Australian Convenience Store News | Biscuits and Confectionary

Once solely confined to the supermarket aisle, the humble biscuits or cookies is facing new life as a C-store favourite. ASS&CSN finds some of the old favourites have taken on new identities.

If the experts are to be believed, biscuits are ready to boom and the new gold rush will take place in C-stores.

Consumer trends towards healthy eating, balanced with a shift towards ëreward snackingí has resulted in growth across all biscuit categories. C-stores are ideally placed to benefit from this trend because not only are they growing but they also are seen as a traditional ëfast-foodí outlet. Biscuit companies, recognising this, are responding with some very specific product lines.

Arnottís Biscuits already has a presence in with its Tim Tam, TeeVee Snacks, Shapes and cream biscuit ranges. Now itís adding Tim Tam Fingers, a new confectionery format of what is arguably Australiaís favourite chocolate biscuit.

"We talked to hundreds of consumers as we developed this product and their response has been fantastic," says Shaun Campbell, Arnottís National Business Manager for Convenience and Leisure.

A Mini Meal on the Run
"Our consumers tell us they like to indulge a little every now and then, and they donít feel as guilty eating a chocolate biscuit as they do eating other chocolate treats. With Tim Tam Fingers, they love the idea they can get their favourite chocolate biscuit in a novel, convenient format."

Recognition of the same trends led Sara Lee Bakery to expand from its traditional stronghold in the supermarket freezer section into the realms of fresh products, specifically with the new long-life Monster Cookie range for C-stores. The Cookies are delivered and stored frozen, and then have a shelf life of four weeksí after thawing.

The move is in line with a trend in America where companies are starting to produce ranges exclusively for C-stores, recognising that they are the ultimate in quick-in/quick-out traffic that is so prevalent in todayís time-poor society witness the popularity of the ëeight-items-or-lessí queue at your local supermarket.

Starting the push with a specially designed cookie line made sense, says Jane Wyatt, Sara Leeís Marketing Manager, because C-stores are about convenience and cookies and biscuits have become a mini meal on the run.

"People are not only time-poor but theyíre very irregular with their eating habits, so the quality of their snacks has become an issue. Theyíre now seeking it out as a mini meal but they still want a bit of pleasure at the same time.

"Cookies or biscuits are seen as a blend of honest nutrition and innocent indulgence and a bit ëbetterí than an icecream or a chocolate bar. People are looking for something a bit more wholesome and sustaining because theyíve missed breakfast or morning tea."

In times gone past, icecream or chocolate bars were the staple snacks. Now theyíre not only seen to be not quite as healthy and even more so if children are part of the picture - but for busy people on the run theyíre tricky to eat and they can make a mess of your clothes.

Those sort of practicalities donít stop people being hungry but it does make them look at different options and the C-store is still perfectly placed to provide them.

Food Handling & Hygiene Issues
One food issue wonít go away in a hurry HACCP and the whole subject of correct food handling. Food can be a potential minefield for any operator, given the complexity of the new regulations aimed at minimising potential food poisoning problems. Those regulations, and the general communityís greater awareness of hygiene and food handling, is why frozen and pre-wrapped products are a better bet all round.

"When something is protected and overwrapped, the consumer is confident that no-one has coughed or sneezed over it. They feel it is a little more hygienic which means their health is safer," says Sara Leeís Ms Wyatt.

"Thatís why all the products we put into C-stores are individually wrapped. Theyíre frozen fresh and de-frosted as required by the C-store operator so the consumer can be assured itís the freshest it can possibly be. There are obvious benefits for the operator, too, in dealing with a product that is frozen until itís required.

"C-stores will increasingly rely on their major suppliers to provide that level and guarantee of hygiene, which will make things difficult for the smaller operators whoíve traditionally supplied ëfreshí bakery items. They simply wonít be able to comply with the HACCP accreditation, which is now so important. No-one needs to deal with the risk of food poisoning."

Maximising Returns
With good margins available on these ëfeel goodí products, the smart operator doesnít have to work hard to maximise returns. And because the manufacturers see C-stores as such a promising growth market, theyíre more than happy to provide support to encourage sales.

Arnottís has put a major marketing campaign behind Tim Tam Fingers, including a national TV campaign, outdoor advertising and plenty of eye-catching point-of-sale material.

Itís an approach thatís worked well for the company and for operators stocking its products in the past.

"Over the Christmas period, sales of our Shapes 200g boxes increased significantly in petrol and convenience stores as a direct result of a price promotion," says Arnottís Shaun Campbell.

"The strong growth of TeeVee Snacks was the result of a major relaunch last year of a brand which is 36-years-old. We repackaged the product, added a new variety and positioned the brand as a fun snack to share with friends while watching TV. All this was backed up with a TV campaign and plenty of in-store activity and the end result was a boost in sales.

"We have a strong track record in creating eye-catching in-store and off-location displays and have successfully applied that in C-stores. These displays encourage people to buy on impulse rather than make a conscious decision."

Sara Lee Bakery is also prepared to get behind its product in a practical way.

"Obviously thereís a promotional budget operating for the launch, because weíre very excited about this range and what it means for us and for the C-store market," says Ms Wyatt.

"But beyond the launch phase there is a range of point-of-sale material, plus we have reps on the road who can give advice, and we have a telephone sales team which can answer any questions as well as take orders.

"Weíd certainly encourage C-store operators to think laterally with our product. While the best place for an impulse buy is the front counter, the other logical placement is next to the coffee machine you could even merchandise the products together for better sales, and obviously that really makes it a mini-meal," Ms Wyatt says.

Industry surveys prove that the biscuit category is continuing to grow. There is also no doubt that C-stores are continuing to grow and develop in their own right and not just as a ëpoor relationí alternative to the traditional grocery store.

Suppliers who recognise this trend are already on-track to meet the growing need for a more interesting selection of products and more sophisticated in-store marketing. The smart C-store operator will use this to his advantage.