That’s a wrap for this year’s NACS Show, the premier convenience store food expo. It was tremendously inspiring to see our design and collaborations come to life with our client Ruiz Foodservice, but we also want to share some show highlights and discuss key takeaways that will be impacting C-stores.
Honey Was Abuzz
Spicy honey has been hot for a while now, but we were excited to see this natural sweetener featured in a slew of products across many categories. Consumers are increasingly concerned about artificial sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup, and other ingredients, so it makes sense that honey is taking off.
The Strength of Protein
With benefits such as supporting healthy metabolism, controlling appetite, and plenty of others, adding and promoting protein in C-store products is gaining steam. Protein popcorn? Yup, it’s a thing — and mighty tasty too.
Peanut Butter Spreads Its Goodness
A longtime kitchen staple of hurried parents across the nation, peanut butter has been making its way into all kinds of salty goodies. We especially enjoyed sampling the Flipz Peanut Butter variety.
Lemon Love
The citrusy goodness of lemons has been prominent in desserts and drinks for quite a while, but it’s now being found in all kinds of unexpected products. Lemonade-flavored potato chips, anyone? The sweet-salty-sour combo was surprisingly tasty!
Put Your Best Booth Forward
We’re thrilled to see food trade shows are back in full force, and it got us thinking about best practices and trends for booths. A key design consideration we appreciated was a more open layout to enhance the flow of traffic through a space. When there are too many stations or “rooms”, it can feel cramped and boxed in. However, just like in more modern homes, spacious, uncluttered floorplans are inviting and create an environment where visitors are more likely to linger or have conversations.
We’re always excited to attend food shows big and small. If you’re looking for insights and strategies for making the most of your appearances, we’re here to talk!