Thirty years ago, many consumers had a negative perception OF buying food at a gas station. Case in point, in the 1983 film “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” Chevy Chase’s character, Clark Griswold, says, “I’m so hungry I could eat a sandwich from a gas station.” Although that joke was funny at the time, it’s less humorous today because gas stations offer some high-quality food now, says Jeff Lenard, vice president of strategic industry initiatives for the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), Alexandria, Va.
In actuality, experts estimate that more than half of U.S. consumers now shop foodservice offerings in convenience stores, said Susan Viamari, editor of Chicago-based Information Resources Inc.’s (IRI) Times & Trends, in a June webinar on convenience stores. Beverages play a role in the segment’s success with 19 percent of consumers saying they shop foodservice at convenience stores because they like the selection of fountain beverages, she added.