Wheat Thins has added the zesty flavor of Sundried Tomato and Basil to its vending lineup to help operators capture additional sales from the 81% of consumers (according to International Food Information Council Food and Health Surveys 2006-2009) trying to incorporate more whole grains into their diets. Wheat Thins Sundried Tomato & Basil features a…
Lessons in Retail Leadership
Despite fast-changing customer expectations, shortened product and retail life cycles and rapid technological advancements, many retailers have not taken advantage of opportunities to innovate. By applying new perspectives to established ways of doing business, convenience store retailers can strengthen their competitive and financial positions, improve the customer experience and create a new life cycle of…
Chocolate Sales Boost Confections
Despite the weak economy, consumers continue to indulge in candy. By Joe Bush, Contributing Editor. The confectionery retail market has grown across all trade channels, but convenience stores have outpaced the overall retail market. Iconic brands (Hershey, Nestlé, Mars) prowl the chocolate landscape and provide consumers an affordable indulgence in a bitter economy. According to…
Driving OTP Sales
While cigar sales do not approach those of cigarettes, they offer convenience stores better margins. Plus, new flavors and competitive pricing are keeping customers interested in the category. By Joe Bush, Contributing Editor. Other tobacco products (OTP) in general and cigars in particular continue to earn more shelf space in convenience stores, and the higher…
Tedeschi Introduces New Advertising and Promotions Manager
Arscott to help Tedeschi showcase its fresh, healthy food concepts as it looks to draw new customer demographics. Tedeschi Food Shops welcomes Mary Arscott to its sales and marketing team. In her new role as advertising and promotions manager, Arscott now oversees all advertising and marketing functions, including promotions, media relations, traditional and digital advertising,…
Service Reigns Supreme
There is no greater ally for convenience store owners than their supplier partners. When retailers boost sales and satisfy their customers, everyone in the supply chain benefits. When Convenience Store Decisions launched its Reader’s Choice Awards four years ago, our premise was simple: To find out just who retailers identified as their top supplier partners.…
Energy Drinks Holding Strong
Energy Crash Ahead? Driven by studies that demonstrate the adverse impacts high levels of caffeine have, a “truth-in-labeling” movement is gaining strength that may strongly impact energy drink retailers from Maine to California and could raise liability issues for the fastest-growing products in the cold vault.Because energy drinks are marketed as dietary supplements rather than…
Meat Snacks / Jerky
TOP PERFORMERS Jack Links Beef Jerky Slim Jim (ConAgra Foods Inc.) Pemmican (ConAgra Foods Inc.) HONORABLE MENTIONS Gardetto’s (General Mills) Keebler (Kellogg Co.) Accounting for $836 million in sales at convenience stores last year, meat snacks seem to be a category tailor-made for convenience consumers. Jerky is a quintessential impulse item that appeals greatly to…