Pennsylvania-based c-store chains Sheetz and Wawa have put rivalry aside to provide emergency relief to some of the state’s food banks, including Helping Harvest, which collects, purchases, stores and distributes over seven million pounds of food annually to the more than 320 programs that feed the hungry in Berks and Schuylkill Counties, Pa. Employees from both chains…
C-Store Shopper Experience and Expectations During COVID-19
A new report, “COVID-19 Shopper Priorities and Experience Survey” by Retail Artificial Intelligence Solutions Provider CB4, offers key takeaways for essential retailers during the pandemic. The online survey of 1,108 brick-and-mortar retail shoppers across the U.S., conducted April 2-5, 2020, shares insights into how shoppers are perceiving their in-store experiences during the pandemic, and what…
Smokeless Eyes Flavor Forecasts, Pouch Potential
If you thought that once the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its ban on most flavored vaping products in January, that would be the end of new federal tobacco regulations, think again. One month later, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protecting American Lungs and Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2020…
VERC Enterprises Opens New Massachusetts Store
VERC Enterprises continues its expansion in Central Massachusetts with the opening of a new location in Webster, Mass. The newest location, a convenience store with a Dunkin Donuts on premises, Gulf gasoline and a car wash, brings the total count of VERC Enterprises locations to 34. The site has been in operation for approximately 40 years.…
Florida C-Store for Sale by Lender Ordered Auction
A former Circle K/Mobil convenience store, located on US 441/27 in Fruitland Park, Fla., will be sold at auction. Maas Companies specializes in the liquidation of convenience stores, real estate and equipment for private companies, courts, banks and lenders nationwide and is conducting the sale. The sealed bid auction deadline is May 28 at 4…
Efficiency Clocks In
While adapting to new technology can be daunting, c-store operators who embrace it can see enormous dividends — for both the company and its workers. “About three years ago, we went all in with technology,” said Chris McKinney, director of human resources at Ridgeland, Miss.-based Sprint Mart, which operates 90 stores in Mississippi, Alabama and…
Legislation Proposes Tax Relief for Convenience and Grocery Workers
Reps. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) and Dwight Evans (D-Pa.) introduced The Giving Retailers and Our Convenience Employees Relief Act (GROCER Act), which would exempt the wages of convenience and grocery employees earned between Feb. 15 and June 15 from federal income tax. Eligible employees would include anyone in the convenience or grocery industries making less than $75,000 annually who work in a…
7-Eleven Opens Hospital Pop-Up Store for Health Care Workers
7-Eleven has opened its first-ever hospital pop-up store at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, the flagship hospital of Children’s Health, which provides access to food and essential items for health care workers and patient families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pop-up store features grocery and personal care products such as take-home dairy, paper towels, toilet paper,…
Love’s Extends Employee Benefits Amid COVID-19
Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is extending a $2 per hour pay increase, temporary sick pay related to COVID-19 and free employee meals for all hourly store employees through May 12. The announcement comes as dedicated team members continue to serve customers during the COVID-19 pandemic and also includes customer-facing hourly employees at Love’s…
Stewart’s Switches to Compostable Straws
Stewart’s Shops recently made the switch from plastic straws to plant-based straws, which are made from corn and are 100% renewable, Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certified compostable and ASTM compliant. In a composting environment, these straws will completely degrade in less than six months. Although the company’s straw usage is minimal, Stewart’s Shops is looking…