7 minute read
Capturing Customers With Prepaid Services
Despite switching its packaging mid-pandemic, Cliff’s ensured customers were aware that the product — and product quality — remained the same.
“It’s such a simple thing, but our customers seem to like the paper bags, and we plan to continue to use them,” said Amanda Austin St. Romain, marketing director for Y-Not Stop.
Although Cliff’s Local Market in New York State did not need to offer curbside pickup or delivery during the pandemic, the chain had to be flexible with its foodservice packaging when its usual containers became difficult to source.
“All of a sudden, packaging we’ve used for years doesn’t show up on the truck,” said Derek Thurston, director of foodservice operations for Cliff’s Local Market, which operates 20 locations.
But the issue required more, operationally, than simply switching containers — for example, when it came to salads, trading the usual round salad bowl for a new square one was only the first step. The entire layout of the food presentation in the container had to be thought out and changed as well to ensure that it looked as attractive and tempting as usual.
“It’s important that our customers know that, except for the packaging, nothing has changed, and they are getting the same quality food in the new containers,” Thurston said. The new salad bowls are more expensive than the ones they are replacing, but Thurston likes them better and says he will continue to use them even when the usual packaging becomes available again.
In November, Cliff’s stores will also transition from foam to paper cups for its hot dispensed beverages ahead of a foam ban that will take effect on Jan. 1, 2022. The 6x9-inch takeout containers used for food will also be switched from foam to paper.
INTRODUCING OUR NEW
Make everyday a celebration with a Birthday Cake Ooey Gooey!
• Bright Packaging Stands Out on Shelf • Tastes Just Like a Birthday Cake • Simple Thaw & Sell Format • Long 60-Day Shelf Life • Convenient 10-Count Merchandisers
TEST OF TIME
As retailers continue to evaluate their packaging quality, safety and appearance remain key considerations.
In addition to driving more curbside pickup and delivery demand, the pandemic has fueled a rise in consumer concern over sanitation. Dempsey noted that tamper-evident and tamper-resistant packaging have become staples for many operators to offer additional assurances to customers that their food and beverages were not opened after they left the store.
“For the most part, we expect these trends to continue and will most likely be adopted as standard operating procedure for the foreseeable future,” she said. CSD
fast facts:
• The care retailers put into foodservice packaging also communicates a store’s commitment to providing high-quality products and customer service. • Updating packaging also requires c-stores to perfect the presentation of the food in the new container. • As sanitation has becoming an even bigger focus in the pandemic, tamper-evident and tamper-resistant packaging — already staples for many retailers — are growing trends.
Casey’s Comes for Breakfast
Casey’s Vice President of Prepared Food sits with CStore Decisions to discuss the brand-new menu for the morning daypart and how the convenience store chain plans to outpace its QSR competitors.
Isabelle Gustafson • Associate Editor
Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey’s, which operates more than 2,300 c-stores, recently launched an all-new breakfast lineup, featuring its Signature Handheld, Loaded Breakfast Burrito and Loaded Breakfast Bowl, coupled with a new chainwide bean-to-cup coffee program.
Casey’s Vice President of Prepared Food Michelle Wickham told CStore Decisions that now is “the perfect time” for the retailer to introduce a breakfast menu, as customers create their new back-toschool and work routines and forge new habits following pandemic lockdowns.
Casey’s new Loaded Breakfast Bowl features eggs, bacon, sausage, shredded potato and cheese.
Ultimately, it all comes down to fulfi lling Casey’s role as a one-stop shop for any time Casey’s role as a one-stop shop for any time of day, she said. “No longer do (customers) of day, she said. “No longer do (customers) have to compromise: ‘Let me go here and get have to compromise: ‘Let me go here and get coffee. Let me go here to get my food.’” coffee. Let me go here to get my food.’”
Fortunately, when coming up with the new Fortunately, when coming up with the new menu, Casey’s was at an advantage from the start, menu, Casey’s was at an advantage from the start, Wickham said, thanks to its kitchens and its ability to Wickham said, thanks to its kitchens and its ability to leverage its existing equipment and ingredients. leverage its existing equipment and ingredients.
“A lot of our c-store competitors can’t do what we do as “A lot of our c-store competitors can’t do what we do as fast as we do it because they’ll have to build it, create it or fast as we do it because they’ll have to build it, create it or add it onto their buildings, whereas we (already) have the add it onto their buildings, whereas we (already) have the ingredients in our kitchens; we can look at it differently to ingredients in our kitchens; we can look at it differently to create a new product for our guests,” she said. “Having create a new product for our guests,” she said. “Having ingredients and making our dough fresh daily really is an advantage for us. And we’re really leaning in to elevate our kitchens to the standards that you would see in a quickservice restaurant (QSR).”
“We’re really leaning in to elevate our kitchens to the standards that you would see in a QSR.“you would see in a QSR.
