To Compete With Grocers, Convenience Stores Eye Fresh Food
Convenience retailers are increasingly feeling the pressure from grocery and general merchandise retailers offering a larger assortment of food and essentials through convenient delivery and pick-up options. Incisiv, a leading industry insights firm that helps retailers and brands navigate the changing retail buying journey, and Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, a global market share leader in retail store technology and the industry’s first choice for unified commerce solutions, today announced their survey findings, titled State of the Industry: The Future of Convenience Stores.
According to the research, the convenience industry is adopting many new strategies to stay relevant. These include reallocating store space, ramping up fresh offerings, embracing flexible, speedy checkout, and further investing in their advantage – catering to their local communities. But the speed of change remains a problem for most chains, with 74% of respondents dissatisfied with their ability to experiment quickly. In addition, convenience has lagged compared to other segments technologically as it has not moved as fast toward unifying experiences across digital and in-store channels. This will need to be prioritized to compete for shopper’s wallet share.
“There is a significant opportunity for the convenience industry to prioritize unified commerce to gain market share against other segments,” said Fredrik Carlegren, VP Marketing & Communications, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions. “While grocery and delivery trends continue to encroach on ‘convenience’ trends unifying in-store, online and delivery, convenience retailers see the need to innovate rapidly to compete and succeed in a competitive market to win consumers.”
Additional key findings of the research include:
- 82% of c-stores lack a unified architecture across digital and physical commerce, and only 8% offer shoppers a unified eCommerce and in-store basket.
- 72% of c-store executives say it is important to differentiate on higher quality fresh food, but only 32% are satisfied with their banner’s current offering.
- 30% of c-stores are planning to increase in-store space for fresh food prep, and 25% for in-store dining.
- 26% of c-stores plan to reduce space allocated to fixed checkout, and artificial intelligence or machine learning assisted self-checkout is set to outpace traditional self-checkout over the next 12-18 months.
- 62% of c-store executives consider becoming more relevant to the local community as a critical part of their growth strategy.
- 61% of c-store executives are satisfied with their banner’s current capabilities around localizing assortment. However, they must become more adept at high-frequency replenishment, quicker inventory turns, and more frequent store layout resets.
“C-stores no longer just compete with the corner shop down the street. Grocery and general merchandise retailers offer a larger assortment of food and home essentials through convenient delivery and pick-up options. Quick Commerce upstarts such as Gopuff offer ultra-fast delivery in urban areas,” said Giri Agarwal, Chief Strategy Officer, Incisiv. “C-stores have the unique opportunity to become a unifying agent for some of the most exciting consumerism trends of the future: health and wellness, electric mobility and sustainability, and the rise of local ecologies. If they can do that successfully, they would have smartly redefined “Convenience 2.0” to be about more than the need for speed.”
Click here to download the complete findings from State of the Industry: The Future of Convenience Stores.
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Beef + Lamb New Zealand Launches Food Truck Sampling Tour in LA
Beef + Lamb New Zealand, an industry organization representing and supporting New Zealand’s beef and sheep farmers, is launching a food truck sampling tour, in partnership with Atkins Ranch grass-fed lamb and First Light Farms 100% grass-fed Wagyu beef, to bring a taste of New Zealand to Los Angeles-area residents.
From Oct. 27 to Nov. 22, Angelenos can experience the New Zealand grass-fed difference with mouth-watering menu creations from Los Angeles chef Alvin Cailan, host of The Burger Show and the legendary talent behind the Eggslut concept and Amboy Quality Meats & Delicious Burgers.
The food truck sampling tour will enable consumers throughout Los Angeles to try grass-fed beef and lamb from New Zealand and discover what makes it so delicious. Grass-fed year-round, the animals are allowed to roam and graze freely over lush green hills and pastures, just as nature intended. The result is a tender, finely textured and more flavorful meat than anything else you’ll find, with nutritional benefits that are second to none.
“New Zealand animals are sustainably and humanely raised on lush green pastures 365 days a year, resulting in some of the world’s best, most natural-tasting beef and lamb,” said Michael Wan, global manager, Beef + Lamb New Zealand. “We’re excited for Angelenos to discover the taste of New Zealand grass-fed through the delicious menu creations developed by Chef Alvin, which highlight his culinary expertise and passion as well as his love for New Zealand beef and lamb.”
Hand-crafted with Chef Alvin’s personal style, the food truck sampling menu includes perfectly crafted small bites rich with flavor that use only the most premium and highly nutritious grass-fed beef and lamb options, including:
- Picanha sandwich with beef jus dip and giardiniera, made with First Light Farms 100% grass-fed Wagyu beef that is sweet, nutty, juicy, and tender.
- Lamb chorizo tostada with bean puree, queso and serrano crema, featuring Atkins Ranch 100% grass-fed lamb that is humanely raised, naturally flavorful, and deliciously versatile.
“I really enjoyed cooking with New Zealand grass-fed wagyu beef and lamb and trying the products in a variety of recipes,” said Chef Alvin Cailan. “I was able to get creative and incorporate some of my favorite ingredients, while still allowing the delicious, natural flavor of the grass-fed meat to shine through.”
Free samples of the picanha sandwich and lamb tostada will be available to consumers who visit the Beef + Lamb New Zealand food truck at its stops throughout Los Angeles. The stops include The Brig on Abbott Kinney in Venice, Grand Central Market in DTLA and The Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena. Select sampling locations include:
- The Brig: Saturday, Oct. 29 – Sunday, Oct. 30
- Santa Monica Farmers Market: Saturday, Nov. 5
- Canter’s Fairfax: Sunday, Nov.6
- UCLA Football Fan Zone at the Rose Bowl: Saturday, Nov.12
- Rose Bowl Flea Market: Sunday, Nov.13
- Hotel Erwin: Saturday, Nov.19
- Grand Central Market: Sunday, Nov.20
Atkins Ranch 100% grass-fed lamb is available at Whole Foods Market and First Light Farms 100% grass-fed Wagyu beef is available at Lazy Acres, Ralphs, Bristol Farms and online at firstlight.farm.
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Bell Flavors & Fragrances Takes Citrus Collection on the Road
Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. is hitting the road to exhibit its citrus collection at the Institute of Food Technologists’ 2022-2023 Regional Section Suppliers’ Events spanning coast-to-coast. IFT’s Regional Sections offer a way for networking with professionals steeped in the science of food to make strategic connections at a local level. These engaging events provide the opportunity for networking and education, and allow suppliers to debut their latest products and services supporting the science of food community.
Bell recently exhibited at the Minnesota Section IFT Annual Suppliers’ Expo and the Intermountain Section IFT Symposium and Suppliers Night, showcasing menu items with bold fruit and spice flavor blends, including Urfa Chili Meyer Lemon Snack Mix, Caviar Lime Nimbu Soda, Ponzu Togarashi Popcorn, Chocolate Hazelnut Brownie Bites and Caviar Lime and Dragonfruit Taffy. Following recent events, the Bell team will be heading to upcoming 2022 IFT Regional Section Suppliers’ Events to debut their new citrus-infused menu:
- Nov. 1: Chicago Section IFT (CSIFT) Annual Suppliers Expo and Symposium (booth #308)
- Nov. 16-17: Longhorn Section IFT Suppliers Expo (booth #242)
“The Bell team is excited to embark on our Regional IFT Roadshow to connect with fellow industry colleagues and release our new menu featuring citrus flavors, like Ruby Red Grapefruit and Calamansi. Consumers continue to gravitate toward food and beverage items that contain natural flavors given a rising interest in clean label. And, with the stress of current events, they’re gravitating toward comfort and products that provide an uplifting mood boost. Given their vibrant colors and sweet-tart tastes, citrus is typically associated with feelings of joy, and we’re delivering a bit of happiness and a boost of flavor bite by bite, said Benjamin Stanley, CRC, corporate chef – sweet applications manager.
Bell will be joining exhibitors on the Expo floor to showcase a new citrus collection, educational resources and a team of culinary experts. Across the globe, consumers continue to lean into citrus, with 52% of U.S. consumers indicating that they like or love it and one-quarter (25.7%) of U.S. menus featuring it. Citrus flavors resonate particularly well among those looking to support their immune systems and increase their vitamin C intake. Bell offers iconic, natural flavors in its citrus collection, such as Grapefruit, Mandarin Orange and Meyer Lemon in addition to specialty citrus flavors, like Buddha’s Hand and Meiwa Kumquat. These flavors can be added to a multitude of applications, including confectionery, sauces and dips, beverages, snacks, sweet goods and more.
Inspired by consumer preferences and marketing data, Bell will showcase the following refreshing, citrus-flavored menu items:
Sudachi Snack Mix
This snack mix features Bell’s Sudachi flavor to lend tart and fresh notes of a Japanese Sudachi lime. Sudachi is a small, round, green citrus fruit and is a specialty of the Tokushima Prefecture in Japan. Given its natural sourness, it’s not typically eaten as a fruit, but rather used as a flavor in place of lemon or lime.
This delicious mix also features Bell’s Wasabi flavor to impart a heat-driven spice while Bell’s Kokumi technology makes the snack mix more rich and complex.
Citrus Slice Gummy Medley: Buddha’s Hand, Calamansi and Blood Orange
Buddha’s Hand: Bell’s Buddha’s Hand flavor has a distinct flavor profile, boasting notes of lemon and yuzu with a sweet, lemon blossom aroma and offering a unique spin on the classic fruit slice candy.
Calamansi: Bell’s Calamansi flavor displays blended notes of tart lemon, lime and orange. This citrus fruit is commonly used in Filipino and Southeastern Asian cuisines and can range from green to yellow to orange in color.
Blood Orange: Bell’s Blood Orange Citrus flavor has notes of navel orange with hints of tartness and floral fruits and is usually less acidic than a traditional orange.
Pink Limoncello Champagne Spritz Mocktail
Whether savored on a hot, summer day or enjoyed during a cozy dinner party with friends, this mocktail is sure to be refreshing and provide a mood boosting pick-me-up. The mashup of Bell’s natural Champagne Type flavor, Pink Lemon Type flavor extract and Lemon flavor (Sorrento type) deliver sweet-tart citrus notes with a hint of bubbly.
Ruby Red Grapefruit IPA Popcorn
This seasoned popcorn features Bell’s natural Ruby Red Grapefruit, IPA, and Hop flavors, which blend together to impart notes of fresh squeezed grapefruit and hoppy IPA beer. A refreshing spin on an everyday snack, this popcorn will inspire memories of sweet summertime and sipping on a cold beer.
Kumquat Madeleine
These mini madeleines are a condensed version of a traditional French madeleine. They’re flavored with Bell’s Kumquat and Vanilla flavors, giving them a distinct citrus note that is sweet with notes of sour and tang. Vanilla rounds out this sweet treat to elevate the cookie.
Bell’s presence at IFT’s Regional Section Suppliers’ Events will foster strong brand awareness and spark interest in delivering food and beverage products that spotlight its citrus collection. In tandem with citrus-infused samples, discussions around Bell’s proprietary technology capabilities and annual Spark trends will drive successful commercial connections among prospects and customers.
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