KANSAS CITY – Convenience stores have long been a popular source for snacks. Of late, the alternative snack category has been driving sales and bringing in customers, Food Business News reports.

“As a channel, convenience stores have traditionally been shopped by men primarily, but it’s being widened every day and is catering to more and more consumers and their needs,” said Carl Lee, CEO of Snyder’s-Lance.

Nielsen research shows that alternative snack dollar sales at convenience stores grew 3.8% this year in the 52 weeks that ended July 5 over the same period a year earlier. In 2015, the dollar sales of alternative snacks in this channel skyrocketed 11.8%. Alternative snacks advanced to $2.4 billion in sales.

To keep the category fresh, alternative snack companies like Snyder’s-Lance introduce new products and line extensions. Joey Shevlin, who manages the snack company’s corporate communications program, said Snyder’s-Lance views convenience stores as the ideal testing ground for new products. “It’s an interesting way for us to introduce items and flavors and offerings to consumers who may not otherwise try them when they go into grocery stores,” he said.

“C-stores are really becoming more of a one-stop shop to provide more than what you would’ve traditionally purchased in a convenience store,” Lee pointed out. “Snacks are still a big part of it, soft drinks are still a big part of it, candy is still a big part of it, but you see it expanding beyond that to full-service meals.”

Read more about alternative snacks and convenience stores in “The Snack Attack” from the April 2016 issue of NACS Magazine.