By Bill Scott, President, StoreReport LLC
Summer is definitely here in the Southeast U.S., and you don’t have to go outside to realize it. Just one look into the inventory movement in our convenience stores tells the story.
The skirmish over what products are selling the most is concentrated in the cold liquids department. Remember, with regards to beer, not all of the stores sampled sell alcoholic beverages.
Hunt Brothers Pizza, which usually holds the top position in our tables, continues to take second place to the 10 pound bag of ice. Die-hard coffee drinkers are hanging in there, but I am somewhat amazed as to how little has changed in product positions from June through July.
It shouldn’t be surprising that our winner this month is Ozarka 500 milliliter water that has sprinted 102 positions to take position 93 in our table. Fifty years ago, who would have thought that consumers would be buying vast quantities of water in little bottles in 2016? It will never cease to amaze me that consumers are willing to pay so much for a product that can be obtained free by simply turning on a garden hose.
Dasani 20 ounce water holds steady at position five, being just edged out by Marlboro Gold, with Newport (menthol) slightly trailing 20/32 ounce Ice Cup at position 10.
Another impressive performer is Nestle Pure Life .5 liter water, up 40 positions over June, and flavored water and fruity drinks continue to do well.
Grizzly Long Cut Wintergreen is up two positions and remains our strongest selling product in the ‘Other Tobacco’ category.
Chocolate Milk Pints lead the milk classification, and Little Debbie honey buns is hanging in there at position seven.