The Pursuit of Snackiness

Students cramming for finals can find an edge at their friendly, neighborhood c-store.

Hey college students! Feeling stressed? Summer is right around the corner, you know, but yeah, we get it . . . it’s finals time. Gotta get through that first. And you need every little edge you can, whether it’s fueling up with snacks, sipping your favorite mind-sharpening beverage, getting last minute supplies, or finding ways to de-stress between cramming sessions. Some of you lucky ones may even get a care package from family and friends, packed with goodies.

Those that take an interest in knowing what students need best at finals time willingly post their ideas on the internet, like this humorous one from a student at State University New York (SUNY) and this list emphasizing healthy snacks from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Parents can also find tips on what to place in a college finals care package, if they so choose.

Looking at these kinds of posts, patterns emerge. For one thing, a lot of the stuff that shows up on these lists can be found at your friendly neighborhood convenience store. Coffee, candy, nuts, and energy drinks are all standards, as you might expect, together with fruit, smoothies, trail mix, veggies and hummus, packaged snack meats, and a wide range of other merchandise that the best of today’s convenience stores offer.

In fact, successful convenience stores have long known that college students are a target demographic that can boost profits, as this article from the archives of Convenience Store News attests. And here’s a look at CSD’s summary of the three ways modern college students use convenience stores.

Of course, there isn’t always time to jump in the car or walk into town to load up on necessities during the rush of finals (or wait around for delivery), which is one reason state-of-the-art convenience stores keep popping up on campus, often more than one: the University of Texas at Austin has four.

Because they can focus on a specific slice of demographics—college students—merchandise can be targeted effectively to their consumer base. Some sites are adjacent to other buildings, maybe a student union or lounge, which provides space for students to discuss classwork, rest, or even nap, all of which are at least somewhat necessary for finals. Savvy retailers are also starting to incorporate market wide trends such as student-specific loyalty, creating even more enthusiasm for their stores that serve students.

Of course, whether you’re an c-store operator that is actually on campus or in a small town that is home to one, you’ll want to make sure that your merchandise is addressing the needs of your student consumer base. SSCS is expert at making sure your store does exactly that, through our Inventory Management suite of programs and hand-held scanning options. Give us a call at 1-800-972-7727.