New and unique flavors and formats have boosted purchases of hot and cold foodservice beverages in the past two years, according to Technomic. In particular, the following beverage trends have captivated c-store consumers:
- Clean-label foodservice beverages.
- New and unique flavors.
- Expansion of frozen offerings.
- CBD-infused beverages.
- General expansion of beverage sweeteners.
Forty-one percent of consumers said unique flavors are the reason they’re purchasing more cold foodservice beverages at c-stores than they were two years ago. Also, 36% said the same for hot foodservice beverages, ranking only behind fast service (39%).
Flavor innovation spans across every possible beverage category, resulting in the increased traction, Moore Ruddy says.
“Flavor innovation is so big because it combines taste and customization,” she says. “These are easy things to implement that please consumers.”
But one area that is lagging in c-stores is frozen dispensed beverages. Twenty-eight percent of consumers said they are purchasing these items less than they were two years ago, mainly because of the beverages’ lack of healthy options, according to Technomic.