The concept of the ‘little and often’ modern convenience shopper has been highlighted in The Co-op’s Convenience Report 2015, which says more consumers are crossing off the idea of the shopping list and pre-planned meals in favour of spontaneity.
The idea of planning and eating three square meals a day is a thing of the past.” So begins the Co-op’s second Convenience Retailing report.
The report has been titled Mission Impulsive, and throughout it highlights how many shoppers now decide what to eat on the day rather than planning days or weeks in advance.
“Across the convenience sector we are seeing more and more focus on shopper needs and by thinking about why consumers are using the store, we are able to provide a sense of value beyond price,” says Steve Murrells, Chief Executive, Retail, The Co-operative Group.
Meal planning
Among the key findings in the report, 16% of consumers surveyed said they never use a shopping list and 60% only write down the key products they require. The Co-op says there has been a “significant” shift away from meal planning while the rise of spontaneous cooking is fuelling top up shops. Furthermore, mid-week shopping is seeing growth whereas Friday and Saturday purchases have seen a decline, while younger demographics are leading the move to convenience shopping – which is excellent news for independents.
The report also notes that meals deals and meal bundles are fuelling growth (outgrowing the overall market by 5.5%). This is down to more customers picking up quick products to create a ‘dining solution’ rather than cooking from scratch – again linking back to the lack of time people have these days.
Mid-week shopping
One potential benefit for c-stores is the rise of mid-week shopping. With top-up shopping leading shoppers into stores two to three times a week (for almost half the population), convenience shops are best placed to service this new dynamic. Food sales in the Co-op are growing mid-week with Monday-Wednesday purchases seeing a 15% increase in the last year while there has been a 3% decline in spend on Friday and Saturday. This is a huge change in the consumer psyche, with the report highlighting that 56% of consumers admitted that shopping through the week fits in better with their lifestyle. For c-stores, this means having shelves full on a Tuesday at 6pm is every bit as important as 10am on a Saturday morning.
Category development
What has been labelled the ‘pre-family’ age group has grown 11.1% in convenience since 2013 – and the report suggests these young people are more likely to visit their c-stores for categories that previous generations would head to the supermarket for – fresh fruit, meat, ready meals and so on. This represents a huge opportunity for stores to win customers and keep them.
This younger demographic is also much more likely to purchase breakfast or lunch from convenience stores so look at your fresh offering, complete meal inspirations and food-to-go. Are you doing enough to wrestle these shoppers from other stores in your area?
