Sales Booming in Health-Conscious Treats at Convenience Stores


Adam Musa

“We’ve entered a period of consumer hyper-awareness and activism,” said Adam Musa. “Shoppers want their values and aspirations reflected in the products they buy, and they are willing to pay more for items that demonstrate a commitment to those beliefs.”

Crunchy, health-conscious treats saw big sales growth in the past year, according to Foodsmart convenience store president Adam Musa.

Throughout 2020 when the global pandemic amplified shoppers’ health concerns, convenience-store snacks that promoted wellness and social responsibility enjoyed the biggest sales gains.

“Many Foodsmart consumers aren’t just looking for a quick munchie. They are living lifestyles that integrate concerns about a product’s carbon footprint with vigilance about calorie counts,” said Adam Musa, whose Foodsmart convenience store is typically co-located with his Fuelco service stations.

Foodsmart is Adam Musa’s new retail concept that bundles traditional convenience-store staples like cigarettes, coffee, and soft drinks with healthy snack foods options that consumers might associate with Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.

Foodsmart’s biggest sales gainers between 2020 and 2021 were:


  • Rhythm Broccoli Bites
  • Amphora Soft Dried Fruit
  • Harvest Snaps Green Pea Snack Crisps
  • Hippeas Chickpea Puffs
  • Whisps Cheese Crisps

These trending products capitalize on several consumer demands related to popular diets, social responsibility and even concern about climate change. Adam Musa said that calorie counts are also important to his customers.

“A small bag of Rhythm Broccoli Bites has 210 calories, which is comparable to a typical small bag of potato chips. The big selling points for the Rhythm product are that it contains three times more fiber, twice as much protein and twice as much vitamin C,” said Adam Musa.

In the case of Whisps Cheese Crips, Adam Musa said the product appeals to his customers that follow the Keto diet, a weight-loss program that minimizes carbohydrate intake to force the body to burn fat.

Besides calories, consumers are seeing products that soothe their social conscious.

Rhythm Broccoli Bites boasts that it is made from non-genetically modified organisms. Rhythm’s product also boasts that it is made crispy with low heat through a dehydration process, a selling point for consumers concerned about consuming excessive amounts of oil-fried foods.

Hippeas’ website assures consumers that chickpeas are better for the Earth because the plants release nitrogen back into the soil as they grow. Meanwhile, Whisps Cheese Crips explain that the milk for its products is responsibly sourced from local cows that are not treated with growth hormones. Whisps also states that 100% of its employees at its headquarters take public transportation or walk to work.

“We’ve entered a period of consumer hyper-awareness and activism,” said Adam Musa. “Shoppers want their values and aspirations reflected in the products they buy, and they are willing to pay more for items that demonstrate a commitment to those beliefs.”

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