Oser Communications Group

8 SNACKING NEWS December 2017 Survey: Consumers Seek Quality Food at Fuel Stops Americans are increasingly selecting fu- eling locations based on the quality of the food associated with the gas station, ac- cording to national survey results re- leased earlier this year by NACS. The association represents the convenience store industry, which sells 80 percent of the fuel purchased in the United States. While survey results show that gas price is still the primary determinant in selecting a station, an increasing percent- age of consumers say that the quality of items inside the store dictates where they buy fuel. One in seven drivers (16 per- cent) now say that the in-store offer is driving their fueling decision, a five-point increase since 2015. A majority (51 percent) of American drivers still say that the gas price is the reason that they prefer a specific store or chain, but that is a six-point drop over the past two years. Because of the expanded food and bev- erage offers at stores, fueling customers also are going inside the store more: 42 percent of those fueling up also went inside the store, a seven-point jump from two years ago. For those going inside, the most popular reasons were to pay for gas at the register (50 percent), buy a bever- age (45 percent) or buy a snack (36 per- cent). More than one in five (22 percent) say they used the rest room. Overall, 8 percent say they bought a sand- wich or meal, and that percentage jumps to 13 per- cent for younger consumers ages 18 to 34. "The numbers clearly show the grow- ing trend of consumers seeking out food and beverages as part of their fueling ex- perience. While retailers know they need to aggressively compete on gas prices — 67 percent of Americans say they will drive five minutes out of their way to save five cents per gallon — it also shows that there are other ways to compete for customers with a quality in-store offer," said NACS Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives Jeff Lenard. Gasoline de- mand in 2016 reached a record 9.32 million bar- rels per day in 2016 but only 33 percent of Amer- ican drivers re- port that they drove more in 2016. For those who say they drove more, 41 percent cited their job as the main reason, as opposed to only 8 percent who cited gas prices. Others findings from the survey results include: 73 percent of fuel customers pay by debit (37 percent) or credit (36 per- cent) card. Debit cards are most popular with younger consumers ages 18-34 (45 percent); evening rush is the most popular time to purchase fuel (36 percent), signif- icantly more than morning rush (22 per- cent). Nearly half (46 percent) of consumers say they have gotten a discount for their fuel by using a loyalty card or app, and 23 percent have gotten a discount for pay- ing by cash. More than half (56 percent) of those who bought a sandwich or meal say they eat in in their car, compared to 34 percent who eat their purchase at their destination and 10 percent who eat at tables in the store. The survey results were released as part of the 2016 NACS Retail Fuels Report (www.nacsonline.com/gasprices). The survey was conducted online by Penn Schoen Berland; 1,114 U.S. adults who purchase fuel for a vehicle such as a car, truck or van at least once per month were surveyed in January, 2017. n Coconut Vanilla. Each 4-ounce package offers four 1-ounce servings at about 100 to 120 calories per serving of about 11 bites. Bauer is especially proud that the granola bites are made from simple, easy to recognize ingredients – whole rolled oats and brown rice, chia seeds, wild blueberries, and apples, among others. The company will introduce a line of an- cient grain crisps in the first quarter of 2018. "As a nutritionist, I know the power of the perfect diet. But as a mom and foodie, I know that we have cravings," she says. "It's hard to give up the foods and flavors we love – I get it! That's why I started Nourish Snacks — to give us the best of both worlds: snacks made with nutrient- rich ingredients that taste super delicious." Yet above and beyond the interests of her own company, Bauer says, she wants retailers and their customers to understand the benefits of snacking. "My mission is to help people live healthier, happier lives. And enabling peo- ple to enjoy the flavors they love is part of that," she says. "It's not necessarily a bad thing that people are choosing snacks instead of meals, but that means they have to make careful choices. Bad snacks aren't helping sustain your energy, and they're also not satisfying your appetite or nutri- tional needs. So if you're eating the run- of-the-mill, not-so-good-for-you snacks, you're constantly craving, eating, crash- ing, and repeat, and repeat. It's a problem for grazers. This kind of snacking is mind- less because we do it at our computers, or in front of the television – and those calo- ries can really add up." How Retailers Can Help Knowing what your customers are looking for is a big factor in making wise retail de- cisions, Bauer says. "A key to success is to make the healthy food snacks area look inviting – clean, well-organized," she says. "People are going to mosey right on over, if it looks enticing. Use good signage, circu- lars and shelf talkers to draw your cus- tomers' attention to the healthier option snacks you offer." Customers have become much more in- formed about health, she says. They know what they're looking for, and you can help them find it. "I always say there are three golden rules for a snack: It should be no more than 200 calories – that's the sweet spot where hunger is satisfied but your appetite isn't ruined. It needs to be made with whole, nourishing, quality, nutrient-rich ingredients. And it has to be delicious, something that makes your customer happy and satisfies their cravings." There are wonderful, real food snacking options, Bauer says. "You can couple peanut butter with an apple, or turkey slices wrapped around bell pepper strips to dip into spicy mustard." Logically, however, retailers want their customers to reach for the packaged snacks, too. Bauer has some thoughts on that. "The iconic snacks like chips and cook- ies – customers who want that stuff will find it, so there's no need to waste the front and center space on these items. It's the newer, healthier stuff that has never been seen or tasted before that should be most visible. Think of it as helping to fuel your customers with beneficial nourishment." Oftentimes, Bauer says, retailers will do a test, putting healthy snacks out in easy customer view. "But they don't always give it a fair shot – they decide it's not working before it's had a chance to do so. Retailers have to decide that they're going to make a positive statement, or lead an initiative, for their customers' benefit." Retailers should listen when customers ask about healthy snack products, she says. "Health takes center stage in the mainstream magazines, online publica- tions, all over the place. Health is hot right now. Customers are seeing healthy snacks everywhere, and are asking about them." Understanding customers is obviously important, Bauer says. "Take moms for example. They rank their kids as top priority, and health is super important," Bauer says. "If a mom is going into a store to buy milk and she sees healthy snacks, that's going to be a logical add-on purchase for her." Understanding Hot Trends in Snacking Two of the hottest topics in snacking right now are protein and sugar. Everyone's talking about the protein trend in snacking, Bauer says. "Protein is important because it helps sustain your blood sugar and satisfies your hunger," Bauer says. "But a lot of people are getting too much of it — you need about half of your body weight in grams. If all you're doing is snacking, then yes, protein is something to look for. But most people are eating protein with at least one meal a day – eggs at breakfast, or a turkey sandwich at lunch." Because that's true, high protein snacks aren't needed as much. "If you are somebody who's skimping on meals completely, it's as easy to grab a Greek yogurt and a piece of fruit as it is a protein bar, but both are good choices. Plant-based protein is becoming more and more prevalent and that's great. It's good for the environment and it's great for your body. But I don't think protein is the end- all for snacking." As for sugar, well, we're all aware that our sugar consumption is out of control, says Bauer. Americans are eating far too much sugar – the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that the average American consumes 19.5 teaspoons of sugar every day, or about 66 pounds of added sugar every year, per person. That's more than 13 five-pound bags of sugar a year. While the U.S. Dietary Guidelines rec- ommend 5 to 15 percent of calories a day in "discretionary calories," including both sugar and fat, children and teens are get- ting about 16 percent of their total caloric intake from added sugars alone. "Sugar is certainly villainized right now," Bauer says. "But the answer is not to turn to artificial and fake sugars. You can help your customers by giving them a chance to choose lower-sugar, better-for- you snacks. I use real sugar in my snacks, but tightly control the amount I'm adding, so you'll never find more than 7 grams of sugar in my sweet snacks – and that's total. Some is natural in the ingredients (blueberries and apples) and a little is from a fairy dust sprinkle of real sugar." Remember, she says, "Health is a huge priority for a majority of the population – and it's not just about diets and losing weight. People know that eating the right foods, in the right combinations, has lots of positive health effects. "In a world where so much seems out of control, our food choices are most cer- tainly within our control." n Healthy Lifestyle Continued from Page 1

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