{"id":2291,"date":"2020-02-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"\/advantage-360\/brands-put-c-stores-to-the-test\/"},"modified":"2025-11-03T18:24:40","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T18:24:40","slug":"brands-put-c-stores-to-the-test","status":"publish","type":"mrktblog-posts","link":"https:\/\/youradv.com\/mrktblog\/brands-put-c-stores-to-the-test\/","title":{"rendered":"Consumer Packaged Goods Makers Put C-Stores to the ‘Test’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each day, I\u2019m immersed in the dynamic relationships between some of the world\u2019s biggest brands and their convenience store customers. But last week, I was especially fortunate to engage in countless one-on-one conversations with the men and women who sustain and grow those relationships. <\/p>\n

Rethinking the Role of the C-Store Channel<\/h2>\n

After participating in a meeting of the NACS Supplier Board\u2019s membership committee in Miami, I flew to the 7-Eleven Experience in Las Vegas, where 8,500 of the world\u2019s largest c-store operator\u2019s employees, franchisees and vendors came together to move the business forward. On display at the 7-Eleven Experience was the pioneering retailer\u2019s role as a channel powerhouse and impressive technology innovator<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Returning home, I was struck by the change in the way many brands are viewing the c-store channel, which, despite heavy merger and acquisition activity<\/a>, is still marked by many different business models and go-to-market strategies. Consider this: Just three c-store operators \u2014 7-Eleven, Alimentation Couche-Tard and Marathon Petroleum \u2014 account for nearly 15% of the channel\u2019s store count<\/a> and 35% of the stores operated by the top 100 chains, but more than 60% of c-stores are one-unit operations. Formats range from 800-square-feet kiosks to 5,000-square-foot hyper c-stores. Some operators are large public corporations, others family-run enterprises. Chains like Casey\u2019s General Stores, Wawa and Sheetz are among the top restaurant operators<\/a>, while others stock their shelves and coolers with nearly all packaged goods.<\/p>\n

Not that long ago, most brands considered the c-store channel\u2019s makeup as an expensive barrier to entry and distribution. Now, however, where they once saw obstacles, many see opportunity.<\/p>\n

Testing, Learning, and Expanding<\/h3>\n

The consumer product goods industry<\/strong> <\/strong>is unlocking growth in the channel by moving beyond measuring success through incremental sales of core brands. Companies are leveraging the diverse nature of ownership models, brand positioning, customer bases and dayparts to test channel-specific products and programs.<\/p>\n

Their fresh view: \u201cWe\u2019re in the store with our core brands, let\u2019s invest in an incremental display or rebate for product trial.\u201d Some recent examples include single-serve roasted chickpea snacks, planted-based dairy products and probiotic beverages.<\/p>\n

As brands take another look at the channel\u2019s landscape, the change of view has led to new possibilities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Each day, I\u2019m immersed in the dynamic relationships between some of the world\u2019s biggest brands and their convenience store customers. But last week, I was especially fortunate to engage in countless one-on-one conversations with the men and women who sustain and grow those relationships. Rethinking the Role of the C-Store Channel After participating in a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2290,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"mrktblog-category":[41],"class_list":["post-2291","mrktblog-posts","type-mrktblog-posts","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","mrktblog-category-advantage-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nConsumer Packaged Goods Makers Put C-Stores to the 'Test'<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how the consumer product goods industry is using convenience stores to test product innovation.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"\/advantage360\/brands-put-c-stores-to-the-test\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Consumer 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