{"id":2455,"date":"2019-10-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-10-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"\/advantage-360\/eat-healthier-shop-in-a-convenience-store\/"},"modified":"2025-11-03T18:24:41","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T18:24:41","slug":"eat-healthier-shop-in-a-convenience-store","status":"publish","type":"mrktblog-posts","link":"https:\/\/youradv.com\/mrktblog\/eat-healthier-shop-in-a-convenience-store\/","title":{"rendered":"Eat Healthier, Shop in a Convenience Store"},"content":{"rendered":"

For years, the convenience store industry has fought against the notion that its food is unhealthy, unappetizing and undesirable by all but the most iron-stomached road warriors.<\/p>\n

C-Stores Challenge Outdated Food Perceptions<\/h2>\n

Operators have worked hard to dispel the c-store\u2019s reputation as a place to buy gasoline, beer, cigarettes, lottery tickets \u2014 and out-of-code packaged meat. Even as 7-Eleven opened food commissaries and top-level chains like Wawa, Sheetz and QuickChek became renowned for their award-winning hoagies (or subs or gyros or sandwiches, depending where you live), the stereotype has been stubbornly difficult to break.<\/p>\n

As NACS CEO and President Hank Armour, a former c-store operator, noted last week during the NACS Show 2019, c-store retailers have been \u201cdemonized for the food we sold in our stores. The perception was that we sold unhealthy \u2014 and only unhealthy \u2014 food.\u201d<\/p>\n

Healthier Options Gain Ground\u2014and Recognition<\/h3>\n

In response, a few years ago NACS began working with \u201cevery health-focused group we could find,\u201d Armour said. The effort paid off. In April, NACS received the Partner of the Year Award from the Partnership for a Healthier America<\/a>, an organization that works with the private sector to solve the nation\u2019s childhood obesity crisis.<\/p>\n

The PHA Partner of the Year Award is presented to a partner that executes key strategies, including \u201cfocusing on those populations disproportionately impacted by obesity; doing well, while doing good; using an innovative approach to address childhood obesity and other chronic diseases; or creating a ripple effect within its respective industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

The award recognizes the efforts of the c-store industry to make the healthy choice the convenient choice, Armour noted. \u201cConvenience stores serve 165 million Americans per day, and most customers are in and out of our stores with their food and beverage purchases in about three minutes. That is why it\u2019s so important for retailers to provide cues that can help their customers make healthier choices.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fresher, Healthier<\/strong><\/p>\n

NACS research confirms the industry\u2019s progress:<\/p>\n