The convenience store channel has long been a destination for immediate consumption purchases. However, the channel is undergoing a bit of a metamorphosis these days. Competition is heating up as convenience stores are pitted against other channels, particularly dollar and drug channels, for share of spending. In addition, two major sources of revenue and trip…
Cardlytics Releases 2011 Transaction-Driven Marketing Results
Through the Cardlytics platform, retailers nationwide are able to present consumers with relevant messages and offers based on consumers’ actual buying behavior. Cardlytics, a pioneer of Transaction-Driven Marketing, released aggregated advertiser performance results at the NRF Big Show. The 2011 results spanned across multiple retail categories. The results demonstrate Cardlytics’ ability to drive large increases…
IRI’s Thom Blischok Keynote Speaker at Retail Technology Conference
Leading consumer trends expert Thom Blischok will be the keynote speaker at Gilbarco Veeder-Root’s Retail Technology Conference, March 8 – 11 at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill, N.C. On Wednesday, March 10 at 8:00 a.m. Blischok will discuss trends in retail and how technology is essential to compete. As president of thought leadership and…
Strength in Numbers
Resilient, tough and tested. These are just a few of the words analysts and retailers alike used to describe the convenience store and petroleum industry over the past 12 months. With the economy suffering its most difficult period in some 80 years, convenience stores held up rather admirably considering how consumer confidence plunged and the…
A Shot of Energy
The “tip of the YEAR” when it comes to selling two-ounce energy shots, said Terry Messmer, merchandise manager for NOCO Express Stores in Tanawanda, N.Y., is to protect margins. “What is happening is that beverage suppliers are very quick to lower the price of the product to get more sales, but we have to still…
Brands, Promotions Benefit CSDs
Concern For CSDs 16 million fewer Americans are drinking sugary soft drinks today compared to six years ago (68% of adults versus 76%). 7.8 million switched to diet soft drinks. 24 million have moved to bottled water. 17 million are opting for energy drinks. 11 million have tried sports drinks. 16 percent of Americans are…
Juices and Teas Bounce Back
Innovation, health and pricing are some of the factors that will help or hinder c-store operators looking to make money with juices and teas in 2010. While juices and teas have struggled over the past few years, 2009 was sort of a renaissance year for the category as both segments experienced sales gains. Overall, for…
Lighting the Way
Making money in tobacco accessories—lighters, cigar cutters, humidors, pipes, rolling machines, rolling papers and even hookahs—during the months ahead may not be easy, but it can be done. Three ways to do it: offer novel items, stay on the cutting edge of trends and let customers roll their own. The payoff in 2010 could be…
Register Now for IRI’s 2010 Retail Summit
Innovation will differentiate the winners from the losers in this crowded retail marketplace. IRI’s Summit 2010 will enable retailers to identify innovative ways to use valuable insights to drive profitability and growth in the current economy, how to understand and predict shopper behavior across channels and geographies and learn best practices for profitable pricing and…