Convenience stores offer a variety of to-go breakfast foods, including sandwiches, wraps, burritos and more. With 54% of customers entering c-stores nearly every time they fuel or recharge their cars, according to Technomic’s Q1 2024 C-Store Consumer Market Brief, there is an opportunity for c-store retailers to boost sales with foods that morning fueling station customers can grab while on their way to work.
Providing food products that are convenient, easy to eat on-the-go and that taste good is a great start. Offering deals—such as combo meals and limited time offers—could be just the extra incentive that c-stores need to make good breakfast products even more appealing to consumers.
C-store consumer food purchasing behavior
The top reason why consumers go to c-stores to purchase prepared foods is because of convenience. According to Technomic’s Q1 2024 C-Store Consumer Market Brief, 76% of consumers purchase prepared foods and beverages at c-stores because it is convenient.
Fifty-two percent of consumers stated that the most important c-store foodservice snack attributes are that products are easy to eat on the go, and 44% said food products are easy to pick up and purchase quickly, according to the C-Store Consumer Market Brief.
In terms of foodservice snack purchase frequency, 43% of consumers purchase c-store foodservice items once a week or more. By daypart, 26% of c-store consumers make foodservice purchases midmorning, and 55% make foodservice purchases midafternoon.
While data indicates that most consumers make foodservice purchases during lunchtime hours, the C-Store Consumer Market Brief also indicates that 64% of consumers purchase food/beverages at c-stores over QSRs because it’s faster and easier to stop at a c-store during commutes or while running errands. This presents a real opportunity for c-store retailers to push sales of food products earlier in the day with special offers and a variety of breakfast menu options for morning commuters.
Combo deals and LTOs
The popularity of food and beverage purchases at convenience stores certainly shows a potential for retailers to profit. According to Technomic’s Q1 2024 C-Store Consumer Market Brief, 70% of consumers purchased foodservice beverage items, while 62% of consumers purchased foodservice food items. Therefore, offering combo deals that entice customers to buy a sandwich or other food item to go with their coffee in the morning could be just the right solution that c-store retailers need to boost revenue and increase foot traffic.
LTOs can also attract new customers and keep loyal customers interested in what’s new at c-stores. Technomic’s Q1 2024 C-Store Consumer Market Brief listed limited time offers as one of the most influential foodservice c-store snack promotions. Additionally, 51% of consumers are also most influenced by buy-one-get-one-free snack promotions.
Promoting deals at the pump can shift traffic inside of c-stores and encourage customers to explore food options and upgrade their purchases.
Stock interesting and convenient products
Ruiz Foodservice can help c-store retailers elevate their food offerings across all dayparts, with mornings as a current area of focus that is important to c-stores.
Breakfast burritos and empanadas from the El Monterey® line, as well as bold breakfast Tornados®️ from Ruiz Foodservice can help c-store retailers round out their morning menus.
Here are some of the Tornados®️ from Ruiz Foodservice that are perfect for a grab-and-go snack or meal for breakfast or any time of the day:
- Egg Bacon Cheese & Salsa Tornados®️—made with soft diced eggs, crisp bacon, onions, tomatoes, chilis and melted cheese in a freshly baked and battered flour tortilla.
- Egg, Sausage & Cheese Tornados®️—scrambled eggs, sausage, tomatoes, cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses are rolled into a fresh baked tortilla.
- French Toast & Sausage Tornados®️—3-oz. maple sausage link wrapped in a sweet French toast shell.
- Supreme Omelet Tornados®️—eggs, onions, peppers, potatoes, ham, sausage and Monterey jack cheese, wrapped up in a crispy, seasoned tortilla shell.
Ruiz Foodservice also has two premium bulk breakfast burrito offerings.
Foodservice options that consumers enjoy, along with LTOs that offer new flavors, and promotional menu options that provide value to consumers are a great opportunity for c-store retailers to create a loyal customer base during breakfast hours and beyond. For more information about Ruiz Foodservice products, click here.
This post is sponsored by Ruiz Foodservice