This article is brought to you by McLane.
Foodservice is a growing c-store category. NACS State of the Industry data shows that foodservice has more than doubled from 11.9% of in-store sales in c-stores in 2004 to 27.7% in 2024.
Amid this growth, there is also stiff competition. The national foodservice leakage rate—shoppers who plan to purchase food from a QSR within 30 minutes of their c-store visit—rose 1.2 percentage points to 28.7% in 2024, according to NACS data. Ultimately, this results in customers—and revenue opportunities—shifting toward QSRs, with the majority of that movement going to burger chains (41.5%) and fried chicken chains (18.4%).
Fried chicken is an opportunity for convenience retailers to win customers, said Farley Kaiser, senior director, culinary and innovation, McLane Company. “Fried chicken is sought after and easily accepted. Consumers are familiar with fried chicken—and willing to experiment with it by trying new flavors and combinations.”
“McLane took time to create our chicken program, investing in research and finding the right partners,” said Jon Cox, vice president of retail foodservice for McLane. He added that now is the right time for fried chicken. “The competition for retailers is high, but so is consumer demand. We set out to offer a better chicken sandwich.”
From there, McLane created its fried chicken program HiBird—a brand built around extensive market research across several platforms and channels. The company brought brand concepts to hundreds of consumers who shop at a convenience store at least weekly and who recently purchased foodservice from a c-store to find out what these consumers want in a chicken brand.
When developing the HiBird brand, McLane tested multiple different concepts with consumers, looking for what consumers want, said Michelle Patterson, vice president of marketing and communications, McLane. “Our research revealed a strong desire for a brand that embodies a cool factor and edge—something that feels fresh and bold.”
Continue reading “Say Hello to HiBird” in the October 2025 issue of NACS Magazine.