The Wall Street Journal got it right in its recent look at the growing importance of mobile apps in foodservice headlined The Future Is Everything in About an Hour. And the pandemic didn’t help any. Convenience store shoppers have always wanted things fast, and when you add to that the desire to avoid in-person contact…

In just 365 days, the world as we knew it transformed. 2020 started with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to stockpiling, the closing of businesses, information and misinformation overload, pain and panic. More than a year later, consumers are still in the process of re-balancing and re-establishing new behaviors and routines, and…

During the health crisis, more people have become “foodies” with cravings for their favorite summer comfort food and longing for the days of eating down the Jersey Shore and at outdoor festivals. “We’ve definitely seen greater consumer interest in fresh foodservice, especially comfort food, during the pandemic,” said QuickChek Vice President of Marketing Don Leech.…

According to AAA, the price of crude oil has increased to $70/bbl, its highest price since October 2018 and is now $23/bbl more expensive than it was this past January. Crude prices have steadily climbed this year along with optimism for the COVID-19 vaccine and the promising impact it will have for global gasoline demand.…

The chill is on this summer as 7-Eleven kicks off another year of Operation Chill, the company’s signature community outreach program, which gives local law enforcement agencies an opportunity to make a positive connection with kids through free Slurpee drink coupons. Each year, 7-Eleven donates free Slurpee drink coupons to agencies across the country for…

For generations, cigarettes benefited from the textbook definition of brand loyalty. Smokers rarely switched from one brand to another once they landed on a product they preferred. The smokeless tobacco segment also enjoyed a similar level of customer consistency. What’s more, smokers and smokeless tobacco users traditionally represented two distinct customer demographics. Although brand loyalty…

For small and independent convenience store chains, today’s competition is steeper than ever. These stores often find themselves competing against large chains with greater resources to implement the latest and greatest programs, especially when it comes to foodservice. But despite the competition, small chains have a big opportunity to grow food sales, if they’re willing…

A growler beer program can help position your convenience store as a destination for beer, but growler programs aren’t right for every c-store. The first step would be to determine if a growler program is even legal at c-stores in the areas where you operate, and if they are, what other rules are required. For…

When managing maintenance for Convenience Stores, we understand it can be anything but convenient! With hundreds, if not thousands of locations nationwide, facility managers can quickly get overwhelmed with all of their fire and life safety issues. That’s where Commercial Fire, a National Fire and Life Safety Provider, comes in. We can quickly help you…

Pilot Co. was recently recognized in CStore Decisions’ 2021 Tech Innovation Awards for its work with contactless payments. To learn more, CStore Decisions Executive Editor Erin Del Conte and CStore Decisions Director of Safe Shop and Special Projects Frank Beard reached out to Tyler Tanaka, the vice president of digital and loyalty marketing at Pilot…