Under the Influence

Celebrities and influencers are elevating their public profiles through merchandising. Often their products end up on c-store shelves.

We’ve written about the evolving convenience store and how the industry has elevated its profile. C-stores are more of a retail destination than they’ve ever been, not just a necessity or afterthought.

The modern c-store’s growing professionalism and broadened selection of merchandise hasn’t been lost on the celebrity set, who appreciate memorable branding as much as anyone—no, make that more than anyone.

This is especially true today. It is the era of the online influencer. The link between “stars” and the products they champion is more visible than ever, practically omnipresent, in fact, thanks to the internet. That being the case, it only makes sense that some of these offerings make it to the shelves of your friendly, neighborhood c-store. There are certainly plenty of them to go around. Here’s a few.

Dolly Parton; Duncan Hines Special Collection Baking Products. The singer/songwriter/actor from Pigeon Forge, Tennessee loves to bake, which makes these special mixes especially on point. Choose from Dolly’s blueberry muffin mix, cinnamon swirl crumb cake, or creamy buttermilk frosting. You may even get a personalized letter from her!

Kristen Bell; This Saves Lives. Though not playing teenage detective, Veronica Mars, any more, Bell has continued her career on TV (“The Good Place”) and in movies (“Frozen”), and leverages her visibility to promote these nutrition bars, the proceeds of which go toward fighting childhood nutrition, a passion of hers, captured by the attention-grabbing brand name.

Jennifer Garner; Once Upon a Farm. Speaking of creative brand names, here’s another one, but it fits. After bursting onto the scene in TV’s “Alias,” (and starring in countless Capital One commercials) Garner maintains a wholesome, family-friendly image that feeds directly into this children’s nutritional food brand. Sourced directly from farms owned by Garner’s family, the product line includes baby food pouches and children’s drinks among other selections sold in brick-and-mortar stores.

Snoop Dog; Snoop Cereal. Snoop’s image may be diametrically opposed to Garner’s, but they are both committed to helping young people through merchandising. Proceeds from his own line of children’s breakfast food are used to benefit homeless or needy families and children through education and sports. A kid is certainly going to notice Fruity Hoops with Marshmallows, Frosty Drizzlers, and Cinnamon Toastees poised for sale on a shelf. The cereal’s website features a host of original cartoon characters in an original video to help fuel young imaginations…and appetites.

Tom Hanks; Hanx For Our Troops. Few actors have a higher profile than Tom Hanks right now, and his “everyone’s dad” vibe is attractive to many, including consumers. Hanks played a soldier in “Saving Private Ryan,” and now he’s promoting a coffee brand to support veterans: Hanx for Our Troops. The brand states that 100% of net profit from coffee sales is provided to organizations that directly assist veterans and their families.

Celebrity brands may be flashy in the moment, but at their core they are just like any merchandise item with a barcode or other Inventory ID: tracking their performance and managing their profit potential remains a key to the success of a convenience store. This is best achieved with technology. At SSCS, creating the software that allows you to accomplish this is our specialty, no matter how unique your inventory maybe be. You could say we’re a strong influencer…of a store’s healthy bottom line. Give us a call at (800) 927-7277, and we’ll explain what we mean.