Summer Fancy Food Show
Convenience stores are only convenient once a product is in
The convenience channel is extremely challenging to break into, but it offers high visibility and low ongoing effort once a product is in, Kelleher said. He explained c-stores are extremely picky about what goes in a set, partly because they have so little space and because they review products only every one to two years. Companies need to pitch established items, demonstrate a product’s sales track record and show how a product fits into a major trend of the retailer’s interest. While getting in is hard, once a product is accepted manufacturers don’t have to do anything for the duration of the review cycle because no marketing support is expected, Kelleher said.