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Gulp and Go
Eating on the run has become a way of life
By Cecelia Blalock
Where did you eat your last meal? If you’re like a lot of Americans, the answer is behind the wheel of your car. Perhaps you made it as far as your desk or even the kitchen table. But chances are you pulled your food from a bag rather than from the stove or refrigerator.
And define "meal." When was the last time breakfast meant eggs over easy and sizzling bacon? Instead, it was probably a donut or a cereal bar. Lunch or dinner might consist of a prepackaged sandwich, something tossed in the microwave, or a dish that required only combining prepared ingredients.
"On-the-go eating is on the rise," confirms Jeff Lenard, director of public affairs for the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), Alexandria, VA.
The trend isn’t driven by people’s conscious decisions to change their eating habits so much as it is a by-product of a time-starved lifestyle. Consumers dash off to work and make a quick stop to grab breakfast en route. Lunch comes from the drive-thru or a sandwich case. Kids get some variety from products like Lunchables, with no muss, no fuss for Mom. Thanks to technology and innovations in food manufacturing, foodservice, and packaging, cooking as we once knew it has become an art form or a hobby rather than a common daily practice.
Convenience is the top priority for many folks when it comes to meals.
"If time is what someone is most interested in, convenience stores meet that need better than anyone else," Lenard says. "Convenience is not just longer hours or location. Consumers define convenience.
"When someone stops at a c-store, the average time is three to four minutes from getting out of the car, purchasing, and getting back in the car. Convenience by speed is the c-store’s forte."
There’s also convenience by preparation.
"Never underestimate how lazy we can be," says Chicago-based Harry Balzer with NPD, a consumer marketing and research group. "We enjoy eating but we do not like all the preparation associated with it. The focus in foodservice is the preparation process and how to get it to customers as easily as possible."
Food for the Fleet
The one consistent growth trend in the entire food industry over the last 20 years has been Americans ordering meals from the car and eating them in the car, Balzer says. And this trend continues to increase. Twenty percent of the foodservice industry is tied to eating in the car.
"Not leaving the car is a growing trend," he noted. "It’s a good lesson for c-stores to learn. It’s not just a matter of preparation; it’s more about convenience in getting the food to customers. People just want to pay and eat. In foodservice, people always look for the easiest and the cheapest. If there is a way you can take advantage of this trend, it would be a good idea to do so."
For c-stores there is great synergy in the trend toward eating on the fly and their need to find new profit centers besides fuel and cigarettes. Foodservice has become a major category for most c-store operators.
"We’ve had our 32nd quarter of same store sales growth," says Kevin Gardner, director, marketing communications for 7-Eleven, Inc. "People are seeking out c-stores for meals on the go."
That means more decisions about what foods to offer. Convenience isn’t the only food-related trend. We are more knowledgeable than ever about the relationship of diet to health. People are concerned about eating more nutritiously. And for the weight-conscious, there is always the next new fad: low fat, low calorie, and currently, low carb. So it’s really a matter of convenience plus.
Manufacturers have been quick to develop food products that meet consumers’ demands for convenience, ease and nutrition. Food bars, which for many have become a meal in itself for breakfast or lunch, are one of the fast growing and profitable on-the-go products, reports Don Montuori, editor of Packaged Facts, a market research company. Bars come in an endless variety – cereal bars, energy bars, diet bars, etc.
But when it comes to on-the-go foodservice and c-stores, there is no one-size-fits-all.
At 7-Eleven, "we know who we are and who our customers are," Gardner says. "We listen to what our customers want."
The company carefully tracks what customers are buying and then works with suppliers to meet customers’ demands. This team merchandising system may mean co-developing a product.
"Manufacturers come to us and ask what our customers want," says Gardner. "They look to us as a resource."
In response to the demand for easy-to-grab, but tasty foods, 7-Eleven has begun focusing on fresh foods.
"We’ve vastly expanded our line of fresh sandwiches and grill items," Gardner explained. "We have things like a basil chicken salad sandwich. We’re looking to anticipate and give better quality foods. We’re trying to appeal to all customers. For those who want healthy options, we’re offering things like fresh fruit cups and garden salads."
7-Eleven also is looking at how it can take advantage of the growing "take home for dinner" category.
A new 7-Eleven store design is smaller and emphasizes fresh foods for the grab-and-go crowd. It gives the impression of being a place to get food. Gardner described the new store design as a breakthrough.
Form as Well as Content
According to a convenience store industry outlook report by www.retailforward.com, two-thirds of adults and three-quarters of teens say that they eat their c-store foodservice purchases in the car. Such dashboard dining has inherent requirements. Forget anything that involves a knife and fork, at least for the driver.
Foods need to be easy to handle and not likely to spill. Leftovers don’t have much appeal.
Packaging has become as important as the food itself when it comes to grab-and-go.
"Packaging is absolutely critical, especially in the c-store channel," according to Gardner. He cites the handy paper sleeve used for 7-Eleven’s Go Go Tequitos and the cardboard for its fresh sandwiches that allow consumers to hold the items without getting their hands sticky. When the manufacturers of Beer Nuts came out with a container that resembled a beer key, 7-Eleven asked them to make it resealable.
Resealability is a popular feature, especially for larger packages, notes Montuori. ConAgra’s Pemmican jerky now comes in a resealable pouch. And dashboard diners don’t want to be wrestling to open a package. Food bar packaging has been made much easier to open, he says.
One of the big trends in packaging is rigid, crush-proof containers, usually made of plastic. Such packaging makes fragile foods such as chips and cookies much more portable. They have become popular for a wide range of snack items from sunflower seeds to candy. Hershey’s Swoops, for example, bills itself as "the essence of your favorite candy." Swoops look much like slices of old favorites such as Reese’s, York peppermint patties, Almond Joy or chocolate Hershey bars packaged in a rigid container.
"Almost all major snack packages have come out with resealables and rigid containers," Montuori says.
Dole offers both fruit bowls and fruit gel bowls that capitalize on the twin trends of healthy eating and portability.
Many of the rigid containers are designed to fit into vehicle cupholders. NACS’ Lenard says his new van boasts 11 cupholders, only three of which are accessible to the driver. It was a sure sign of current eating habits, he says.
Despite their sturdiness, these containers are designed for "use and toss" convenience, a plus for meals on wheels.
There is an emphasis on individual-size packaging in both soft and rigid containers. These smaller packages often contain mini-size versions of popular items like cookies. Klondike makes a mini-size ice cream bar and Jello offers soft, pudding bites. Pudding, yogurt and other formerly inconvenient foods have become portable thanks to packaging innovations like tubes and pouches that eliminate the need for utensils.
C-stores dominate in single-serve beverages, says Lenard. There seems to be no end to their variety. Consumers hit the road with water, isotonics, sports drinks, traditional soft drinks, juices, and even milk. Yogurt drinks and other "meal replacement" beverages elbow for space in store coolers.
"To satisfy the grab-and-go demand, you have to know your customers and how they can ask for different things at different times during the course of the day," Lenard says. "Someone who wants a sports drink at one point may want a home meal replacement at another."
Managing the category becomes increasing important, he observes. To do it successfully, stores need scanning and other technology to keep track of what is being bought when.
"It’s an interesting time for c-stores because people want convenience now more than ever before," Lenard says. "But virtually every other channel is trying to do it as well. This heightens customer expectations. Each year they want even more. So if you stay the same you will fall behind."
Balzer agrees. "The question is whether a store will be ahead of the curve, behind the curve or just pretend it doesn’t exist," he says.
Cecilia Blalock is a food industry writer based in Jessup, MD. She can be reached at cbla665743@aol.com
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