Seldom does a week go by without someone asking me why the convenience and gas mergers and acquisitions (M&A) environment is still so dynamic when everything else is in utter chaos. We seem to be floating along in an insulated bubble of reality. Whether its divestitures of c-stores or dealer or commercial fuels and lubes…
Navigating FDA Tobacco Regulatory Timelines
Convenience store retailers could be waiting until mid-2023 for decisions on remaining pre-market tobacco applications and potentially up to a year for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review all comments related to the proposed menthol cigarette and flavored cigar ban and to decide whether to draft any changes to the guidance. Federal law…
Putting Packaging First
Today, nearly half of operators consider how a new food item will be packaged as part of the development process. This percentage must grow, however, to keep foodservice humming, considering takeout and delivery have taken a serious chunk of dine-in share since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. Operators are dealing with historically high costs and struggle…
An App Alone Is Not a Digital Strategy
Over the past few years, a number of c-store operators introduced mobile apps with the goal of fulfilling an imperative to “go digital.” Digital, however, is much more than an app; a comprehensive strategy includes data, customer relationship management (CRM), social media, optimization and more. In this column, we’ll focus on five key parts of…
Becoming An Electric Vehicle Destination
Selling electrons is not something that can directly produce profitability to replace fuel margins, at least in today’s environment, and that is no secret to convenience retailers. Barriers to entry into the electric vehicle (EV) charging market include not just the cost of infrastructure but also demand charges from utility providers, where commercial customers are…
Announcing the Winners of CStore Decisions’ 2022 Hot New Products Contest
In the convenience store industry, thousands of new products and services are launched each year. But how can retailers predict which of those new products will ultimately be successful with customers? CStore Decisions’ 2022 Hot New Products Contest evaluated a number of new product launches and is awarding the products set for success at c-stores…
Smokeless Satisfies Consumers
Smokeless tobacco continues to be a steady favorite among convenience store customers, with retailers stocking popular items and offering promotions when available. Smokeless tobacco dollar sales at convenience stores increased by 5.1% to reach $7 million for the latest four weeks ending July 10, 2022, according to Chicago-based market research firm IRI. Chewing tobacco/snuff decreased…
LEDs, Energy Efficiency Take Precedence
Businesses are increasingly turning to more advanced modes of operation. C-stores are using LED lighting and energy-efficient technology to update their locations and realizing financial and maintenance benefits with the switch. The largest benefit (to LED) is energy savings,” said Tara Hughes, senior energy & sustainability analyst, RaceTrac. “After transitioning stores to LED lighting, we…
Independent Operators Persevere
Small independent convenience store retailers are not only grappling with the same inflation, supply chain issues and labor shortages as the rest of the industry, but they’re also having to compete against larger chains with fewer resources. Still, small family chains are the backbone of this industry and many independent c-stores are succeeding today despite…
Contactless Payments Pave the Path Forward
Contactless payments are becoming mainstream in the convenience store industry, as more retailers upgrade to offer the service. As c-store operators consider how they might like to implement new technology, they also need to determine how it might impact data security. During the height of the pandemic, customers wanted to avoid touching possibly contaminated surfaces,…