[Posted to CSP Daily News]
A workforce shift that's increasing the number of work-at-home people, combined with pricing increases is causing restaurants to lose ground. This has allowed convenience stores with foodservice offers to pick up additional customers.
Foodservice industry watchers have been buzzing about the recent downswing in restaurant traffic, particularly at lunch, and are pointing to signs that convenience stores are better positioned than ever to benefit.
Last month, a new Technomic consumer study on the lunch daypart reported that the frequency of lunchtime visits to restaurants is down by 5% since 2014. … Also, the latest increase in menu prices have restaurants feeling the pinch; NPD reported that at some restaurant categories, lunch-menu prices have jumped by about 5% over the threshold that consumers identify as the sweet spot between “affordable to eat there” and “good value for the money.”
Combined with the "roller-grill allure" that CSP also reported on back in May of this year, wherein "42% of consumers say they are likely to visit a c-store for prepared foods if roller-grill items are available," it seems like a prime time to make sure your roller grill offerings are up to snuff to make sure you're grabbing all the customers you can. Keep things clean and attractive; don't let your roller grill products lose their visual appeal by sitting too long on the grill.
Read more at CPSDailyNews.com