Ghosts at Circle K

Strange Things Are Afoot At The Circle K

Consumers have long seen the convenience channel as a last resort for food. Tired and desperate parents reluctantly pick the least harmful snack off the shelf for the monsters in the backseat while later that night boozed up college students stumble in for much needed gut fill to minimize the pending hangovers. Rarely does anyone finish a convenience meal and think to themselves … “that was a good idea, I feel better”. Multinational CPGs, dentists, Big Pharma and mortuaries love convenience stores for the relentless support of their business. Ok, that may be an alarmist comment, but there is an element of truth that can’t be ignored. Particularly if you work in the food industry and have turned a blind-eye to selling food with questionable health implications.

Today, surrounded by yesterdays snack brands and struggling sports nutrition products is Cookie+ Protein. A startling contrast to yesterdays convenience brands. Bake City’s Cookie+ Protein line is all natural with mostly vegan ingredients. A clean snack providing calories and protein along with the benefits of plants. Circle K is leading the convenience business by providing a wide assortment of Cookie+ Protein items in coveted high visibility store locations. Why is a convenience store giving Whole Foods a run for their money? In short, because they understand quality and they care about what they sell their customers.

Circle K category managers knowingly ghosted traditional brands in support of Cookie+ Protein. In doing so, they have positioned Circle K as a pioneer in the natural food space and showcased that you can profit while also doing the work to help consumers eat better.

To those retail buyers still supporting yesterdays convenience brands and profiting from harming consumers’ health, here is a reminder you may be well served to remember - “People don't always get what they deserve in this world, but certainly after.”