Balancing Alcoholic Beverage Sets

Balancing Alcoholic

Beverage Sets

After a pandemic-driven storm of new product innovation and increased customer demand, c-stores are seeing alcoholic beverage sets stabilize, but out-of-stocks still pose challenges in some areas of the country.

Erin Del Conte • Executive Editor

At the end of last summer, the alcoholic beverage category at convenience stores was seeing a surge of new product innovation, shoppers were stocking up on big packs of beer and hard seltzer to drink at home, and retailers were combating out-of-stocks due to supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A year later, pandemic lockdowns are over, new product launches have slowed, but the disruption still lingers. Various areas of the country are seeing differences in supply challenges and customer demands when it comes to the alcoholic beverage segment.

“I think the word I would use for what I’m currently seeing in my beer sets is ‘stable,’” said Kim Cuellar, category manager for beer, wine and packaged beverage at Stillwater, Okla.-based OnCue Marketing LLC, which operates 70 c-store locations in Oklahoma and Texas. “It seems like at this point we are not seeing tons and tons of new innovations constantly being introduced. Customers have their favorite brands they purchase and are really becoming brand loyal, especially within seltzers.”

Meanwhile, in the Chicagoland area, shifting supply challenges are the biggest difference Mario Spina, owner & CEO of The PRIDE Stores, has seen in the category compared to last year.

“This time last year, the skinny cans were unavailable, and the distributors had issues supplying them,” he said.

By contrast, today, supply issues are impacting bottles as well as every shape of can at the chain’s 15 Chicagoland sites and one Indiana location. “With bars opening, bottles are harder to stock, where before it was (just) cans,” Spina said.

The PRIDE Stores is making daily changes to its alcoholic beverage sets to offset out-of-stocks.

“One-offs have helped keep some of the holes filled, but we still are having the everyday beers not available, which discourages customers,” he said. “These issues create a need for the managers to hand-sell products and learn more about alcoholic beverages than the previous year.”

In Oklahoma, beer supply at OnCue stores this summer has proved much more consistent compared to summer of 2020.

“I know some bigger beer brands have recently announced they are retiring some slower-moving SKUs to allow for the packaging to be used for higher-velocity brands, which will help a lot,” Cuellar said. “For retailers, it’s key to work with distributors on figuring out similar-style packages to replace potential out-of-stocks with to ensure brand continuity — especially if you have a beer cave store where you may see a gaping hole from an out-of-stock.”

The good news is consumption has been similar vs. the initial lockdown last year, with customers stocking up on beer and other alcoholic beverages to drink at home, Spina noted.

BEER BOOST

Despite any lingering supply challenges, beer continues to be a major draw for customers at The PRIDE Stores, with an increase in purchases as product is available.

“While people are willing to spend a little more on craft beer, they also want the lower-priced macros. Customers are still pulling through the dry-hopped, fruited and New England IPAs the most, in regard to craft,” Spina said. “The days of over-hopping beer in the boil to make them bitter are over, while fresh local is the trend.”

Nine of The PRIDE’s locations feature beer caves. “We try to keep primarily craft in the accessible doors and the macros in the beer cave to a ratio of about 75% craft (including the large craft) to 25% seltzers and others,” Spina said.

But each location is different. At a few PRIDE Stores, craft is less popular as the customer base gravitates toward imports. What falls under the “craft” designation today is also evolving with the trend.

“Craft beer is becoming more of a sales word, as our favorite craft breweries have grown above the license/production specs that aren’t recognized as craft by some people — I believe in Illinois it is 120,000 BBL (beer barrels),” Spina said. “Look at Lagunitas, Revolution and many others around our area that sell incredibly well who are local but passed the threshold to be considered craft.”

OnCue strongly supports local craft beer, and 48 of its sites feature beer caves. Overall beer sales have grown for the chain year over year, Cuellar noted.

“Almost all of our 70 locations have extra space in a standalone cooler dedicated to local craft,” she said. “When it comes to your overall craft selection, demographics are key. We have some locations where we carry two to three choices, and others where we have close to 100 selections.”

Imports and super-premium beers have also been major growth drivers for OnCue.

Overall, 2021 has been “a wild year” for the chain’s alcoholic beverage category.

“We had the largest beer category release for us ever with the Sonic Drive-In/COOP Ale Works Hard Seltzer. Customer were waiting for deliveries and trying to call and reserve the product. I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Cuellar said.

Also on the hard seltzer front, fullflavored seltzers like Truly Punch and Truly Lemonade have seen strong sales at OnCue, as has variety pack No. 3 from White Claw. While hard seltzer sales growth is currently strong, Cuellar expects demand to start to level off in seltzer. For one, there are fewer new entries vying for space in the category compared to a year ago.

“I think the major supplier players are in the market, and there’s very little room for new entrants (except Mountain Dew and Sonic). I don’t foresee a surge of new consumers to the category moving from beer or wine,” she said. “The consumer base is now developed and stable.”

RTD COCKTAILS & WINE

Hard seltzer and ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails skyrocketed as trends during the early days of the pandemic. Nearly a year and a half later, OnCue is watching RTD cocktails evolve.

“Now that the seltzers have really shook out on what brands are winning and losing, RTD cocktails have become a huge focus for me,” Cuellar said. “It is definitely a tricky segment as well for states that don’t

Tracking Beer Sales Trends

Overall beer is up 1% and flavored malt beverages (FMB)/cider is down 4.3% between May 1, 2021, and Aug. 1, 2021, vs. the same period last year, per data from National Retail Solutions (NRS). Imports continue to grow as the beer share leader in NRS stores. Typically, cigarettes, soft drinks and cigars are the most frequently purchased categories with beer. Vodka is the second most common purchase with hard seltzer. Beer is purchased as the only item in the basket about 10% more than FMB/cider, according to NRS.

July 2021 NRS Insights — Independent, small-format alcoholic beverage trends (Beer)

Category Segment Subsegment $ % chg $ shr of category Chg Unit % chg Units per store per week chg

% of times purchased only within category

Beer Above Premium Import 7.6% 48.0 3.0 8.3% 9.6 39.2%

Beer Domestic Premium Domestic Premium -2.8% 24.7 -1.0 -4.4% -7.1 38.1%

Beer

Budget Beer Above Premium Below Premium -6.3% 10.2 -0.8 -8.4% -10.7 38.8%

Craft -13.0% 7.5 -1.2 -8.0% -6.5 31.1%

Beer Above Premium Domestic Super Premium 5.3% 6.8 0.3 -1.5% -0.7

Beer

Beer Budget Malt Liquor -8.0% 2.8 -0.3 -12.0% -7.1

Total Beer 1.0% -1.9%

Flavored Malt Beverage (FMB)/Cider

FMB/Cider FMB Flavored Malt Beverage 4.0% 55.2 4.4 0.3% -1.2

FMB/Cider FMB Hard Seltzer -13.5% 40.1 -4.3 -1.5% -1.1 32.5%

39.4%

27.9%

26.9%

FMB/Cider Cider Cider -7.0% 4.7 -0.1 -9.3% -0.5

FMB/Cider Total FMB/Cider -4.3% 0.0

Data: National Retail Solutions (NRS) scan data of ~6,000 stores selling alcoholic beverages. All change mesasures are same store sales (3,456 stores) 5/1/21 - 8/1/21 vs 5/1/20 - 8/1/20 -0.5% 22.6%

have liquor in convenience because it blends that line between singles, flavored malt beverage (FMB) and wine. Do you put them in the beer doors? Wine section? It really could go so many places.”

RTD cocktails are considered part of the wine segment for OnCue because the cocktails they serve are technically wine-based. Top sellers include flavored margaritas, which are expanding into tetra packages.

“I foresee the next RTD trend to be ‘zero sugar’ RTD cocktails, which could bring some of those seltzer drinkers back to the wine category,” she said.

At The PRIDE Stores, RTD cocktail customers fit into one of two groups: those seeking handcrafted beverages and those looking for low-calorie.

“As the price on the crafted cocktails went up, the low-calorie has seemed to flatten along with alcoholic seltzers,” Spina said. “Keeping a variety of both options has proved to be necessary.” But, like Cuellar, he noted that liquor laws can cause challenges for the retailers in this segment.

“In order to sell either of these in Illinois, you have to have a liquor license that sells hard alcohol,” Spina said. “That alone has caused this category to not be a top product for The PRIDE. One smart brand created an agave wine and made margaritas. All of our locations have the ability to sell wine in 750-milliliter bottles, and this brand, Flybird, has excelled.” On the wine front, sparkling wine and champagne are growing the most, according to National Retail Solutions (NRS) scan data of approximately 6,000 stores from May 1, 2021, to Aug. 1, 2021, vs. the same period in 2020. Total French Champagne is up 21.3%, and total other sparkling wine was up 15.9%.

“The past few summers, they say rosé is going to be the hot new wine trend, and it has definitely grown with the introduction of some more relatable wine brands like 19 Crimes Cali Rosé with Snoop Dogg on the label,” Cuellar said. For The PRIDE Stores, California Cabernet has been the big seller this summer. During the pandemic, when restraurants closed, The PRIDE began selling wine usually meant for restaurants. “Now that we are allowed to sell wines we weren’t able to before COVID,” Spina said, “customers are used to grabbing them from our locations, and they are not slowing down.” CSD

merchandising the snack Aisle

C-store retailers must balance their snack sets to meet a diverse range of customer needs today, from classic options to adventurous flavors and healthy alternatives.

Howard Riell • Contributing Editor

Today’s customers are not only reaching for tried-and-true salty snacks, they’re also seeking out healthier options that are all-natural, low-sugar, nonGMO and/or contain no synthetics or artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners.

C-store retailers report growing both indulgent and healthy snack segments to attract customers.

“The rates at which consumers reach for both healthy and indulgent snacks reflect their ongoing quest to balance divergent needs,” noted Blaine Becker, senior director of marketing for Bellevue, Wash.-based The Hartman Group Inc. Among the most frequently consumed snacks, he added, are those that support physical health, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, snacks low in undesirable ingredients or high in nutrients, and those that support mental well-being. Alyssa Hangartner, flavor and ingredient trends analyst for London-based Mintel Group Ltd., noted that more than half of consumers prefer simple, basic flavors, which can serve as a foundation for a snacks portfolio.

“Innovate through premium upgrades or nuanced versions of classic flavors to stand out in the crowded snack aisle,” she advised. “Alternative snack ingredients such as legumes, beans, seeds and vegetables can deliver texture, added nutrition, and of course flavors that can be good carriers of diverse seasonings to provide consumers with their ideal balance between health and indulgence when snacking.”

Mintel reports that more than half of consumers prefer simple, basic flavors. Premium versions or upgrades of the classics can help brands stand out in the crowded snack aisle.

OFF THE WALL

Knowing just what customers are looking for takes a c-store halfway to the goal line.

“In the snack department, I am trending toward the items that can provide trendy and off-the-wall flavors,” noted Howard Magee, director of fuel management, operations and category management for The Carioca Co. in Phoenix, which owns and operates convenience stores throughout Arizona. “That includes anything hot — ghost pepper, habanero, Tabasco, etc.” Carioca’s assortment also includes flavors like Korean barbecue, wasabi, Sriracha and salted carmel. “Anything unique, I will give it a go,” Magee added. “Pork rinds, popcorn, chips, nuts, jerky. ... These all have crazy flavors — something different for everyone.”

Jessica Catanzaro, director of purchasing for Green Valley Grocery, which operates more than 60 stores in the Las Vegas area, said her customers are snacking on Takis Waves chips, fresh sandwiches, fresh chopped fruits and yogurt parfaits. The retailer’s job is simple, she said: “Keep them in stock.” Meanwhile, Sam Odeh, founder and CEO of Power Buying Dealers (PBD) USA Inc., of greater Chicago, which includes 25 owned and franchised locations in Illinois, Georgia and Florida, noted his stores are continuing to expand their healthy snack bars section.

“Consumers want variety and constant new stuff. There is no loyalty to any item,” he said. Sales are being driven, at least in part, by careful merchandising and pricing that emphasizes value. In the absence of further disruption, Odeh predicted, both parts of the snack category — indulgent and healthy — should see more growth.

Chips are the top-performing product category within salty snacks for Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s more than 475 c-stores, according to retail food buyer Dragana llic. “Flavor innovations are key

Fast Facts:

C-store retailers report that flavor innovation and a strong variety of product options are helping to drive sales in the snacks category. • More than half of consumers prefer simple, basic flavors, which can serve as a foundation for a snacks portfolio, according to Mintel. • Salty snack products with alternative snack ingredients such as legumes, beans, seeds and vegetables can appeal to health-conscious customers. • Flavor innovation is helping retailers grow sales in the salty snacks segment.

to continued growth in this category. Top brands include Frito-Lay, Pringles, Kettle and Takis.”

In the military as elsewhere, shoppers became more health-conscious during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Exchange is stocking more better-for-you snacks that include protein and plant-based ingredients,” Ilic reported. “Nuts, seeds and trail mix continue to perform well, with sales up 8% over last year. Wonderful Pistachios, Power Up trail mix and Blue Diamond almonds are among the top brands in this category.”

SPORTS SPURRING SNACK SALES

“With the effect that COVID had on the market, consumers are craving sports more than ever, and the salty snack category took advantage of this,” reported Michael Pavone, president and CEO of Quench, a Harrisburg, Pa.-based food and beverage marketing firm.

Pavone and his colleagues see a lot of brands using sponsorships as a vehicle to spread messaging and break out in the space. Flavor remains the focus in product innovation as a way to generate news and tap into a younger audience.

“Flavor plus celebrity endorsements (combined) is also a shortcut to generating attention with consumers and retailers,” he said.

To ratchet sales up further, Pavone added, some convenience stores are investing in their online platforms, shoppable ads and click-tocart to keep up with internet shopping behaviors and Amazon. CSD

Sorting Out Health &Beauty

While overall sales are flat, c-store consumers expect health and beauty/personal care items to be there when they need them.

Thomas Mulloy • Senior Editor

When consumers think of stopping at a convenience store, health and beauty aids (HBA) and personal care items probably don’t rank high on the list of reasons. At least, not until that customer finds herself with a headache and no pain reliever or forgets to put on deodorant that morning.

That’s when this often-overlooked category is very top of mind. Jodi Leibowitz, category manager for Rotten Robbie’s 35 stores in Northern California, said that while it’s a lower volume area of the store, for customers those become “need to have” items.

“There’s probably only 10-15 SKUs that are really highly productive,” said Leibowitz. “The rest were just put in there because we think we have to have them.” While the health and beauty category’s convenience channel sales were flat for the 52-week period ending July 31, according to NielsenIQ data, there were some big swings among the category’s segments.

First aid products rose 37.6% for the year, medical accessories — which includes masks — were up 35.3%, travel sets grew 28.4%, and cosmetics and nail grooming saw an uptick of 14%.

Among the products that were down, the bath and shower segment dropped a hefty 43.6% followed by facial and skin care (19.6%), upper respiratory (15.8%), adult incontinence (15.2%) and sleeping and alertness aids (11%).

NAVIGATING PANDEMIC SHIFTS

Pandemic lockdowns are likely to have influenced many of these segment shifts. That certainly applies to hand sanitizer, a strong seller during the past year. That’s now changed somewhat.

Rotten Robbie carries two sizes of hand sanitizer in its HBA set: a 2.5-ounce and a four-ounce size. With the surge in the COVID-19 Delta variant, Leibowitz observed that demand for sanitizer seems to vary according to the different areas of the country. Where Rotten Robbie stores are located, it’s top of mind. “I think on the West Coast and probably urban areas — New York; Austin, Texas; probably the Bay Area — you’ll see a bigger tick up in masks and sanitizer,” she said.

When it comes to masks, Rotten Robbie is carrying just the disposable type. By now, Leibowitz said, most customers already have their own nondisposable masks that they prefer.

Leibowitz said that she’s assessing how much space to devote to Rotten Robbie’s HBA set and where in each store to place it. That can be a challenge. Every inch of display space is valuable. In addition to its standard convenience store, Rotten Robbie also has what Leibowitz called smaller “snack” stores that feature 10 cooler doors of beverages and 15 feet of gondola space for snacks and HBA.

“Maybe (HBA) goes just to some type of different rack rather than being in set,” she explained. “Maybe it goes to a wall fixture or something like that. Those are the things we’re actually exploring. And I’ve done that in two stores (that are) smaller snack stores. I cut down, and I just put what the essentials were on the wall, and we sell out all the time because it’s the best assortment of all the SKUs we offer.”

Rotten Robbie also uses the checkout area for some items. “I do some different things,” Leibowitz said. “Liquid NyQuil last year had the oneshots available. So rather than putting it in the set, they did these great little counter unit displays. We put that up by the register, and it sold out immediately.”

Leibowitz said that checkout positioning is always good for “as needed” items. The checkout counter is also a good place to test new personal care products. “We try to look for little things like that to put on the counter units. …” she said. “And it’s a good way for c-stores to test to see, ‘Does that deserve a place in the HBA set?’”

Product research at other outlets is a must. Leibowitz asks herself, “What does the customer really, actually need from us?” And then she’ll follow up by spending time at larger pharmacy or big box stores to see what items they’re carrying that her customers may want.

As consumers grapple with a feeling of pandemic relief due to increasing vaccination rates darkened by the specter of the Delta variant, the size of the HBA set could go either way.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what other people do with HBA,” said Leibowitz. “It’ll be interesting to see … if it grows or not.” CSD

fast facts:

• Annual health and beauty sales remained flat for the year. • Checkout displays are good for testing new items. • Geography dictates hand sanitizer sales.

HBA Sees Mixed Results

Medical accessories were up 35.3% at c-stores driven by mask sales, while bath and shower products fell 43.6% as customer habits changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the 52 weeks ending July 31, 2021, according to NielsenIQ Total U.S. Convenience data.

Product

Health & Beauty Care Pain Relief

Vitamin

Upper Respiratory First Aid

Oral Hygiene Sexual Health

GI Care

Eye Care Bath & Shower

Feminine Care

52-Week Dollar Sales 1-Year % Change

$1.64 B 0.1% $338 M 2.0% $271 M 10.4% $224 M -15.8% $142 M 37.6% $124 M -2.4% $123 M 3.7% $122 M 3.1% $60.7 M 0.4% $53.5 M -43.6% $45.8 M 9.4%

Hair Care

$26.1 M 5.8% Deodorant $22.4 M 8.6% Cosmetics and Nail Grooming $14.4 M 14.0% HBL $14.1 M -5.5% Sun Care $13.6 M 9.4% Sleeping and Alertness Aides $12.5 M -11.0% Hair Removal $12.4 M 2.7%

Fragrances Facial Skin Care $6.26 M 6.7% $2.44 M -19.6%

Footcare $2.35 M 11.9%

Medical Accessory Travel Sets

Adult Incontinence

Ear Care

Combination Packs $993,152 35.3% $951,803 28.4% $445,793 -15.2% $195,753 22.2% $80,883 38.9%

Hispanic Flavors

Come Into Focus

From burritos to tacos to empanadas and more, c-stores are featuring Hispanic fl avors and foods — with a focus on fresh, made-to-order options for today’s consumers.

Isabelle Gustafson • Associate Editor

Mexican foods like burritos and tacos have long been like burritos and tacos have long been popular menu items, but c-stores are expanding further popular menu items, but c-stores are expanding further with other Hispanic or Latinx foods, like empanadas, with other Hispanic or Latinx foods, like empanadas, tamales and more. Fresh ingredients and custamales and more. Fresh ingredients and customization take the offer up a notch. tomization take the offer up a notch.

Jacksonville, Fla.-based Gate Petroleum’s

GATE Fresh Kitchen stores serve a GATE Fresh Kitchen stores serve a variety of items made fresh every variety of items made fresh every day, including empanadas, tamales day, including empanadas, tamales and burritos, which Sara Wilson, and burritos, which Sara Wilson, GATE’s food service superviGATE’s food service supervisor, said are popular among sor, said are popular among customers at its stores across customers at its stores across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. and South Carolina.

CEFCO’s Steak Fajita Burrito features marinated steak paired with freshly prepared pico de gallo, lettuce, rice, black beans and shredded cheddar cheese with a side of guacamole.

Gate Petroleum’s GATE Fresh Kitchen stores serve a variety of items made fresh every day, including empanadas, tamales and burritos.

And they’re not confi ned to any daypart. Offers include breakfast styles, too, like breakfast burritos, as well as GATE’s sausage, egg, cheese and potato empanada, in addition to chicken and beef options.

“GATE is continually evolving its foodservice offerings to satisfy our customers’ tastes and provide the on-the-go options they need,” said Wilson. Temple, Texas-based CEFCO Convenience Stores, with more than 200 stores in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Florida, offers a sissippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Florida, offers a variety of tacos and burritos, all of which are made variety of tacos and burritos, all of which are made to order using fresh ingredients. to order using fresh ingredients. CEFCO Director of Foodservice Jeff Foley pointCEFCO Director of Foodservice Jeff Foley pointed to the Steak Fajita Burrito as a customer favorite, ed to the Steak Fajita Burrito as a customer favorite, featuring marinated steak paired with freshly featuring marinated steak paired with freshly prepared pico de gallo, lettuce, rice, black prepared pico de gallo, lettuce, rice, black beans and shredded cheddar cheese beans and shredded cheddar cheese with a side of guacamole. The with a side of guacamole. The hand-breaded fresh chicken, hand-breaded fresh chicken, offered with a variety of offered with a variety of sides and sauces, is sides and sauces, is another popular offer, another popular offer, he said.

CUSTOMIZE IT

CEFCO recently launched new self-ordering kiosks in two of its Texas-based CEFCO Kitchen locations. Both stores feature CEFCO Kitchen’s new menu lines, including made-to-order mac and cheese bowls, sandwiches, grilled cheese and new breakfast offerings to complement the current lineup of burritos, tacos, fried chicken and more.

CEFCO added self-ordering kiosks to two of its Texas-based CEFCO Kitchen locations. Director of Foodservice Jeff Foley said he sees personalization as “the future of the c-store industry.”

“We expect self-ordering kiosks to positively impact the customer experience at CEFCO by offering our customers’ favorite foods they’ve grown to love in a customizable format,” Foley said.

Extras like sauces and toppings, too, enable customers to make an order their own.

“We offer over 20 toppings and sauces for our burritos and tacos,” said Foley. “Some of our favorites are the Spicy Guacamole Salsa, Jalapeño Corn Salsa, Chipotle Ranch, Mild to Hot Buffalo sauces, Cholula, sour cream, guacamole and many more.”

At GATE, popular condiments for customers to pair with the chain’s Hispanic food offerings and more include jalapeños, pico de gallo, salsa and onion, said Wilson. “GATE also offers a variety of sauces, queso, jalapeño cheese and chili.”

“Consumers love customization,” confi rmed Datassential Trendologist Mike Kostyo. “In fact, customization is a real area of opportunity for c-stores.” “Overall, 66% of c-store consumers say customization motivates them to visit a c-store over a competing foodservice location. In many ways, customization gives consumers that freshness cue they are looking for in c-store because they know it has to be at least partially “ made from scratch, often right in front of them.

— Mike Kostyo, trendologist, Datassential

At GATE, popular condiments to pair with Hispanic food offerings and more include jalapeños, pico de gallo, salsa and onion.

CEFCO’s new breakfast offerings complement the current lineup of burritos, tacos, fried chicken and more.

When Datassential asked consumers about various trends they were interested in when visiting their local c-store, customizable options rose toward the top, with over half of consumers (51%) noting they were interested in customizable burritos and tacos. Yet, according to Datassential, only 14% of c-stores offer these items.

“Overall, 66% of c-store consumers say customization motivates them to visit a c-store over a competing foodservice location,” said Kostyo. “In many ways, customization gives consumers that freshness cue they are looking for in c-store because they know it has to be at least partially made from scratch, often right in front of them.”

Ultimately, Foley said, he sees personalization as “the future of the c-store industry.”

“Customers are hyper-aware of what they are eating now more than ever,” he said, “and this gives each customer the ability to choose exactly what goes on his or her food. Some customers like loading their burritos with veggies, while others prefer additional meat. Giving customers the ability to choose is what makes this program great and will continue shaping the future of CEFCO foodservice.” CSD

fast facts:

• Hispanic food offers are customer favorites, and there’s a real opportunity for made-toorder burritos and tacos especially. • Over half of consumers (51%) said they were interested in customizable burritos and tacos, according to Datassential. Yet only 14% of c-stores offer these items. • Overall, 66% of c-store consumers say customization motivates them to visit a c-store over a competing foodservice location.