The term ‘modified risk tobacco products’ came onto the scene after regulators became concerned that tobacco products marketed using words like “light” or “mild” might give consumers the impression that the products posed less of a health risk than other tobacco products. Consequently, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, enacted into law in…
Fourth of July Weekend to See Record-Breaking Gas Prices
At $3.09 per gallon, the national gas price average is at its highest of the year and still rising. That average will increase, possibly as much as another five cents, in the lead up to Fourth of July as AAA forecasts a record-breaking 43.6 million Americans will hit the road for a holiday getaway. While…
Shaping the Tobacco Back Bar
Last month, in a National Advisory Group (NAG) webinar titled “The Future of Tobacco: Reshaping the back bar amidst legislative threats and PMTA,” Grier Bailey, executive director of the Colorado Wyoming Petroleum Marketers Association, shared key advocacy goals and considerations for convenience store retailers. “We have to protect — to the degree that we can…
What Kind of Deli Program Is Right for Your Stores?
Renowned character Clark Griswold may not have held gas station sandwiches in high regard, but a lot has changed since he declared, “I’m so hungry I could eat a sandwich from a gas station,” in the 1983 movie “National Lampoon’s Vacation.” Some 38 years later, many convenience stores are now held in high regard as…
Cigars Face New Challenges
The late-April announcement by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it plans to effectively ban all flavors of mass-produced cigars (as well as menthol cigarettes) within the next year sent a loud warning signal to c-store operators, for whom flavored cigars are a popular item. The proposed ban is intended to “help significantly reduce…
Modern Oral Nicotine Sales Bolster Smokeless Segment
Smokeless category sales have climbed at c-stores during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the modern oral nicotine segment lifting the category. Retailers are optimistic about the category in the year ahead, but also eyeing both regulatory and economic headwinds for the remainder of 2021. Sales of smokeless tobacco rang in at $8.30 billion, up 6.4% for…
Yesway Named CStore Decisions 2021 Convenience Store Chain of the Year
Continuing a tradition that began in 1990, CStore Decisions is proud to announce Yesway as its 2021 Convenience Store Chain of the Year. What makes Yesway special is that it continues to cement its presence as a retail leader by evolving to meet and exceed customers’ expectations, all while being one of the fastest growing…
Where Do Loyalty Programs Go From Here?
Few companies were as prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic as Domino’s Pizza. Having built its digitally enabled, off-premise infrastructure for nearly a decade, the company was positioned to thrive in a climate where many customers were stuck at home. The Domino’s app isn’t just an add-on to the customer experience. For many, it is the…
Lighters See Double-Digit Growth at C-Stores
Pandemic lockdowns led to customers stocking up on their favorite products wherever and whenever they could find them, and the data reflects this: Smoking accessories saw a massive 23.5% increase in dollar sales and a 16.3% increase in unit sales for the latest 52 weeks ending April 18, 2021, according to IRI Total U.S. Convenience…
Cigarette Sales Show Strong Rebound
When c-store operators talk cigarettes these days, they inevitably end up talking taxation and legislation. And as America struggles to find the proper balance between individual rights and societal responsibility, retailers everywhere are getting squeezed. But as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, there is reason for optimism as cigarettes over the past year have…