How will the FDA’s new deadlines affect the e-tobacco industry, and subsequently, profit margins for retailers? By Anne Baye Ericksen, Contributing Editor Ever since Word emerged that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was to assume regulatory authority over e-cigarettes, manufacturers, distributors and retailers have been operating on pins and needles, waiting for the final…

Increasingly, customers expect their favorite c-stores to stock up on their favorite local and regional craft beers. By Anne Baye Ericksen, Contributing Editor This past July, the Brewers Association announced it is issuing a certified independent craft brewer label seal, available to qualified producers. The upside-down beer bottle image symbolizes the upending effect the craft…

C-stores hope consumers choose to beat summer’s heat with cold and frozen beverage offerings. By Anne Baye Ericksen, Contributing Editor Twenty-two years ago, 7-Eleven rolled out “Operation Chill.” The community outreach program partners the national c-store chain with law enforcement agencies to solicit goodwill via Slurpee citations. Over the past two decades, more than 19…

From regulations to shifting consumer demand, e-cigarettes remain susceptible to various factors. By Anne Baye Ericksen, Contributing Editor On the surface, e-cigarettes are performing well in terms of OTP (other tobacco products) category sales. Information Resources Inc. (IRI), a Chicago-based market research firm, reported total sales of all electronic tobacco devices—e-cigarettes and vapors/tanks/mods—in U.S. convenience…

Even though sales of vaping products appear to be on the upswing, c-stores remain cautious about the category’s future. By Anne Baye Ericksen, Contributing Editor Before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2016 released its final deeming regulations that classified vapors, tanks, mods (VTMs) and e-liquids as tobacco products, sales had been trailing…

Could new product releases from big-brand confectioners boost the chocolate category for c-stores? By Anne Baye Ericksen, Contributing Editor Easter, Halloween and Valentine’s Day make up the trifecta for chocolate sales. Not only do these holidays traditionally highlight the sweet treat as a special indulgence, but they’ve become a prime marketing opportunity for confectioners to…

As foodservice garners a greater focus in c-stores, new equipment upgrades are making the category hotter. By Anne Baye Ericksen, Contributing Editor When Parker’s recently renovated Parker’s Market Urban Gourmet, its flagship store in downtown Savannah, Ga., one of the primary objectives was to create the space to showcase its expanding foodservice offerings. “We listened…

C-stores remain cautious with regards to what direction the e-cigarette and vaping industry is headed this year. By Anne Baye Ericksen Between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deeming regulations finally released last year and a bevy of new state taxes and regulations restricting who can sell or purchase tobacco and other-tobacco products, 2016…

Can ongoing price increases on cigarettes continue to compensate for dropping unit sales? By Anne Baye Ericksen, Contributing Editor In early November 2016, Philip Morris USA, owned by Altria Group Inc., Reynolds American Inc., and several other tobacco companies added eight cents to the per-pack wholesale price of their top cigarette brands. ITG Brands upped…

Meat bars forge a unique position in the meat snacks category. By Anne Baye Ericksen, Contributing Editor Every once in a while, a new type of product enters the marketplace that doesn’t neatly fit into an existing category. Meat bars is one of the latest examples of this phenomenon. Although they contain many of the…