Establishing an effective frozen beverage offering helps drive customers across all demographics. Megan Wilkinson, Assistant Editor. Frozen beverages have been helping convenience store operators create stronger relationships with younger consumers, but there is an opportunity in this category with all age groups. According to Mintel’s 2012 Convenience Store Foodservice report, frozen beverages ranked as the…

New product development will play a large role in the continued success of the ice cream market in the coming years. It’s been a hot summer, and what’s better to cool people off, but ice cream…and it appears that the market for ice cream in America has got it licked. According to recent Mintel research,…

Burgers, brats and sausages continue to drive sales among core convenience store consumers. By Howard Riell, Associate Editor Convenience dining is on the rise and the demand for sandwiches is jumping. Americans’ love of burgers, sausage and brats is creating plenty of opportunity for convenience stores, where lunch and dinner solutions anchor the menu. The…

The energy shots and drinks market has been on an upward growth trajectory since 2010 and with the improvement in the economy is expected to continue on this growth. By Howard Riell, Associate Editor Americans need all the energy they can get their hands on, which goes a long way to explaining the enduring success…

Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. After years of  tremendous growth, gum sales have struggled as new products and line extensions crowd the category. By Marilyn Odesser-Torpey, Associate Editor. Innovation is a great thing, especially in the fickle gum category. But Danna Huskey, category manager for Texarkana, Texas-based E-Z Mart stores…

Coffee continues to be a top beverage choice with 60% of consumers saying they routinely drink regular hot coffee, according to Mintel’s “Coffee & Tea, 2011” report. A recent Smucker Foodservice coffee survey found, when drinking coffee away from home, eight in 10 consumers think it’s important that an establishment serves a brand that they…

As customers seek more healthful beverages options, look for robust tea sales in 2012 and beyond. Packaged Facts projected that the retail tea market is set to grow from approximately 6.6% in 2012 to 8.7% in 2014, reaching $8.3 billion in that year. Tea was up 5.1% in 2011, according to Chicago-based research firm Mintel…

Coffee continues to be a top beverage choice with 60% of consumers saying they routinely drink regular hot coffee, according to Mintel Market Intelligence Report: Coffee & Tea, 2011. According to a recent Smucker Foodservice coffee survey, when drinking coffee away from home, eight in 10 consumers think it’s important that an establishment serves a…

While many trends impact the beer category, the one that will most directly influence how marketers do business is the continued demand for more choices by the consumer.  By Joe Bush, Contributing Editor. It’s been two years since Walgreens jumped back into the beer and wine business, and at least three convenience store operators in…

There’s a reason why American Retail Services (ARS) of Oceanside, Calif.,  chose sandwiches as the centerpiece of the budding foodservice program it’s launching in its 100-store chain. Chicago-based market research firm Mintel International estimated in September 2010 that despite the challenges of the recent economy, sandwich shop sales grew 3.1% in 2010 to $24.3 billion.…