Couche-Tard’s Circle K Focus on Grocerant niche Fresh Food Fast

Success does leave clues and Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has not become a global leader without picking up many of the best success clues from around the world and incorporating them into their system according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food continues to drive top line sales and bottom-line profits in every sector of retail foodservice today. Couche-Tard has followed the grocerant niche success steps and is now going to use grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food to drive customer migration, top-line sales and bottom-line profits in North America at its Circle K unit.

Couche-Tard President and CEO Brian Hannasch calls the new program, "Fresh Food Fast," presents a significant organic-growth opportunity, with expectations for both top-line and margin improvement”

Hnnasch continued, "We continue to be excited about its potential. In markets where the new program has been available, customer feedback has been very positive, and both food unit sales and overall sales in the stores with the program have significantly outpaced comparable sales at other stores in those same markets,"

As the world entered the coronavirus pandemic, Couche-Tard moved quickly to cut costs, but not for the hot grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food fast program. We must note that the parent company of Circle K did hit the pause button temporarily on rolling out the program because, according to Hannasch, Couche-Tard did not think "it was prudent" to allow sampling or to conduct training during the health crisis.

Circle K continues to roll out its on-demand coffee program. The U.S. rollout is now complete, and Couche-Tard has shifted its focus to rolling it out across Europe, according to the chief executive, who added that the espresso-based beverage equipment was deployed with 450 machines during the fourth quarter.

Also in Europe, its Froster frozen dispensed beverage program is now available at more than 200 stores. The program has been a Circle K mainstay in North America.

So, Couche-Tard's network comprised close to 9,414 c-stores throughout North America, including 8,221 stores with road transportation fuel. Close to 2,350 stores are operated under the Circle K banner in 15 other countries and territories, bringing the worldwide total network to close to 14,500 stores. Are you looking for success clues to drive your business?

Success does leave clues. One clue that time and time again continues to resurface is “the consumer is dynamic not static”.  Regular readers of this blog know that is the common refrain of Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.  Our Grocerant Guru® can help your company 253-759-7869.