Better Synergy in the Kitchen

FEATURE

2021 MIDYEAR REPORT CARD

It seems consumers who turned to the convenience channel for everyday grocery food items at the beginning of the pandemic abandoned c-stores as other shopping options returned to business during the first half of 2021.

GENERAL MERCHANDISE

2021 FIRST HALF (JANUARY-JUNE) DOLLAR SALES UNIT VOLUME % CHANGE % CHANGE Total General Merchandise 9.7% 1.2% Batteries 1.1% -1.7% Film/photo -59.7% -78.4% Hardware/tools/housewares 3.9% 0.4% Other general merchandise -4.6% -11.0% School/office supplies 10.2% 7.9% Seasonal 9.3% 8.9% Smoking accessories 4.7% -1.2% Telecommunications hardware 49.5% 59.1% Trading cards -14.8% -19.3% Video/audio tapes -38.3% -49.4% Wearables/apparel -1.7% -0.2%

HEALTH & BEAUTY CARE

Total HBC

2021 FIRST HALF (JANUARY-JUNE) DOLLAR SALES UNIT VOLUME % CHANGE % CHANGE 5.3% 4.9%

Analgesics Baby care Cosmetics 8.2% 2.3% -2.9% -0.9% 13.6% 6.6%

Cough/cold remedies -7.5% -3.6%

Family planning Feminine hygiene 5.5% 2.5% 19.7% 14.5%

Grooming aids Liquid vitamins/ -36.2% -20.7% 10.1% 7.8%

supplements/energy shots Other HBC 19.0% 23.1% Other internal OTC medications -0.4% -5.0% Skin care/lotions/external care 0.9% -3.6% Smoking cessation -20.2% -24.3% Stomach remedies 16.7% 7.5% Vitamins/supplements 34.2% 35.9%

Source: Convenience Store News Market Research; Nielsen C-store Track, June 2021

EDIBLE GROCERY GIVES BACK PANDEMIC GAINS

It seems consumers who turned to the convenience channel for everyday grocery food items at the beginning of the pandemic abandoned c-stores as other shopping options returned to business during the first half of 2021.

Edible grocery sales, which climbed 7.3 percent in dollars on a 2.6 percent unit increase in the first half of 2020, fell by 6.2 percent in dollars and 9.3 percent in volume this year.

Looking closer at the category, cereal (up 3.6 percent) and condiments (up 1.2 percent) were the only gainers in edible grocery during the first six months of this year.

AN ABOUT-FACE IN GENERAL MERCHANDISE

General merchandise sales were up almost 10 percent in the first six months of this year compared to the year-ago period — a turnaround from 2020’s first half. Telecommunications hardware sales, which include cell phones, chargers and accessories, exploded by nearly 50 percent on a volume gain of 59 percent. School and office supplies also performed admirably, rising more than 10 percent in dollar sales and nearly 8 percent in unit volume. Smoking accessories were also up 4.7 percent in dollar sales.

HBC SALES ARE HEALTHY

Sales of health and beauty care (HBC) products at c-stores were strong during the first six months of 2021. Dollar sales were up 5.3 percent on a volume increase of 4.9 percent.

Within the category, the biggest dollar gains were recorded by vitamins and supplements, up 34.2 percent (perhaps driven by COVID-19 related health concerns); feminine hygiene, up 19.7 percent; stomach remedies, up 16.7 percent; and cosmetics, up 13.6 percent. Liquid vitamins, supplements and energy shots and analgesics also had strong dollar sales gains. CSN

Satisfying the Sweet Tooth

Dessert trends related to nostalgia and portability are particularly strong right now

WHILE PLANT-BASED and healthy eating trends are continuing to innovate, consumers have shown no signs of losing their sweet tooth. While only one in five consumers say they eat dessert daily, according to Datassential’s 2021 Dessert Keynote report, more than half of those surveyed said they’d had a dessert within the past day.

From indulgent, rich confections to playful frozen treats, desserts are continually growing, with trends related to nostalgia and portability being particularly strong. Nostalgic themes have been growing for several years and are becoming increasingly layered across generations. Handhelds offer operators the highest sales and margins, while ice cream is king within the category.

Nuanced Nostalgia

Sweet flavors and treats that harken back to yesteryear have been trending for some time — with playful nods to childhood taking center stage.

About four in 10 consumers (43 percent) say they prefer a classic, traditional dessert, but what “traditional” means for different generations can vary widely.

When utilizing Datassential’s FLAVOR tool, older consumers index high in terms of affinity for classic desserts such as cherries jubilee, pineapple upside down cake, and fruit cobbler. Generation Z consumers, on the other hand, have their own nostalgic notions when it comes to desserts, albeit they tend to be more recent trends. Desserts with such flavors as Nutella, cotton candy, sour apple and Funfetti index high with younger consumers — flavors that may be nostalgic to them from their more-recent childhoods.

Sweet Bourbon Cold Brew Ice Cream

($3.49)

This limited edition pint features cold brew coffee, sweet cream, and bourbon flavored ice cream with chocolatey coffee flavored flakes.

Unbranded PI: 47% Branded PI: 70% Uniqueness: 58% Frequency: 24% Draw: 53%

SCORE 86

Specialty Appeal

Star Ratings reflect each item’s performance vs. other menu items within the same category. Top Performer (>90th percentile) Above Average (70 to 90th percentile) Average (30 to 70th percentile)

Handhelds a Must

For operators with an eye toward convenience, handhelds are a must for desserts. From cookies and brownies to cupcakes and ice cream, handhelds are top-selling items and also have the highest margins. In fact, 60 percent of operators say desserts that require less prep and that are eaten on the go help drive profit, according to the Datassential Dessert Keynote.

While handhelds like brownies with mashup flavors do well (think s’mores marshmallow infusions or a decadent cream cheese swirl), old-world classics aren’t to be ruled out entirely. A classic apple turnover can have broad appeal among consumers, like ampm’s branded Cinnabon Dutch Apple Turnover. At an affordable $1.39, this product has a top-scoring Unbranded Purchase Intent (PI) of 62 percent, as captured by Datassential’s SCORES tool.

Frozen Is the Winner

It’s no surprise that ice cream is the dessert of choice across the nation, with a whopping 90 percent of consumers either liking it or loving it, according to the FLAVOR tool.

When asked in Datassential’s C-Store Foodservice Keynote report how interested consumers would be in having frozen yogurt or hand-scooped ice cream at their local convenience store, the interest level was 51 percent. This suggests that adding a limited selection of handscooped ice cream or a frozen yogurt dispenser would be an easy way for c-stores to please consumers.

Premium ice creams, milkshakes and sweet smoothies are major drivers of Unbranded Purchase Intent among c-store desserts. As an example, Stewart’s Shops is one convenience store chain continually churning out premium ice creams that perform well with consumers.

Stewart’s Shops often calls out premium ingredients in its ice creams, like its Sweet Bourbon Cold Brew Ice Cream — a bourbon flavored ice cream with chocolatey coffee flavored flakes.

As summer is upon us, it’s no surprise that frozen is a winner all around. CSN

Datassential, a Chicago-based food and beverage industry research and consulting firm, brings clients real-world insights on flavor trends, foodservice and consumer packaged goods, globally. Learn more at datassential.com.