Non-alcoholic beer might sound like something of an oxymoron, but it’s actually a growing trend. As customers become increasingly more health conscious, market research firm Mintel found in its recent report, “Beer: Incl Impact of COVID-19 US, November 2020,” that many customers are reaching for low-alcohol and alcohol-free beer options. That’s because customers often perceive…
Car Washes Innovate to Keep Sales Bubbling
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in spring of 2020, car wash sales took a hit as various regions instituted lockdowns and customers took fewer trips, but car wash subscriptions helped some retailers hold onto sales. Now, as more customers return to life as usual, retailers are eying the weather, fuel sales and economic outlook to…
Best New Loyalty Programs
WINNER: United Dairy Farmers (UDF) UDF’s refreshed U-Drive loyalty program combines increased personalization with a suite of rewards perks. UDF revamped and relaunched its U-Drive loyalty program in early 2021, partnering with Paytronix to modernize its digital platform while creating a more personalized experience for guests. “Our previous contract was up, and we were ready…
CStore Decisions’ Editors Try Pumpkin Spice Products
It’s pumpkin spice season and CStore Decisions’ editors Erin Del Conte, Isabelle Gustafson and Thomas Mulloy picked out some pumpkin spice products to taste test — from cookies to hard seltzer to CBD tinctures.
NACS Educational Session Highlights Cannabis Opportunities for C-Stores
In a session called, “What’s New With Cannabis?” Melissa Vonder Haar, managing director, ISEE Store Innovations; Jon Taets, director, government relations, NACS; Trevor Fencott, president/CEO, Fire & Flower; and Chris Walsh, CEO and president of Marijuana Business Daily, discussed the opportunity in cannabis for convenience stores. Vonder Haar shared a number of stats on what’s…
NACS Show Sessions Tackle Product Assortment & Driving Traffic With Apps
On Wednesday, Oct. 6, at the NACS Show, retailers flocked to educational sessions that offered key insights on hot topics to help them better their business. Mobile Apps In a session titled, “Increasing Foot Traffic With Your App,” Jeffry Harrison, owner and president of Rovertown; John Nelson, CEO Vroom Delivery Inc.; and Chase Thomason, CEO,…
NACS Show Sessions Discuss Sustainability, Culture
The NACS Show kicked off at McCormick Place in Chicago on Tuesday with a number of educational sessions for retailers. Topics ranged from developing sustainability practices to growing your company culture to various ways small operators can attract customer attention. SUSTAINABILITY In a session titled, “The Business Case for Sustainability Practices,” speakers Lori Stillman, vice…
Love’s Supports Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
Love’s has been raising money for Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals for more than 25 years, raising more than $30 million in that time. But CMN is just one of the ways Love’s gives back to its local communities. Each store has a donations budget to support a local non-profits and team members enjoy researching…
Tune in for the Conversations With Women in Convenience Webcast
Register now for the Conversations With Women in Convenience Webcast, set for today, Sept. 16 at 2p.m. EST. Kellie Connolly, HR director, Neon Marketplace, and Danielle Gutierrez, senior director of retailer operations, Pony Express, speak with CStore Decisions Executive Editor Erin Del Conte about their experiences as women in the convenience store industry. We compare…
Balancing Alcoholic Beverage Sets
At the end of last summer, the alcoholic beverage category at convenience stores was seeing a surge of new product innovation, shoppers were stocking up on big packs of beer and hard seltzer to drink at home, and retailers were combating out-of-stocks due to supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A year later,…