FOODSERVICE
Building a Bigger & Better Future for Foodservice The 2022 Convenience Foodservice Exchange highlighted evolving best practices, ways to cope with challenges, and actionable suggestions to stand out from the crowd By Angela Hanson FROM IMPROVED branding to equipment upgrades to menu innovation and supply chain challenges, every aspect of today’s rapidly changing convenience foodservice market was addressed at the 2022 Convenience Foodservice Exchange (CFX) event, presented by Convenience Store News.
A record 70-plus convenience store retailers joined suppliers and other category thought leaders at this year’s event, held in June at the Marriott Savannah Riverfront in Savannah, Ga., the Hostess City of the South.
“It is imperative that we differentiate in some remarkable way,” Harker emphasized, noting that such differentiation is key in whether a customer comes to visit one c-store or its competitor across the street. While many c-store brands want to stay in “the safety zone” of not being too different from their competitors, this also means they are unlikely to be noticed, according to Harker.
Over the course of two days, CFX attendees: • Engaged in a variety of presentations, panel discussions and Q&A sessions about the most pressing issues and best practices of today; • Participated in valuable networking opportunities, including a curated Power Hour that matched retailers and suppliers based on a pre-event questionnaire; • Enjoyed a historic tour of downtown Savannah while visiting two of the city’s best convenience stores, Enmarket and Parker’s; and • Went on a walking food tour guided by Savannah Taste Experience.
The event included panel discussions and networking opportunities.
During his opening keynote speech, Ernie Harker, former marketing guru at Salt Lake Citybased Maverik — Adventure’s First Stop and current consultant and author, shared advice on how to boost the odds of foodservice success despite the current difficulties presented by a struggling supply chain and a tight labor market. Branding and its ability to convey a chain’s individual qualities is particularly important in the convenience channel, as the vast majority of SKUs are common across most retailers, he said.
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