one bottle or can at a time—making it a strong channel for experimentation, Hemphill said.
“People aren’t likely to buy large multipacks of something they’ve never tried before,” he said. Because of this, “There’s a rationale to carry new products because people do like to experiment and they’ll try different things. This keeps c-store operators trying to balance space issues while satisfying what consumers want.”
And what they want will vary by geography. “Not everything that’s hot in the middle of the country is going to be popular on the coast and vice versa,” Hemphill said.
“If something doesn’t work, they have to be pretty quick to switch it out and try something new,” he said.
One challenge for c-stores is making it easy for customers to find newer products on the shelves, he said.
“If it’s somewhat buried in a cold vault, consumers may not latch onto it right away,” he said, noting c-store customers wander less than in other stores. Because of this, place newer products near the checkout for better visibility, he added.