Meat snack sales continue to trend upward heading into fall, and c-store retailers expect the category to close out the year with beefy fourth-quarter sales. Marketing research firm Nielsen found meat snack dollar sales at convenience stores totaled $1.56 billion, up 8% for the 52 weeks ending Sept. 26, 2020. Jerky sales totaled $564 million…
Best in Class Restroom Awards: Weigel’s and Maverik Keep Germs Untouchable
CStore Decisions (CSD) is recognizing two chains for their Best in Class Restrooms: Weigel’s and Maverik. Both have demonstrated superior efforts not only in keeping restrooms clean and sanitized, but also in investing in equipment to keep customers and germs apart. Let’s face it — it’s tough to keep c-store restrooms clean at peak sales…
Why Safe Shop Certification Is Needed
As a consumer, it’s not easy to determine a retailer’s commitment to store safety. You want to trust that the store is cleaned, sanitized and safe. You want to know that the person scanning your snacks and beverages didn’t come to work sick — and that they have the support to stay home if they…
Finding Opportunity in Lunch
Even amid a global pandemic, c-stores are adding stores, kitchens, new technology and foodservice items, innovating to stay ahead of trends and avoid menu fatigue. Thorntons Vice President Fresh Food Operations Brian Scantland said the Louisville, Ky.-based chain, with more than 200 locations in six states, is rapidly expanding its made-to-order foodservice operations. While all…
Parker’s Honored as 2020 Chain of the Year
It’s 10 a.m. on a Wednesday, and after 44 years in the industry, no one would blink if Parker’s Founder and CEO Greg Parker took some time off to enjoy a beautiful fall day in Savannah, Ga. But on this warm October morning, Parker is already an hour into training on how to use the…
FriendShip Kitchen Awarded Safe Shop Assured Certification
The COVID-19 pandemic has forever changed the way we shop. In all retail environments, consumers and employees have developed new and lasting expectations regarding safety. It’s essential for retailers to provide clear communication about their commitment to safe shopping experiences. FriendShip Kitchen, the retail division of Fremont-based Beck Suppliers, is the first retailer in the…
Tracking Beverage Trends
From hard seltzer and craft beer to kombucha and ready-to-drink (RTD) cold-brew coffee, the c-store packaged beverage category has seen some stellar sales lifts in 2020. The RTD cappuccino and iced coffee segment was up 3.5% at convenience stores for the 52 weeks ending Oct. 4, 2020, according to Market Advantage TSV; IRI Liquid Data.…
Growing Zelmo’s Zip In
Whatley Oil Co., a family business spanning three generations, recently broke ground on its 12th Zelmo’s Zip In convenience store — its first site with unbranded gas that will tout the Zelmo’s brand from the forecourt to the c-store. The Columbus, Ga.-based chain is remodeling its fleet of company-owned stores in Georgia and Alabama and…
FDA Marketing Application Deadline Passes: What Happens Now?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set Sept. 9, 2020, as the deadline for manufacturers to submit a substantial equivalence application (SE) or a pre-market tobacco application (PMTA) for “deemed” tobacco products introduced into the marketplace between Feb. 15, 2007, and Aug. 8, 2016. Tobacco products subject to the PMTA requirements include cigars (except “premium…
Recognizing Employees During a Pandemic
The convenience store industry will always be a people business. For many years that meant putting the customer first — rightfully so, it seemed, since they were the people spending the money. But gradually, over the past decade, the top-quartile convenience store chains realized the value they had in their people and that began a…