C-stores are expanding mobile and contactless payment options for customers in 2023 as they look to stay at the forefront of electronic payment innovation. “Currently, we are witnessing a rise in contactless payments and biometric technology in the c-store industry,” said Suraz Kayastha, information officer for Quick Track, which operates more than 114 stores across…
Car Washes Continue to Thrive
With consumers back on the go and needing a clean vehicle, car washes are expected to be popular with drivers in 2023. C-store chains are looking to grow their car wash operations in the year ahead, in terms of both new locations and services, to meet growing customer demand. After the COVID-19 pandemic caused many…
Building Relationships for Success
The young employees of today are the future business leaders of tomorrow. As leaders, we have an obligation to help our future by training and mentoring tomorrow’s leaders today. This is the goal of the Young Executives Organization (YEO). YEO’s mission is to cultivate young talent in the convenience store and petroleum industry through implementation…
Fresh Is Key for Sandwiches
Sandwiches give c-stores opportunities for innovation, with multiple options available in terms of sandwich types and toppings. At Neon Marketplace, which has seven sites in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, customers can choose from customizable grinders, signature sandwiches, grilled or fried chicken sandwiches and burgers. “I’m really seeing (sandwiches) expand to things that you might get…
Spice, Flavor Combinations Saturate the Salty Set
Salty snack sales have grown in the c-store space despite out-of-stocks. 2023 is expected to continue the trend with innovations and exploration into popular flavors. “Spicy continues to trend, which we do not anticipate going away with 2023,” said Rebecca Gregory, center store category manager, Weigel’s, which operates 73 stores in east Tennessee. Randy Adams,…
C-Stores See Rise in Gift Card Sales
Customers are increasingly turning to gift cards and prepaid cards. The global gift card market is expected to reach $2.1 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.3% from 2022 to 2030, according to Next Move Strategy Consulting. Still, the recent “Gift Solutions: 20th Annual Prepaid Consumer Insights Survey” by…
Brooks Bolsters Success at Nouria
What started as a part-time position at a gas station in high school turned into a successful and vital role as a category manager at Worcester, Mass.-based Nouria Energy for Ben Brooks, whose convenience store/petroleum industry career spans roughly 25 years. As Nouria’s category manager of cigarettes, other tobacco products (OTP), automotive, lottery and store…
Sheppard Enhances the Tobacco Backbar
2022 and the beginning of 2023 have been challenging for the tobacco and cannabidiol (CBD) categories. From flavored tobacco bans to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) trying to find a new way to regulate the use of CBD in food and supplements, these two categories can’t seem to catch a break. However, Victoria Sheppard,…
The 2023 Category Management Handbook
Some are coining 2023 a year of revival and reset. Customer routines and habits are still altered after three years of the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, but experts agree that customers are ready — for real this time — to get back to life as usual. Euromonitor International pointed out that “Revived Routines” is a major…
What Will 2023 Mean for Your Business?
Raise your hand if you included the word “pandemic” in your 2020 business plan. Yeah, me neither. I went from traveling 200,000 miles in 2019, to not getting on a plane for 18 months. Today, my business is conducted via Zoom or Microsoft Teams and an occasional monthly business trip. Quite the change. Bye-bye Delta…