(This article is brought to you by Food Concepts Inc.)
Convenience retailers with competitive foodservice offers have expanded their competitive landscape beyond other convenience brands to include quick-serve restaurants (QSRs) and fast casual restaurants (FCRs). When comparing the customer expectations across these segments, progressive retailers have recognized the customer experience is just as important as the quality of the food and beverage programs they offer.
“What we do is try to help retailers make their hot beverage area look like a coffee shop,” said Tom Bush, president, Food Concepts Inc. “When the coffee area looks great and is clean and well-organized, that has a big impact. It’s the same coffee. It just tastes better.”
Bush said that Food Concepts clients increase their sales when they upgrade the store environment, and that the sales increase is tied directly to the degree of upgrade. “All elements of the program need to be well thought through,” Bush said. “Part of that is to have flexible accessories that can be modified over time.”
He added, “Simply said, a best-in-class environment sells more than good or better environments.”
The PanelRak organizing system from Food Concepts has a contemporary design and high-quality materials. It’s durable, adjustable and easy to clean. “It’s a contemporary and flexible solution,” Bush said.
Bush said he’s seen customers stop in a c-store for gas and a candy bar or doughnut who get back in the car … and then stop at a Starbucks.
“Our goal is to have customers look at this overall display and say, ‘Well, I don't need to go to Starbucks. This looks great. I can just get something here,’” Bush said.
Bush added, “We have retailers who, when they incorporated the decor upgrades and some of these condiment upgrades, quadrupled their cups sold per day because they were pulling more customers from Starbucks.”
PanelRak can also be utilized to transform customer perceptions of hot food programs—improving the quality of the food by improving the quality of the overall store experience. Whether it is a roller grill or a grab-and-go case, PanelRak can help retailers grow sales by improving customer loyalty to a more competitive foodservice experience.
This is the final installment of the NACS Daily series exploring how modular organizational systems can improve your foodservice and beverage offerings while also elevating your customers’ experience at your c-store. Learn more about PanelRak here.