Food-to-go (FTG) is becoming a core category for unlocking growth in European convenience. From best-in-class execution in Poland to a race for value in Romania, the fresh, homemade Irish angle and broad ranges in Switzerland, retailers are finding success through noticeably different strategies.

This variety is important. There is no single FTG model that can simply be replicated in every market. Retailers must consider local tastes, spending power and shopper missions. However, Europe’s leading examples demonstrate several common principles: a clear point of difference, strong value communication, operational consistency and an offer capable of making the store a destination in its own right.

Food-to-go is one of our global convenience trends, as retailers increasingly use the category to create a reason to visit beyond the traditional top-up mission. Read more in our report.

Żabka: compact, innovative and iconic

Poland’s Żabka provides one of Europe’s best examples of FTG excellence. Its strength comes from combining an easily understood range with impressive availability across a dense network of compact stores.

Żabka Café offers freshly ground coffee alongside hot dogs, panini, pizza wraps, burgers and meat-free products. These are familiar, on-the-go options that can be prepared quickly and consumed easily on the move. Promotions on hot snacks and drinks support the value proposition without making low prices the only reason to visit.

The scale of shopper demand shows how central FTG has become to Żabka’s proposition. During 2024, the retailer sold 85 million hot dogs, almost 39 million cups of coffee and 19 million panini.

However, its success is not based on range alone. Żabka has made products such as its hot dogs recognisable parts of the brand, while its compact format supports fast choice and execution. The lesson for retailers is that even in a small space FTG can have a large impact when the offer is recognisable, consistently available and supported by clear promotions.

Coop to go: covering health, indulgence and every occasion

In Switzerland, Coop to go takes a broader approach, positioning FTG as a solution across different times of day and dietary preferences.

The morning offer includes a customisable muesli counter with fruit, yoghurt, cereals and vegan options. Later, the same space becomes a salad bar, while artisan breads, hot panini, homemade smoothies and freshly brewed coffee provide further choice. Many products are exclusive to the format, helping Coop to go offer something shoppers cannot find in a standard Coop supermarket.

This creates an offer that stretches from healthy and functional to warm and indulgent. More importantly, the range gives shoppers reasons to return throughout the day rather than limiting the FTG mission to lunch.

For suppliers, this demonstrates the opportunity to develop products around specific occasions, including breakfast, lighter lunches, afternoon snacks and evening meals.

Ireland: success starts with fresh, familiar food

Across Ireland, convenience retailers have developed strong reputations for fresh food prepared in-store. Rather than attempting to replicate restaurant menus, many stores focus on familiar products, generous portions and visible preparation.

Fresh The Good Food Market is a strong example. Its stores combine a large deli counter and quality coffee with chillers filled with freshly prepared meals, helping it serve shoppers from breakfast through to lunch and the evening meal occasion. SPAR also demonstrates the strength of the Irish approach, with some stores offering salad bars, extensive FTG sandwich ranges and deli counters alongside staffed coffee and bakery areas. Broad soft-drinks ranges further support the proposition, making it easy for shoppers to create a complete meal.

The Irish model succeeds because it combines the speed expected from convenience with cues normally associated with homemade food: hot deli counters, visible preparation and products adapted to local tastes. Chicken fillet rolls, breakfast items, sausage rolls and filled sandwiches may appear straightforward, but freshness, customisation and familiarity make them highly defensible.

The key lesson is that FTG does not always require radical product innovation. Strong execution of food shoppers already understand can be equally powerful, particularly when retailers communicate freshness and quality effectively.

Romania: value competition is heating up

Romania shows how quickly FTG can become a competitive battleground. Żabka’s Froo, Profi and LaDoiPași are all strengthening their offers around hot food, coffee and accessible meal solutions.

Froo Bistro places hot food at the centre of its proposition, offering hot dogs, panini, nuggets, fries, burgers and pizza alongside coffee. Its current promotions allow shoppers to add a soft drink to selected bistro products for RON4, reinforcing a recognisable meal-deal structure. Froo has also expanded to more than 300 Romanian stores, indicating that the format is moving beyond a small-scale trial.

Profi highlights coffee, quick snacks and hot menus within its services, while LaDoiPași Extra offers pizza, hot dogs, pastries, coffee, ready meals and more substantial options such as chicken schnitzel with mashed potato.

As these offers develop, price and bundles will become increasingly important. However, competing only on value risks making ranges interchangeable. Retailers will also need distinctive hero products, reliable quality and propositions adapted to Romanian tastes.

From convenience store to food destination

FTG presents a major opportunity for convenience stores to become destinations in their own right. This is particularly relevant in markets where convenience is being squeezed between discounters, supermarkets, foodservice operators and delivery platforms.

The leading European examples show several routes forward. Żabka demonstrates the power of iconic products and consistency, Coop to go uses breadth to serve multiple occasions, Irish retailers turn freshness and familiarity into competitive advantages, and Romania shows how value and meal deals can accelerate FTG engagement.

Retailers should not copy these models product for product. Instead, they should identify the approach that best fits their shoppers and operating capabilities. For suppliers, the opportunity lies in helping them achieve this through exclusive products, simple preparation, meal bundles and locally relevant innovation.