At the end of last summer, the alcoholic beverage category at convenience stores was seeing a surge of new product innovation, shoppers were stocking up on big packs of beer and hard seltzer to drink at home, and retailers were combating out-of-stocks due to supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A year later,…
Neon Marketplace Shines Light on Growth
Neon Marketplace arrived on the scene in mid-2020, opening two stores in New England in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic at a time when most c-store retailers were grappling with a deluge of new and shifting operating practices. A year later, the Cranston, R.I.-based chain is finalizing a well-tested prototype design that incorporates its…
The Power of Energy Efficiency
It’s no secret to convenience retailers that saving on costs is crucial to succeeding in an increasingly competitive landscape. Energy efficiency upgrades can turn those pennies saved into pennies earned. The energy savings hype is definitely focused on LED lighting — and with good reason. As the technology evolves and those fixtures become more efficient,…
Caught on Camera
Loss prevention is an important consideration for all convenience stores, but every chain approaches it differently. Marietta, Ohio-based Par Mar Oil Co., which operates 165-plus Par Mar Stores in Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, is currently working to streamline its strategy, said Terri Caldwell, regional director of operations for the chain. Caldwell’s been with…
Sorting Out Health & Beauty
When consumers think of stopping at a convenience store, health and beauty aids (HBA) and personal care items probably don’t rank high on the list of reasons. At least, not until that customer finds herself with a headache and no pain reliever or forgets to put on deodorant that morning. That’s when this often-overlooked category…
C-Store Opportunity: Pet CBD
The pet CBD products market is set to achieve $561 million in sales in 2021, up 30% from 2020, and is expected to reach $1.1 billion in 2026, representing a 15% compound annual growth rate. This was one of the best-performing product types in 2020, aided by national pet chains Petco and PetSmart starting to…
Smokeless Stands Firm
There’s a new type of tobacco customer shopping at convenience stores — one who is more willing to cross over between product families. For example, category managers report smokeless tobacco users now like to mix in oral nicotine products, especially pouches. “The growth in oral tobacco-derived nicotine appears to be coming from multiple categories, which…
TXB Is Putting Foodservice First
Spicewood, Texas-based Texas Born (TXB), with more than 47 stores in Texas and Oklahoma, began its transition from the Kwik Chek brand mid-pandemic and is working to update each of its sites, while also building new-to-industry stores. What really sets this company apart is its deep commitment to quality foodservice, with a focus on freshness…
Coffee Consumers Elevate Expectations
Coffee is the fuel that many U.S. consumers turn to daily to get the day started, keep it going – and sometimes to escape from it. Wherever there is coffee, coffee-loving consumers will find it. They prepare and drink coffee at home, buy it from coffeehouses, restaurants, foodservice outlets, convenience and grocery stores, and vending…
Top Tips for Boosting Summer Beverage Sales
Summer means hot weather and thirsty customers looking to cool down and enjoy the season. It’s prime time to move non-alcoholic beverages while those seasonal customers are in the c-store. These are our top tips for boosting summer beverage sales. 1. Stock Variety Today’s customers want options. To position your store as a destination for…