Australian research and consultancy group, Him, is searching for retailers and suppliers to take part in a study on the changing convenience store shopper.
The group is on the hunt for petrol and convenience retailers willing to conduct the research instore between December and January.
Angela Gorick, business development manager at Him, says the research will gauge how shopper’s expectations are changing as Australian’s daily lives get busier.
“The petrol and convenience store used to be known for just letting people fill up and maybe get their chocolate and a drink,” says Gorick.
She says this perception is changing, as local retail follows global trends and consumers expect “their lunch, dinner, and groceries in the same shop”.
“Petrol stations have been providing some food to go in the past but this hasn’t had a huge amount of take up.
“[The sector] needs to do things differently to get the changing shopper to not only purchase fuel but entertain the idea of buying some household groceries or food.”
Convenience category breakdown
According to Him research, 30 per cent of Australian shoppers say they’ve bought food to go from petrol stations in the last month.
This compares to 63 per cent for fast food outlets, 43 per cent from cafes, 50 per cent for takeaway shops, and just eight per cent from convenience stores.
Almost three in four of the 2300 surveyed said they had purchased breakfast away from home in the last month.
Gorick says the healthy and gourmet food trend is also effecting Australian convenience retailers, with shoppers’ appetites changing.
“This trend has particularly taken off in the Australian fast food industry, with it undergoing a health kick over the past five years.”
Data from the Food To Go deep dive will enable operators and producers to review their range, healthier options, and meal options.
“Our study hopes to understand the percentage of shoppers that want a healthy option, how healthy, and what they would expect.”
