In 2020, the health and beauty aid (HBA) category struggled overall, but sales of hand sanitizers and masks helped compensate for category losses. In a year when people worked and attended school at home, and when social gatherings were discouraged, in-store sales of certain HBAs slacked off substantially, especially cosmetics. There simply weren’t as many…
Winning the Digital Message
In normal times, a digital transformation can take months, even years. But the COVID-19 pandemic has forced convenience stores to change their messaging quickly to meet customers’ needs in these anything-but-normal, transformative times. While disruptor companies like Amazon, DoorDash, FreshDirect, Blue Apron, etc., are born ready to serve the needs of today’s mobile-obedient customers, traditional…
Rusty Lantern Markets Offers Local Stop
A global pandemic hasn’t slowed Rusty Lantern Markets’ expansion plans in the Northeast. In 2020, the Brunswick, Maine-based c-store chain opened three locations — one new build and two acquisitions — bringing its total store count to 18 sites in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. In 2021, the chain plans to continue refining its interior…
Consumers Crave Mexican Cuisine
Mexican is but one of many types of Hispanic or Latinx cuisines, but it is by far the most ubiquitous — and most popular — in the U.S. A few months into the pandemic, market research firm Datassential asked U.S. consumers what they were missing the most from restaurants, and Mexican food was the top…
Best Foodservice Launch Awards: Eagle Stop
Springfield, Mo.-based Gier Oil Co., with more than 50 Eagle Stop c-stores in Missouri, closed out 2020 with the launch of its On the Fly Market pizza program, which features pizzas with freshly baked crusts, fresh mozzarella cheese and authentic Italian ingredients. The program is set to offer innovative flavors and local collaborations, thanks to…
What Will Become of LA’s Gas Stations When the Cars Are Electric?
Maybe it’s a premature question. Then again, maybe it’s not. Last August, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order requiring that all new passenger cars and trucks sold in the state are zero-emission by 2035. The impact of the shift toward electrification is also likely to play out first in California as the state…
Casey’s Helps Provide 15 Million Meals to Those in Need
Alkeny, Iowa-based Casey’s General Stores has partnered with the Feeding America network to help provide more meals to communities in need across the heartland. The Casey’s #HereforGood Hunger campaign helped provide more than 15 million meals to children and families who may not know where they will find their next meal. “The generosity of our…
MAPCO Gives Employees PTO for COVID-19 Vaccines
MAPCO, with nearly 340 stores throughout the Southeastern region of the U.S., announced that it will provide paid time off for its team members to get COVID-19 vaccines. This program impacts the lives of MAPCO’s 3,200-plus dedicated workforce across Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, Virginia, Kentucky and Mississippi and ties back to MAPCO’s mission to help…
GPM Parent Company Arko Signs EV Charger Deal
Arko Corp. — which owns GPM Investments, the seventh largest convenience store chain in the U.S. — announced that it has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Chakratec, an Israel-based developer of electric vehicle (EV) charging technology, to distribute the kinetic storage systems for fast charging of electric vehicles. Chakratec is a developer…
Large Capital Investment Will Drive Foxtrot Growth
The corner store and café concept convenience market tailored for the modern consumer, Foxtrot Market, has received a $42 million Series B growth investment. The round was led by David Barber’s Almanac Insights and Monogram Capital Partners. Backers also include food and hospitality industry heavy hitters David Chang, founder of Momofuku; Nicolas Jammet, co-founder and…