LONDON – The slow economic recovery in Europe hasn’t delivered as much positivity as consumers had expected and they remain cautious, having changed their shopping behavior over the past few years. As in the United States, shoppers have grown increasingly focused on value, cost and convenience — attributes that have sparked expansion in the discount trade channel, according to an article on The Financial website.

The article explains that with recovery still some way off, a new race to drive consumer packaged good (CPG) spend is underway, and this race is developing the modern convenience store. For instance, 70% of shoppers in the U.K. say that they typically prefer to shop for food and drink on a weekly basis, suggesting that many may not visit larger, out-of-town stores. The “modern convenience store” will meet the lifestyle needs of consumers wishing to shop “little and often,” with a smaller grocery range, but more space for fresh foods. The article cites the Nielsen statistic that fresh foods will account for up to 50% of the category sales in these stores, according to the Nielsen Company.

The modern European convenience store will also include a strong “good to go” proposition, offering shoppers plentiful foodservice opportunities, also encouraging them to stock up for meal preparation in the week ahead.

European shoppers surveyed also say they typically visit the same store each time they shop, which suggests that in addition to offering good prices and promotions, successful convenience retailers will be the ones that also offer the right ranges, shopping ease and fresh foods. This will, in turn, lead to repeat visits and a larger share of the consumer’s wallet.