Art Sebastian — a seasoned executive with extensive retail experience — has announced the formation of a new growth advisory firm for the retail industry, NexChapter. NexChapter serves as a catalyst for accelerated growth in the retail landscape, bringing forth decades of experience through the NexChapter Team and unveiling a mission to guide retailers through…
Sizing Up Smokeless
Smokeless continues to shine in the tobacco category, outpacing other segments in dollar sales growth and unit sales increases. Nearly two-thirds of the 67,000 retailers, including convenience stores, responding to the Goldman Sachs 2023 Q4 “Nicotine Nuggets” survey noticed an uptick in promotional efforts from nicotine pouch manufacturers late last year. That marketing investment plus…
McLane Introduces Emerging Brands Offering
McLane recently announced the launch of Emerging Brands — the latest in the company’s expanded offerings for convenience stores, which allows retailers to quickly diversify their product selection with new, innovative and trending brands. “Consumers today are more conscious than ever about their choices and have come to expect a personalized shopping experience,” said Vito…
bp Announces New Initiatives at BPAMA Convention
At this year’s BPAMA Convention in Scottsdale, Ariz., bp unveiled a series of new initiatives for the future of its fuel and convenience stations in the U.S. The event celebrated the 50th anniversary of the BPAMA and its longstanding relationship with bp. On the main stage, bp leaders highlighted the ongoing expansion and technological developments…
Vroom Delivery Unveils eCommerce Solution, Shares New Brand Identity
Vroom Delivery has launched Commerce 360, a full-stack digital commerce solution designed specifically for convenience stores. Commerce 360 facilitates an omnichannel experience by automating the management of product information and inventory across all digital ordering and delivery channels. Reflecting the transformative nature of the announcement, Vroom Delivery also unveiled a new logo and refreshed brand…
Parkland to Sell 157 Canadian C-Stores
Parkland has started the marketing process to sell 157 c-store and fuel station assets in Canada. The sites consist of fuel brands such as Chevron, Ultramar, Pioneer and FasGas. The company noted that buyers in certain scenarios have the opportunity to operate under the popular c-store banner, On the Run. The bulk of stations are…
Refreshing the Roller Grill
As roller grills beef up offerings with innovative flavors and trendy toppings, they have the opportunity to be an integral part of c-store foodservice programs in 2024. York, Pa.-based Rutter’s has a roller grill in every one of its 85 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia, featuring a wide array of products, said Philip…
Rolling With a Changing Environment
There is an interesting dynamic affecting the roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco segment for convenience stores. On the one hand, the smoking population continues to shrink, so the customer base that likes to roll their own cigarettes, which is already a niche group, keeps dwindling, too. At the same time, an expanding market for legalized cannabis offers…
Just Your Run-of-the-Mill Disco C-Store Bathroom Wedding
Yes, you read that headline correctly. Kentucky-based HOP Shops, a part of Valor Oil, recently hosted a wedding in its viral disco-themed bathroom. For that to make any sense, we will need to take a look back at HOP Shops’ incredibly successful, virally famous and bizarrely effective disco bathroom story. How it Began In January…
Sprockets Launches AI-Powered Screening Technology for Recruitment
Sprockets has announced the launch of “JoJo,” a conversational virtual recruiter that aims to address the challenges that operators and hourly workers face. “Business owners are scrambling to stay profitable with the rising costs of goods and labor, managers are inundated with high volumes of applications they cannot possibly review properly and job seekers are…