ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The total merchandise purchases per week per travel plaza and truckstop were down 1% versus 2011 (excluding cigarettes) reversing gains in the first quarter, according to the Second Quarter 2012 McLane-NATSO Foundation Index. The McLane-NATSO Foundation Index is produced quarterly and offers NATSO members the opportunity to compare their weekly convenience store purchases with travel plazas and truckstops convenience stores served by McLane.
Among other findings, the McLane-NATSO Foundation Index found when comparing the first six months of 2012 with the same period a year earlier, average purchases per week per travel plaza and truckstop: Automotive Products (down 5%) reversed an upward trend. Salty snacks (up 6%) and other snacks (up 9%) showed the strongest gains versus 2011. Cold dispensed beverages (up 4%) demonstrate the importance of high-margin fountain drinks.
Total merchandise purchases by truckstops nationwide served by McLane increased 3% during the 2012 first quarter, compared with a year earlier, according to the 1st Quarter 2012 McLane-NATSO Foundation Index, release in June.
Among other findings, the index shows that the average purchases per truckstop jumped to $15,600 from $15,100 per week compared with the same three-month period in 2011. The best opportunities to improve convenience product sales are in snacks, automotive products and packaged and cold dispensed beverages. Cigarette purchases rose 5% compared with the same three-month period in 2011.
Temple, Texas-based McLane, with more than $30 billion in annual revenue, provides supply-chain solutions for grocery and foodservice customers across the United States. With 38 distribution centers and one of the nation's largest private fleets, McLane optimizes the purchase, flow and sale of products from thousands of suppliers to more than 50,000 locations. McLane is a Berkshire Hathaway company.
The NATSO Foundation launched the quarterly McLane- NATSO Foundation Index in 2011. The index, which includes 14 category breakdowns covering such products as hot and cold dispensed drinks, health and beauty, salty snacks and candy, collects national and regional figures to allow truckstops and travel plazas to establish benchmarks for sales and growth. McLane tracks its weekly wholesale sales for more than 900 truckstop locations nationwide.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.