With a new store design and a myriad of new company initiatives, everything is coming up roses for Stinker Stores. By David Bennett, Senior Editor The interactive LED display boards now being erected outside select Stinker Stores locations provide customers the latest in-store promotions, cool graphics and crisp digital messaging all at the flip of…

As convenience retailers compete with other channels to attract qualified workers, it may be time for c-stores to rethink their strategies. By David Bennett, Senior Editor The old adage that one bad apple spoils the bunch can apply to numerous things—from pies to politicians. Inside c-stores, a bad apple can impair customer service, productivity and…

Now in its 30th year, the grassroots festival to benefit farmers has grown to become a significant advocacy resource that savvy c-stores might benefit from. David Bennett, Senior Editor Thousands gathered Sept. 19 to witness the sights and sounds of Farm Aid 30, held at FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in Chicago. While concert…

Loyalty providers are meeting customer expectations with innovative programs. By David Bennett, Senior Editor Today, loyalty programs aren’t only providing Americans with savings at the pump and inside the store, but are enabling convenience retailers to boost sales and engage their customers in ways like never before. Loyalty was in the spotlight at the 2015…

Anytime a c-store acquires an existing property, there are various items to consider—from the environmental pollution that might exist in ground, to the traffic patterns on the corner, to the competition down the road. By David Bennett, Senior Editor A popular saying touts that the three most important considerations of a real estate deal are…

Whether it’s by the bite or by the bag, non-chocolate candy remains a staple of in-store sales. By David Bennett, Senior Editor Many convenience stores are heeding growing non-chocolate candy trends by stocking more chewy products and bite-size brand extensions. Of course, c-stores have only so much dedicated space and must be studious in order…

You wouldn’t expect a Fortune 500 company to demonstrate the same desire for building strong retail customer relations as perhaps, a family-owned c-store chain. But with its revamped Alltown Market concept, Global Partners LP is doing just that. By David Bennett, Senior Editor When Waltham, Mass.-based Global Partners LP launched its newly redesigned Alltown Market…

Convenience retailers come and go; that’s the reality of the business. However, some brands seem destined to endure. By David Bennett, Senior Editor Arguably, it’s taken the convenience store industry two decades to catch up to the illustrious White Hen Pantry chain that sprang from Chicagoland. At its peak, White Hen was comprised of 300…

 Drawing Duchess Shoppe customers in Ohio, CSD recently rolled out a products competition that evaluated the latest in snacks, sweets and drink offerings. By David Bennett, Senior Editor Shielded from the mid-Ohio sun by a spacious tent erected in the parking lot, the curious and the eager, the young and the old weighed what goodies…

Cigarette sales have been steadily declining, but the category is too big to ignore and too lucrative to disappear any time soon. By David Bennett, Senior Editor Since cigarettes sales have been slowly falling the last few years, convenience retailers have invested in foodservice and other ventures to help balance in-store revenue—which seems a wise…