The evolution of the focus group

I took part in an online survey this week. It was about whether I'd buy "quick serv" food items from a nationwide pharmacy chain. Two things stood out to me:
Clearly they're feeling some pressure from the success 7-11 has had in the category, and trying to expand traffic into the stores - if you're coming in to buy breakfast or dinner, you're going to be much more likely to pick something else up.
Secondly, if you can get people to participate, it's a cheap way to get some feedback on new ideas. They were offering $10, and the it was a pretty extensive review of every category of food you could grab and go.

Has anyone used something similar to get a read on new product ideas?