Winning in convenience
Chris Hayward presented on the convenience channel at the AF Blakemore supplier conference in London today.
One of the key observations from Chris’ presentation is that often the most convenient aspect of a convenience store is its location. By understanding shopper behaviour we can understand what their motivations are for visiting and what they are looking for from products and solutions in store.
It's not simply enough to be conveniently located. Shoppers are more time poor than ever and need retailers to make their lives easier too. The average evening meal takes 34 minutes to prepare, down from 60 minutes in 1987. Consequently, consumers are willing to pay more of a premium for products that save them time and effort, than for an average product that is bought at a convenience store, potentially closer to home.
However, the golden rule is that whether a shopper is picking up a meal for tonight or has ran out of cat food, understanding their motivations is the key to the categories and solutions that will help the convenience trade win.