The Convenience Foodservice Vision Group (CFVG) has released its latest Vision Report, “Convenient Health Trends: Meeting Consumer Demands in Modern Eating,” examining evolving consumer motivations, the effects of GLP-1 drug use, health-driven eating patterns, and strategic foodservice approaches that align with modern lifestyle demands across convenience stores and foodservice operations.

The CFVG virtual meeting, held on February 2, 2026, was facilitated by Richard Poye, COO of Food Trends Think Tank, and featured a presentation by Suzy Badaracco, president of Culinary Tide, entitled “Everyday Health, Real Life: How Convenience Stores Fit into Modern Eating.” A robust discussion with CFVG members and guests followed.

Key takeaways in the report include:

  • Meeting Consumer Demands in Modern Eating: Modern consumers are driven by discovery, authenticity, and nostalgia rather than traditional comfort foods alone. Different consumer groups have distinct daypart needs, from protein-rich hand-held breakfasts for morning commuters to fast-digesting protein snacks for fitness enthusiasts and family-friendly sharables for afterschool fuel. “Consumers shop by health goals and dayparts, not nutrition categories. So, the same mom who is on the go and getting to work in the morning could also be later going to the gym. The same human can be two different groups or three different groups, so it’s not a clear division,” said Suzy Badaracco, president of Culinary Tide.

 

  • Product Development Approaches and Innovation: Retailers are pursuing diverse innovation strategies including strategic pricing through loyalty programs, quality ingredient emphasis, product development that balances premium ingredients with operational efficiency, and expanded fresh food offerings while minimizing traditional convenience store items. “Our focus as a company is just fresh. We want to be fresh. When you walk in that store, we want you to know that we’re fresh,” said Richard Cashion, COO of Curbys.

 

  • GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs and Their Impact on Consumer Food Choices: In addition to coverage in the CFVG Views section, a special section, “VGN’s Deeper Dive Into GLP-1s,” shares additional research that may be of interest. Research shows a small portion of the total population uses GLP-1 drugs at any given time, and over half discontinue within the first year primarily due to gastrointestinal side effects. This nuance suggests retailers focus on attracting multiple health-conscious consumer segments wanting high-protein, lower-calorie products rather than marketing specifically to GLP-1 users. “So, we’re convenience stores. And when you think about food in convenience stores, the reason we have meal replacement bars and some of these other things is because we’re a convenience store. I can see restaurants have to address GLP-1s, but we address GLP-1s in the other parts of the store. Schultz [Hartgrove] and I have been selling protein bars since the early ‘90s, and the person that would go to [a convenience store] in Virginia would get a fried chicken and he’d put his protein bar in his pocket because it’s a convenience store,” says Wes Stone, CEO of Ultimate Sales.

 

  • Authenticity, Nostalgia, and Creative Targeting: To stay trendy, new flavors and styles can be appealing. But food authenticity demands genuine storytelling with regional identification and ingredients from specific areas as globally aware consumers will hold retailers accountable for inauthentic items. Conversely, younger generations prefer simple, clean labels and are more willing to try creative convenience store offerings without stigma, though retailers should note that healthy labeling can alienate Gen Z and Millennial males. “I do think the younger generation is more creative and willing to take risks. I think they’re not afraid of gas station food. It doesn’t matter if the pizza came out of our convenience store or a Pizza Hut or something similar down the road,” said Stephanie Galentine, COO of Lassus Bros. Oil, Inc.

 

  • Protein-Focused Menu Development and Labeling Strategies: Protein-focused products appeal to multiple consumer segments including diabetics, fitness enthusiasts, and weight-conscious shoppers, with retailers finding success highlighting protein amounts in signage and marketing, particularly with female demographics. “On the headers of our hot cases, on every item that we offer, we are calling out specifically how much protein are in those items…we don’t want the consumer to have to think if something’s high protein, if they are on any kind of diet, whatever that may be,” said Jenna Mesirow, senior category manager at Loop Neighborhood.

 

This new online Vision Report format includes the must-read ‘CFVG Views’ summary, easily digestible Key Takeaways, VGN’s Deeper Dive into GLP-1s resource, and Suzy Badaracco’s presentation video and slides.

To download this and other Vision Group Network Vision Reports, please CLICK HERE.