Brazil is enjoying one of the fastest growing economies in the world along with a booming middle-class population. São Paulo, home to nearly 20 million people, is the “business hub” of Brazil and the most ethnically and culturally diverse city in the country.
Joining this vibrant economic growth is the convenience store channel. In recent years Sindicom (the Brazilian association for convenience and fuel retailing) notes that the quality of Brazil’s convenience channel has experienced tremendous improvement, where the “having a shop only to have it” mentality has shifted to one of “building a shop to differentiate.”
Advancements in store quality are also translating to stronger profits; the average sales ticket also grew 20%, almost equaling the growth in total revenues of the channel during 2010 compared to 2009. Also, as more stores continue expanding into smaller cities, consumer perception is shifting away from a belief that convenience stores are only for large cities.
Common attributes found throughout the city’s network of more than 1,700 convenience stores are:
- Clean, organized and well-stocked stores
- Dedication to foodservice and coffee
- Fast and efficient customer service
- Extended hours of operation
- Competitive pricing
The top 10 in-store categories are tobacco, packaged beverages, beer, foodservice, Bombonière (candy), snacks and cookies, ice cream, wines and distilled beverages, frozen foods and publications. Many Brazilian convenience stores, as well as supermarkets and cafés, also feature a padaria (bakery) with local favorites such as pão de queijo (cheese bread), pão dulce (sweet bread) and misto com ovo (ham, egg and cheese sandwich).
Store tours will explore traditional convenience store concepts as well as emerging formats and unique offers that meet the needs of São Paulo’s broad range of contemporary, middle-class and multicultural consumers.
- Ipiranga ampm: In-store offers include a padaria and the service station offers oil changes, hand car washes and compressed natural gas (CNG)
- Raizen Shell: Convenience store that boasts a new foodservice program with an adjacent quick oil change business
- BR Mania: A convenience store with an established foodservice and coffee program
- Galeria dos Paes: A traditional padaria and an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour for Global Forum attendees of one of the oldest and famous bakeries in São Paulo
- Market Pao de Acucar: A modern, upscale small grocery format featuring innovative technologies such as electronic shelf labels and a self-scanning system
- Bakery Bella Paulista: A new padaria concept that satisfies each daypart with a restaurant, padaria, sushi bar, pizzeria, confections, café, wines and a convenience store
- St. Marche: A small, upscale grocer with a restaurant, padaria and home delivery service
- Graal Motorway Center: Superior foodservice offered by the leading Brazilian travel center operator in food court setting with five proprietary brands, a separate convenience store and café exclusive for truck drivers, and a standalone health service clinic for truck drivers offering a free medical clinic, barbers, podiatrists and masseuses
- Frango Assado: A vast motorway location featuring a famous bakery, foodservice counters, a sit-down restaurant and a convenience store