It’s no secret that Convenience stores have become a lifeline to many during Covid-19; we now look to them for more than just essentials or impulse purchases. As a result, some symbol groups have reported sales increases of up to 300% during the lockdown due to increased footfall.

It seems that consumers are relying on convenience stores more than ever for bulk shops vs top ups. There has been a demand for some products at a level that’s never previously existed, including fresh produce, personal care, household products, gifts and cards, smoking alternatives or cessation products, and beers, wines and spirits - plus home delivery is also in demand. So as consumers look to convenience stores for a bigger range and better-quality products, combined with their desire to grab a bargain, what can brands do to support independent and symbol store owners to revolutionise their shelves?

Is technology the key to the future?

Data from a 2019 survey by Lumina Intelligence indicates retail app popularity is on the rise for consumers, retailers and brands alike. In addition, retailers ordering products online is growing at an extraordinary rate. The data shows that of those retailers whose primary route to market is delivered, 98% say their main method for ordering is online – in 2008 this figure was just 24%! In 2019, within the B2B online ordering space, apps were estimated to account for up to 30% of sales... so how has this changed since Covid?

Technology is a trend that has typically been adopted at a relatively slow pace when it comes to Convenience retail, but everything has changed since Covid-19. Trends have been accelerated, consumer behaviour has adapted, expectations have also evolved, and shopping local has become normal once again.

As consumers turn to their screens to order product and engage with brands, so too do retailers, which makes retailers even more accessible to brands than ever before.

So, what if brands could access a pool of engaged convenience retailers on one platform? Well, the good news is they can!

Kevin Green, MyStore+ Product Manager, comments “Asking retailers to access multiple websites or apps to get simple advice and offers for each category in their store creates unnecessary challenge and complication. Solutions need to start with what retailers want. Retailers have told us they want to be able to access advice and offers for categories and brands in one place, so that’s why we created our app, MyStore+.

We’re already helping brands like Unilever, Pernod Ricard and Colgate-Palmolive connect with retailers to provide advice, offers and rewards that help both growth their businesses. Digital connectivity is the future to helping every brand connect directly with Convenience retailers, and through our partnership with News UK on MyStore+, we have direct access to up to 35,000 of them.”

In addition to advice and offers, the upside is that brands can also encourage retailers to compete audits via the app to gain insight on their range, compliance and what sells in their store.

So, if you’re a brand looking to engage digitally with retailers, don’t go it alone. Talk to us about MyStore+ and how it can help you get your brand and product into convenience stores throughout the country. Oh, and if you need an extra reason to do that, you should know that you’ll only pay for success when you publish an offer or reward to retailers...