Josh Tahan, research consultant at Study Hall Research, presented a keynote address to the 2016 National Advisory Group (NAG) Conference.
Tahan, who leads SHR’s convenience store research practice area, marked his 3rd year addressing the conference as he presented SHR’s 2016 Foodservice Perception Study. The study focused on the evolution of foodservice perceptions and demands over the past 3 years and the implications for convenience stores in setting their strategy going forward.
Tahan stressed that while c-stores still dominate the afternoon snack category, they have growing competition from grocery stores for morning snackers. ‘Grocery stores have put a lot more grab-and-go options into stores to lure the on-the-go convenience customer,’ Tahan said in the address, adding that c-stores should be looking to get customers to make additional trips for food. In addition, with the increasing competition, Tahan said, the importance of offering quality products to lure the incremental consumer is essential.
C-Store owner/operators travel to the conference each year to interact with each other to discuss new concepts, share information and come away with innovative ideas to grow sales and profits.
Study Hall was asked in 2014 to conduct primary research and present findings on food trends for the ‘on-the-go’ consumer and has been invited back each year since to present new data that gives retailers a glimpse into what needs to be done in order to grow food service sales in a c-store setting.
Said Tahan, ‘It’s always refreshing when someone places such a big emphasis on primary research, especially when it’s driven by an entire industry and not one player in particular.’
In addition to the main presentation, Study Hall Research presented to a group of YEO’s (the Young Executives Organization) composed of those 39 or younger in the industry. This 25-person round-table session was a deep dive into how to use surveys in order to collect data re: what food options are most desired in the c-stores trade radius based on feedback from their target consumers.
‘It is clear that there is desire to learn more about the ‘on-the-go consumer’ and the best way to meet their needs,’ Tahan added. ‘Study Hall is thrilled that NAG and its attendees have seen value in this research year after year.’
Study Hall Research is a full-service custom marketing research consultancy, providing B2B and B2C research in a range of key business areas including product development, retail, CPG, consumer and shopper experience and more. Study Hall provides a range of full-service and custom marketing research consulting services—from traditional qualitative and quantitative methods to non-traditional and emerging research as diverse as deep-immersion ethnography to shopper behavior studies to synchronous and asynchronous Digital Dialogue® research. To request information or case studies for any of qualitative and quantitative custom research—contact us at 813.849.4255, x203 or email us through our website at www.StudyHallResearch.com/contact.