Schools all over the U.S. are gearing up for a return to in-person learning, giving retailers an opportunity to meet the anticipated need for snacks, as well as on-the-go breakfast and lunch options. “We expect to see our guests continuing to return to new routines this fall, and we’ll be ready to serve them,” said Tom Brennan, chief merchandising officer for Casey’s. “We are especially focused on the morning daypart and the opportunity the back-to-school season presents for morning routines.”
In June, the Mastercard Spending Pulse forecasted back-to-school U.S. retail sales growth of 5.5%, signaling pent-up demand ahead of reopenings. “Back to school has always been a prime season for retailers,” said Steve Sadove, senior adviser for Mastercard. “This year, the broader reopening brings an exciting wave of optimism as children prepare for another school year, and the grown-ups in their lives approach a similar ‘return-to-office’ scenario.”
For convenience retailers, especially those located near schools or universities, back to school represents a chance to promote snacks, easy breakfast and lunches, and special treats. “Aside from more packed lunches, parents are also anticipating more time spent in the car with a return to in-person classrooms and after-school activities resuming full force,” said Toby Johnson, senior vice president of sales at Campbell Snacks. “This shift will result in a need for portable, on-the-go snack options. Convenience stores are an ideal channel for parents to find these solutions at their fingertips.”
Real-World Experience
Convenience retailers can partner with schools in unique ways—and boost their standing as the go-to place for snacks and grab-and-go meals. Franklin Bros. Market in Berkeley, California, works with the local elementary school to provide a safe location for field trips. For example, students would often come to the store to spend reward money earned by good behavior in the classroom.
Owner Jennifer Freese even hosted second-grade classes for hands-on lessons about money. The class would walk to her store—just down the block from the school—to see what their coins could buy. “I’d hand out a printed list of items and prices, and they’d count out their money to see if they could get a banana and a bag of Goldfish crackers, for example,” she said. “It was a lot of fun for the students and for us, too.”
On-the-Go Snacking
As the go-to for snacks, convenience stores should ensure they are well-stocked ahead of local schools restarting late summer and early fall. As families orient to new routines, they will be looking for portable snack options. “We’ve always been known as a good place for grab and go, especially for last-minute lunch box ideas,” said David Hopper, owner of Dia’s Market in Austin, Texas.
Known for its healthy alternatives, Dia’s Market provides the basics to create a healthy lunch that includes a protein, carb and veggies or fruit, which are popular during the school year. The store also stocks up on healthy salty snacks this time of year. “We tend to sell plenty of our healthy salty snacks in the beginning of the school year as everyone gets back into their routines,” Hopper said.
Hormel Foodservice suggested retailers could promote snack packs from its popular lines, including Nut-rition, Hormel Natural Choice and Wholly Guacamole to capture the back-to-school crowd. “Snacks are such a big part of how we are eating, even away from home,” said Annemarie Vaupel, vice president of marketing for Hormel Foodservice. “Retailers can emphasize the wide variety of shelf-stable options by promoting unique menu items and portable, prepared foods in different categories.”
Added Andy Mecs, vice president of marketing and innovation for StarKist, “We understand the challenge for convenience retailers to provide more healthy, delicious and convenient food options, especially as consumers are back on the move.” The company’s new StarKist Creations Microwavables line of ready-made meals and its StarKist Lunch To-Go pouch kits “offer smart solutions for this space,” Mecs said.
At Mendez Fuel, a four-store convenience chain in Miami, the return of students to school hopefully means a boost to snack sales. “We’ve definitely missed the kids coming in after school buying snacks,” said Michael Mendez, owner and founder. He noted that business didn’t fall off as much as he had expected when schools moved to virtual. “We’ve had more kids and families coming to grab a snack throughout the day, and time will tell if our volumes will return to pre-pandemic numbers around the morning and afterschool dayparts,” Mendez said.
A Reinvigorated Morning
The breakfast daypart has been struggling, but retailers are expecting more robust morning sales as schools reopen in late August and early September. “We anticipate our back-to-school marketing will be heavily focused on the breakfast daypart and the new routines as consumers fully emerge from pandemic mode,” said Tom Brennan, chief merchandising officer for Casey’s. To generate excitement during the morning daypart, Casey’s will be launching a coffee offering specifically for morning commuters, including those heading to school. Parents and students have always stopped by Franklin Bros. Market in Berkeley, California, on the way to and from school, given the store’s proximity to a local elementary school. “I’ve also offered parents coffee and pastries in the mornings and kids snacks after school,” said owner Jennifer Freese. “I’m looking forward to getting back to normal in the fall with the school open full time.”
Special Moments
Retailers should consider putting together bundles with popular snack and beverage items to create interest from busy families. “Bundling opportunities with simple solutions for the daily needs that shoppers will experience as old habits are re-established will be a place for retailers to focus,” said Johnson.
For example, Dia’s Market beefs up its meal kit offerings at the start of school. “We’ll make sure we have plenty of rotisserie chickens and sides available for busy families to pick up after school,” said Hopper. “That way, parents don’t have to worry about making another meal on their way home.”
Another way retailers can tie purchases to back to school is by providing celebratory products for parents, teachers and students. “Shoppers use snacking occasions to treat themselves, create moments of indulgence and cope with life’s everyday stresses,” said Johnson. To fill that need, Campbell Snacks brought back limited-time offers of Snyder’s of Hanover Chocolate Rounds, Chocolate Pretzel Dips and Peanut Butter Filled Pieces for the fall.
Parents have looked to Franklin Bros. Market in Berkeley, California, as a place to give their kids a special treat at the end of the school week. “I called it ‘treat Friday’ with my own kids, and it’s nice to see other parents have the same tradition,” owner Jennifer Freese said. “We have to make sure we have enough ice cream and popsicles for the treat rush because some weeks, the kids clean us out.”
Grade A Future
Overall, suppliers and retailers emphasize the need to capitalize on the excitement of returning to school. “The 2020-21 school year was unprecedented and uniquely challenging for parents and students,” Johnson said. “Both are excited about the return to normalcy and their back-to-school routines this fall. Ensuring shoppers’ favorite brands are offered in the right assortment is critical to winning these visits and leaving big smiles on shoppers’ faces as they reset their routines for the school year ahead.”