Circle K Chains Have an Advantage Driving New Electricity

 

There is no doubt that when Circle K announced that it was teaming up with Butterfinger to offer multiple unique treats for a limited time, all small retailers cried foul, began pouting chains had an advantage, but that just may not be the whole story. 

According to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® independent restaurants, regional chains know what resonates with local customers and can establish relationships with local brands and national brands on or with products that complement their brand messaging.  

Are you looking for new customers? Do you want to keep your current customers while building new electricity? According to Johnson, “Brand relevance is in part driven with innovation in new food products in combination with new avenues of distribution all of which are the platform for the new electricity.” 

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply and includes such things as fresh foods, developing brands, unique urban clothing, grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing. Don’t limit you ideations to just a new menu item. Think local, grow with others that are successful around you.

All retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food that is portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different. 

The collaboration between the Circle K and the fan-favorite crispety, crunchety, peanut-buttery bar is available now through March 5. Items include Butterfinger Brownie, Butterfinger Cookie and Butterfinger Hot Chocolate, which are now available at Circle K convenience stores across the United States.

Shoppers are invited to enjoy the limited-time-only Butterfinger Hot Chocolate on Jan. 31, National Hot Chocolate Day.

These offerings mark the latest exclusive partnership between Circle K and other popular brands. In September 2023, the retailer created its own superhero team-up with Warner Bros. Discovery and introduced a line of 24 new "HeroBadge" stickers or patches featuring DC Comics superheroes or villains.

The retailer also celebrated the one-year anniversary of its exclusive Mtn Dew Purple Thunder flavor last May with a 33-stop "Thunderversary Tour" that brought free food and drinks, photo opportunities, games, prizes, live music and other in-store offers to sites across the country. The Mtn Dew Purple Thunder Polar Pop also contributed to Alimentation Couche-Tard/Circle K's win as Dispensed Beverages Innovator of the Year in the 2023 Convenience Store News Foodservice Innovators Awards program.

Circle K is the global banner of Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., which operates in 25 countries and territories, with more than 14,400 stores, of which 10,800 offer road transportation with fuel. Now don’t let their size bother you, utilize your location, region, and size to your advantage.

Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideas look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how our Grocerant Guru® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation, and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit: us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter