The chocolate and non-chocolate candy categories are both expected to perform well in 2022, fueled by a desire for value, new product launches, a return to pre-pandemic shopping patterns and America’s enduring sweet tooth. Chocolate candy should continue to increase market share, according to Rockville, Md.-based Marketresearch.com, with bite-sized and dark chocolates leading the way.…
Growing Hispanic Food Sales
More convenience stores are introducing Hispanic menu items to tempt customers across demographics. With the portability of burritos and taquitos, and the customizability of nachos and tacos, Hispanic foods are the “ideal fit” for convenience customers, according to Ann Golladay, associate director at Datassential research firm. Hispanic or Hispanic-inspired specialties are key to many American…
OTPs Still on Top
Retailers, economists and parents worried the clogged supply chain would depress the holiday spirit by limiting inventories last year, but other tobacco products (OTP) category sales remained strong through the end of 2021. And as convenience store tobacco/nicotine category managers will attest, supply issues have existed since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cigar…
The 2022 Foodservice Report
“The days of smokes and Cokes are coming to an end,” said Jon Siron, foodservice director for Gier Oil Co., with more than 50 Eagle Stop stores in Missouri. “C-stores are finally understanding that they aren’t just gas stations that sell food; they’re restaurants that sell gas.” For West Des Moines, Iowa-based Kum & Go,…
Embedding a DEI Culture in the C-Store Workplace
The Black Lives Matter movement has brought a heightened awareness to systemic and institutional racism, and to the implicit personal biases that impact the workplace in far-reaching ways. By now, it has become clear that active anti-racism measures are critical to bring about much-needed change in the corporate world. To infuse diversity, equity and inclusion…
SNAP Decisions
When the novel coronavirus hit in spring 2020, record numbers of people signed up for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In 2018, 39.7 million Americans were enrolled, and by 2021, that jumped to 42 million. Because convenience stores account for 45% of the approximate 248,000 SNAP-qualified retailers, these developments equated to more electronic…
Building a Winning Corporate Culture
If I asked your employees, “What’s it like to work at your company?” their answers would largely describe your company culture. How would your employees answer? Would you like what you heard? If not, a leader’s responsibility is to change that. This will be a key topic of discussion at the 2022 National Advisory Group…
Is a Drive-Through Right for Your C-Store?
America has been a car culture since long before the pandemic, but the past two years have cemented that status. At a time when many consumers couldn’t go into stores and restaurants, they relied on their cars to pick up meals and groceries at unprecedented rates — or used third-party delivery drivers to do it…
The Evolution of Loyalty: Rational vs. Emotional
In 1954, American psychologist James Olds and Canadian neuroscientist Peter Milner conducted an experiment to explore the psychological basis of rewards. They found that it’s not actually the rewards that motivate action, but rather it’s the anticipation of a reward, or the stress of desire that catalyzes action. Since then, as a result of predictability…
Mary Banmiller to Receive the NAG Lifetime Award for Convenience Retailing
The National Advisory Group (NAG), a convenience store trade association focused on small, mid-sized and family-owned businesses, has a long history dedicated to helping convenience store owners improve their businesses through education and networking. Through the years, many individuals have selflessly dedicated their time and energy to ensuring NAG succeeds and holds a special place…