NCCO International Convenience Stores Industry Trends
The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) just wrapped up its 2024 show. As a “global trade association dedicated to advancing convenience and fuel retailing,” NACS hosts an annual conference and expo to highlight the best in convenience store, gas station, and corner store offerings and innovations as they become an (increasingly) important part of the American foodservice landscape.
NCCO was proud to be present for the full conference. Here are a few of our takeaways from the 2024 NACS Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Food Safety in Convenience Stores
Food Safety Labeling
Labeling will be an increasingly prevalent part of convenience store food service in the coming years, as the Food Traceability Rule under the FDA aims to enhance food safety by requiring detailed traceability for high-risk foods. The compliance deadline is set for 2026 – expect to see many more labels with included tracking.
View NCCO food safety products
Two-dimensional (2D) barcodes are also poised to take over barcode labeling. 2D barcodes store information horizontally (as the one-dimensional barcodes you’re used to do) as well as vertically, resulting in significantly higher storage capacity; 1D barcodes can store 20 characters, while a single 2D barcode can store up to 7,089 characters.
Food Safety Innovations
Convenience stores are adopting wireless sensors to monitor food temperatures, especially for fresh products like produce and ready-to-eat sandwiches and salads. This ensures not only that nothing unsafe gets served to customers, but also that nothing ends up in the trash unnecessarily. Reducing food waste in convenience stores saves time and money.
NCCO was excited to debut its own temperature monitoring software at the show, called Task Manager, a food safety management system designed to help convenience stores keep an eye on their fridge and freezer temps remotely, as well as schedule hygiene checklists, and digitally manage HACCP paperwork and food safety records.
See how Task Manager can help your c-store with food safety compliance
Sustainability
Sustainable Packaging
Sustainability in packaging is nothing new in the foodservice industry. Convenience stores are now adopting eco-friendly packaging, focusing on recyclable and biodegradable materials to meet consumer demand for sustainable solutions as well.
Sustainable Foods
It’s also no secret that there is a growing focus on plant-based and alternative proteins due to lower environmental impact in restaurants of all types. Convenience stores are joining the push for plant-based food options for people on the go.
As food deserts increasingly turn to convenience stores for groceries and whole foods, sustainable food offerings are something you can expect to see more of now and in the future.
Read our blog: How Convenience Stores Are Helping Fight Food Deserts
Of course, there were plenty of classic convenience store food items present as well. The things we all know and love from long road trips or quick stops after work, before class, or between meetings to keep us going are certainly here to stay. Pizza and chicken remain the most popular items for a quick meal, as well as packaged cookies for a sweet treat.
Various new flavors and types of candy – think freeze dried candy, and gummy versions of popular candies – are being introduced to satisfy that sweet tooth as well, washed down with a number of new energy drinks like Celsius and C4.
Electric Vehicles
Many convenience stores are installing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to attract eco-conscious customers, generate new revenue, and enhance their sustainability image. It’s simple economics: More electric vehicles on the road means more need for charging stations. If a fueling station convenience store has one, they’ll get business they otherwise would have missed.
NCCO at NACS
NCCO is committed to becoming the premier foodservice partner for convenience stores across the country.
We understand the changing nature of the foodservice industry. We make life easier for small- and large-scale convenience store operations through automated tools like the DateCodeGenie food labeling system, which gives managers and staff alike the ability to print custom labels in bulk quickly and easily, and Task Manager, which we mentioned earlier, to ensure food safety compliance and temperature monitoring.
Get a DateCodeGenie demo today
Our brand fulfillment services – easily accessible from your own unique brand portal – lets your store order all the custom labels, printed posters and banners, Limited Time Offers branding and seasonal specialties, as well as apparel and more, delivered right to your door.
Learn more about NCCO Brand Fulfillment
We can’t wait to work with America’s convenience stores and help them unlock their full foodservice potential.