CStore Decisions will be recognizing Chains to Watch in its July issue. A Chain to Watch is a convenience store chain that is focused on growth both currently and in the year ahead. Examples of growth might include rolling out a new foodservice program, introducing a new mobile app and loyalty program, building, acquiring or…
Leading Categories and Team Members in 2024
2024 might prove to be a better year for c-store sales than many had anticipated. As this month’s Category Management Handbook points out, recession fears have quieted, and inflation appears to finally be on a downward trend. The economy and customer sentiment are looking up, and category dollar sales are flying high, thanks to…
The 16th Annual HR Benchmarking Report
In 2024, staffing issues and inflation both remain top challenges at convenience stores. As retailers look to better recruitment, hiring and retention practices, they’re continuing to raise starting wages and improve benefits to best appeal to employees who are feeling squeezed by the rising cost of living. For the 16th consecutive year, CStore Decisions and…
BlueSky Debuts Epicenter Store, Eyes Future Growth
Craddock Oil recently unveiled a state-of-the-art, new-to-industry (NTI) BlueSky Epicenter store, in McComb, Miss., complete with its first-ever tunnel car wash. The new site marks Craddock Oil’s 49th BlueSky convenience store in Mississippi. As BlueSky grows, it’s focused on future-forward innovation. The chain boasts two proprietary foodservice programs, a premium bean-to-cup coffee offering and cutting-edge…
Nuzum Drives Hot and Cold Foods at Casey’s
As the senior category manager for hot and cold foods at Casey’s, Brian Nuzum has the busy job of driving category performance for the hot and cold prepared food business (excluding pizza) and the refrigerated food business across the chain’s more than 2,600 stores in 17 states. His responsibilities include managing assortment, price, cost negotiation,…
The Emergence Convenience Foodservice Forum Kicks Off
The Emergence Convenience Foodservice Forum kicked off at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, Ill., on April 9, drawing convenience store foodservice executives from across the country. The conference began with a look at the changing c-store foodservice landscape. Tim Hand and Bruce Reinstein, partners with Kinetic12, began the forum with an overview of the…
Improving HR Practices
It’s time again for CStore Decisions’ annual HR issue, where we deep-dive into the trends impacting labor management at convenience stores. As costs rise and the labor market continues to tighten, c-stores are facing steep competition for employees from adjacent industries that are raising the bar on what attractive wages and benefits can look like…
Battling Today’s Staffing Challenges
In 2024, staffing issues and inflation both remain top challenges at convenience stores. As retailers look to better recruitment, hiring and retention practices, they’re continuing to raise starting wages and improve benefits to best appeal to employees who are feeling squeezed by the rising cost of living. For the 16th consecutive year, CStore Decisions and…
Disney Brings HR Innovation to Weigel’s
As c-stores nationwide continue to face staffing challenges, savvy leaders like Melanie Wilson Disney are proactively seeking and implementing new solutions to attract and retain employees. As director of human resources (HR) for Weigel’s, Disney is responsible for nurturing team members; contributing to the Powell, Tenn.-based c-store chain’s strategic direction; and ensuring HR compliance across…
Carbonated Beverages Face Shifting Trends
Changes in customer preferences are stirring up the carbonated soft drink (CSD) category as shoppers increasingly seek health-conscious beverages, increased innovation and influencer-driven brands. In convenience stores, carbonated beverage dollar sales grew 7.4% to $10.7 billion, with help from price per unit increases (up 6.4%), even as unit sales fell flat (up 0.9%) for the…