Disruption paves the way for new ideas, whether we’re talking about the invention of the light bulb or the way flavor regulations are leading to innovation in and around the tobacco category. Thomas Edison invented the first commercially successful light bulb in 1879. It changed the way we live. Bright indoor lighting allowed people to…
2023 Best New Store Design Awards
WINNER: Simon Xpress Simon Xpress, a family tribute, features a modern, clean look with a high ceiling and a glass front. Convenience stores are increasingly renovating and experimenting with store design. CStore Decisions is recognizing Simon Xpress with a “Best New Store Design Award” for its clean, upscale and modern design, complete with a dedicated…
Cain Brings Classic Culinary Skills to Wally’s
Convenience stores are always coming up with ways to create new and fresh food items for consumers. In order to make these food options possible, c-stores are bringing in chefs with diverse culinary backgrounds. CStore Decisions caught up with Lute Cain, executive chef at Wally’s, which operates two stores in Illinois and Missouri, and got…
Best Foodservice Launch Awards
WINNER: Cumberland Farms EG America’s new Ria’s Pizzeria concept offers its Cumberland Farms customers new foodservice options, from specialty whole pies to pizza by the slice to proprietary sweet and savory snacks. Foodservice programs at convenience stores are increasingly expanding, to the point where many are starting to rival the quick-service restaurant (QSR) space. With…
The 2023 Foodservice Report
Foodservice evolution sits at the top of the docket for many convenience stores in 2023 as retailers brace against declining fuel volumes, volatile gas prices and a shift toward electric vehicle (EV) charging, all of which make foodservice crucial for driving traffic and creating new revenue streams. Meanwhile, retailers and industry experts agree that inflation…
Time Mart Rebrands to Movement Fuels
Time Mart, which operates 35 c-stores in the greater Houston and Austin, Texas, area, is embarking on a chain-wide rebranding, becoming Movement Fuels. Along with the new name, Time Mart is updating its c-stores — inside and out — giving them a unified fresh and modern look that’s unique to its chain. Currently, all of…
Evolve Your Loyalty Strategy
During the pandemic, quick-service restaurants (QSRs) leaned heavily into online and mobile ordering technologies. At first, restaurants needed online ordering platforms simply to stay afloat — but with that foundational architecture now in place, they are turning their attention to creating hyper-personalized experiences curated by way of data-heavy loyalty strategies. While QSRs were struggling to…
Focusing on Food Safety
As they double-down on foodservice programs, c-stores must work to integrate food safety best practices. CStore Decisions spoke with Jessica Greeno, food safety specialist for Waltham, Mass.-based Global Partners, to learn how she’s approaching food safety at the company’s more than 530 c-stores that include chains Alltown, Alltown Fresh, Xtramart and Jiffy Mart. CStore Decisions…
Foodservice Continues to Drive Traffic
Thanks to an increasingly busy lifestyle, today’s convenience store customers regard food prepared away from home as a necessity, and the industry’s top-quartile retailers have benefited handsomely from meeting the growing demand for fresh foods. For the past decade, the convenience store industry has consistently posted yearly sales gains in foodservice. Retailers are to be…
RetailROI’s Super Saturday, NRF Big Show Highlight People-Driven Retail
Two retail technology events — Retail Orphan Initiative’s (RetailROI) Super Saturday and The National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show— kicked off on the same weekend, Jan. 13-14, and both were all about “the people.” The kickoff to RetailROI’s Super Saturday at Microsoft’s Times Square office set the stage for the NRF 2023 Retail’s Big Show.…