When I entered the convenience store industry with 7-Eleven over 30-years ago, one of the first projects I was asked to focus on was to ensure that the 4’ Legg’s pantyhose set was well-stocked along with the 8’ Health & Beauty (HBA) set in stores in our franchise area. While the set offered items for the female consumer, there were less females consuming products at convenience stores in the 90’s than today.
HBA sets were designed to provide needed products such as pantyhose and knee-high nylons as well as feminine hygiene products with multiple offerings of pads, panty shields and tampons. With fewer women working, bathrooms mostly non-existent for public use and lousy exterior lighting, female consumers often chose a stop at the local grocery or drug store over convenience locations for Midol, pantyhose or other HBA products.
Over the past 30-years, convenience operators have invested millions of dollars in upgrading facilities – adding high lumen outdoor lighting as well as designing bathrooms that can rival those found in any airport or nice hotel – many even with changing tables. Furthermore, many operators are carrying less processed snack options, from nuts to natural jerky to fruit and have incorporated extensive menu offerings to appeal to a broad swath of female and male consumers alike.
The paradigm that once precluded female shoppers from stopping at a convenience store, the environment, is now fixed, but the assortment for the female to consider a stop for necessities, from feminine hygiene products to baby formula to emergency contraceptives is non-existent in many stores.
According to Circana, “Inflation hit nearly all aspects of retail in 2023, yet consumers did not react the same. Despite sluggish units, food & beverages managed better than nearly all. Beauty is the outlier—strong demand despite it all – up 15% in units,” across food, drug and mass stores. There is a reason that Walgreens purchased Boots from the UK and has now incorporated some of their higher-end cosmetics into the US sets. Even with economic downturns, pampering oneself with a better lotion or cream with less additives that will maintain a youthful glow can drive foot traffic.
When we couple the lack of product offering with the fact that major drug chains are closing more sites than they open, there is a huge opportunity for retailers to re-think their female-consumer assortment, use occasions and need states which can be satisfied with a convenience stop.
In a recent NACS Daily article, Briget Brennan, CEO of Female Factor, noted that NACS data shows that 43% of convenience store shoppers are women — that compares with their percent of the population of 51%. Furthermore, according to research consultant Todd Hale, c-stores are the only major channel where females don’t drive the majority of purchases. This all means that a good proportion of women are out there waiting to be enticed with a complete offering that puts a convenience stop into their mindset.
With overall trips down, it seems high time to re-evaluate the offering and incorporate items needed by busy Gen Z and Millennial consumers as well as young mothers (and even fathers who may be on a specific trip mission).
Kay Segal founded Business Accelerator Team in 2015 with an eye on providing business solutions focused on accelerating revenue in the c-store, foodservice and B2B media industries. Kay’s vast industry experience stems from a variety of roles at CSP Information Group (now Winsight), Circle K Company, 7-Eleven, and Sky Chefs, where her combined experiences positioned her to offer diverse industry insight and a unique niche of services that help clients bolster profitability.
Source: Circana, Retail Early Indicator, 39WE 9/30/2023 vs. YAG (general merchandise); Circana, Total Market View MULOC (F&B/nonedible CPG- excluding tobacco) – week ends on a Sunday, WE 10/01/2023; https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/16/business/drug-stores-closing-rite-aid-cvs-walgreens/index.html; https://www.nacsmagazine.com/Issues/August-2024/The-Drink-Driving-Demographic; https://www.nacsmagazine.com/issues/august-2020/winning-over-women
