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More detailed data indicate a correlation between recent stress and CBD experience. Over the past three months, people who shared they were somewhat or very concerned about the continued spread of the Delta variant are much more likely to be users and intenders of CBD products.

General reports of stress and worry painted an interesting picture of where cannabidiols stand despite the number of infused products available. Respondents who indicated they felt “very strongly” stressed or “very strongly” worried in the past three months were much more likely than people who were less stressed and worried to have used CBD products and been satisfied with them.

At the same time, both segments of highly stressed and highly worried individuals reported an equal or greater percentage of dissatisfied users as satisfied users. Are cannabidiols living up to their described calming effect?

PRODUCT TYPE

Perhaps it’s the type of product users and intenders are gravitating toward that leads to more or less satisfaction.

Edibles are currently the favorite way to consume CBD for all age groups. Millennials and of-age Gen Zers — those with the greatest amount of satisfaction, dissatisfaction and intent to try CBD in general — show significantly more interest in CBD vaping products when compared to older age groups.

Meanwhile, CBD skincare and other beauty products are relatively new to the market compared to other established products. Among people who use skincare and beauty products, more than one-third (33%) are at least somewhat interested in ones that contain CBD.

CBD beverages are another upand-coming trend to watch. Both CBD beverages (with little to no THC) and cannabis beverages (with significant levels of THC) share similar levels of consumer experience, though THCcontaining drinks have a slightly higher percentage of consumers interested in giving them a try.

As with other cannabis trends, the general appeal of these drink types sits largely with consumers under 35, but the youthful tendency shifts when it comes to level of psychoactivity — people over 35 are much more willing to try drinks that contain THC vs. CBD drinks.

C-STORE CONSUMERS

State-by-state laws differ as to where you can buy CBD and how old you have to be to do so, but as the data show, 16% of respondents 21 and older have bought CBD products in convenience stores, while another 11% plan to at some point.

As previously stated, age is a signifi cant factor. The data continually show that purchasing CBD at convenience stores is largely driven by millennials and of-age Gen Zers, 43% of whom have bought, or plan to buy, CBD at convenience stores.

When asked, “How popular do you think CBD products will become in the next few years?” 43% said use will be prevalent (many people will use them).

With a diversity of CBD products available, it’s no surprise that many believe that the general popularity of CBD is only on the rise. CSD

Zack Butovich is an engagement writing specialist for CivicScience, which provides strategic insight services to decision-makers at the largest brands, media companies and investment fi rms in the world while giving consumers a trusted, convenient way to affect change. Through a proprietary polling and analytics platform, CivicScience studies consumers and markets across thousands of dimensions, from macro forces to brand-specifi c trends, and how they relate. CivicScience helps companies make winning bets on the future, hone go-to-market strategy and reduce marketing waste.

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Packaging Solutions

As convenience store takeout has evolved to include more items and delivery options, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, foodservice packaging has had to keep up to ensure all products get to customers at peak freshness, integrity and temperature.

Marilyn Odesser-Torpey • Associate Editor

C-stores are taking a closer look at their foodservice packaging today as they expand takeout and delivery options, ensuring food arrives at its final destination looking as appealing as when it left the store.

Delivery was already a growing component of many foodservice programs prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the past 18 months have simply accelerated that trend, according to Natha Dempsey, president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI).

Focus on the performance of packaging has always been of the utmost importance in foodservice — keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold — not only for customer satisfaction, but food safety as well, Dempsey explained.

With curbside pickup and home/office delivery, packaging is increasingly one of the few ways foodservice outlets such as c-stores can interact with their customers, Dempsey added.

In many cases, she emphasized, it may be the only interaction.

The care retailers put into their packaging clearly communicates the stores’ overall commitment to providing the highestquality products and customer service.

“What used to be a pass-through over a counter or through a drive-through window — a 30-second to three-minute interaction — has extended out to longer times in delivery situations,” she said.

PRESENTATION MATTERS

With more families dining together at home during the pandemic, takeout orders are also getting bigger, requiring packaging that can hold more food without tearing or breaking. At Y-Not Stop stores, which has 15 locations in Louisiana, t-shirt plastic bags have been replaced with large, brown paper bags for foodservice like customers would get at a restaurant. New York State-based Cliff’s Local Market had to be flexible with its foodservice packaging when its usual containers became difficult to source during the pandemic.