“Being best in craft beer also means being best in value brands—you can’t succeed by only growing one segment,” says Anheuser-Busch’s vice president of small format sales. Anheuser-Busch hosted a media event for the trade press, Wednesday Nov. 19-20 in St. Louis, to share best practices in driving beer sales, beer and food pairing concepts,…
MAPCO Announces Thanksgiving Promotion
Lucky commuters in Hendersonville and Franklin, Tenn., will enjoy $1 off per gallon of gas Nov. 22-23. By Erin Rigik, Senior Editor Holiday travel isn’t easy, just ask the two million Tennesseans—as reported by AAA—who drove last year to spend time with friends and family. This year, MAPCO and PayPal are teaming up…
Sami’s Quick Stop Gets Innovative
Newly remodeled site serves as a one-stop shopping convenience destination. By Erin Rigik, Senior Editor Sami’s Quick Stop on the corner of East Midlothian Blvd. and Youngstown-Poland Road in Youngstown, Ohio recently wowed customers when it reopened its doors in September, following a major $1.8 million renovation. The new and improved 24-hour location was expanded…
Tracking Today’s Retail Beverage Trends
As carbonated soft drink sales fall, figures show that energy and non-carbonated beverages, such as teas, are growing in popularity. By Erin Rigik, Senior Editor Consumer preferences are moving away from carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) and toward beverages they perceive as healthier, such as energy drinks and non-carbonated beverages like teas, bottled water and functional…
Differentiate With Design
Everything from upscale amenities to drive-throughs can make your stores stand out from the competition. By Erin Rigik, Senior Editor In an era of increased channel blurring, where dollar stores, quick-serve restaurants (QSRs) and drug stores are vying for the same customers, smart store design can help differentiate your c-store over the competition. Pak-A-Sak Convenience…
CSD Honors RaceTrac At Awards Dinner
RaceTrac receives 2014 Convenience Store Chain of the Year. Last night, Wednesday, Oct. 8, Convenience Store Decisions honored RaceTrac Petroleum Inc. as the 2014 Convenience Store Chain of the Year at an awards dinner at Paradise Beach South at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The event drew ore than 200 attendees…
Creating a Positive Workplace Culture
Does your chain tolerate bullies? At the NACS Show on Wednesday, Bob Graczyk, vice president human resources, Quick Chek Corp., spoke about the impact of bullying on employee well being and productivity, and how c-store chains can prevent bullying behavior at their stores in an educational session titled, “No Bullies Allowed: Positive Workplace Culture,” Some…
Is Loyalty Right For Me?
Experts debate the challenges and benefits of integrating mobile payment and loyalty at convenience stores. By Erin Rigik, Senior Editor Mobile payment is fast becoming a reality. More c-stores and quick-service restaurants (QSRs) are introducing payment and/or loyalty apps, and the recent announcement of Apple Pay is being heralded as a game changer in the mobile…
Menu Makeover
New flavors and small portion snacks can add excitement to an otherwise traditional foodservice menu. By Erin Rigik, Senior Editor Convenience store retailers pursuing proprietary foodservice have the challenge of keeping menus exciting and innovative, while still offering tried-and-true favorites that keep regulars coming back for more. Snacks and appetizers are one menu section where…
Living the American Dream
Nachhattar Chandi began his c-store career as a cashier. Today he owns and operates 17 convenience stores and counting. By Erin Rigik, Senior Editor Nachhattar Chandi’s entrepreneurial journey from his start in a small village in India to a U.S. c-store cashier, to a successful c-store franchisee and owner of Chandi Group USA is a…