CStore Decisions’ Executive Editor Erin Del Conte speaks with Jeremie Myhren, chief information officer for Rockford, Ill.-based Road Ranger convenience stores, and the chairman of the Young Executives Organization (YEO) about blockchain. Blockchain was invented in 2008 in response to the financial crisis. But what exactly is it, how does it work and what do…

Tang Mart is standing out in Alabama. The four-store chain, based in Gadsden, Ala., is reimaging its locations to incorporate its playful Tang Mart brand design. It recently launched a new bean-to-cup coffee program, and it’s strategizing to expand its foodservice program and double its store count in the next five years. Releasing the Dragon…

As early as February, Raymond Huff predicted COVID-19 would impact his Russell’s Convenience Stores business. What he didn’t anticipate was a whopping 85% drop in sales when states locked down. The president of Denver-based HJB Convenience Corp., parent company of Russell’s, Huff has spent his career surmounting impossible challenges, but the economic fallout due to…

CStore Decisions magazine is recognizing Charge Up convenience stores as a Chain to Watch in the year ahead. CStore Decisions Executive Editor Erin Del Conte speaks with young executive entrepreneur Irfan Tejani, the president and CEO of Tejani Holdings Inc., the parent company of Charge Up, about his path in growing Charge Up from one…

In just 10 short years, Charge Up has grown from a single-store operation to a 40-store chain with locations in Texas and Louisiana, with a goal of reaching 50 sites by 2021. Young executive entrepreneur Irfan Tejani, the founder, president and CEO of Tejani Holdings Inc., the parent company of Charge Up, has his eye…

The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in March altered plans and beverage resets and impacted sales at convenience stores — for better or worse, depending on a store’s location. “As COVID-19 began to restrict, or entirely eliminate, daily routines, convenience sales and trips declined,” said Greg Doonan, communications manager of Nielsen. “Within the beverage space,…

CStore Decisions’ Executive Editor Erin Del Conte speaks with Steve Gu, CEO and co-founder of AiFi, to learn more about NanoStore and the future of autonomous checkout. AiFi designed and built the NanoStore — a fully automated, container-sized, checkout-free store that spans 160 square feet to showcase its platform. NanoStore is currently deployed with partners…

Tobacco sales have proved a bright spot for many convenience stores during the COVID-19 pandemic, but while c-stores anticipate robust tobacco sales for the remainder of 2020, retailers are bracing for the potential chill of regulatory headwinds. As the pandemic first hit the U.S., many customers began hoarding tobacco products — particularly cartons of cigarettes…

As the COVID-19 pandemic rolled across the U.S., convenience stores with frictionless checkout or order-ahead options found themselves ahead of the curve in adapting to social distancing requirements while still providing timely service to customers. When the pandemic hit, Baltimore, Md.-based High’s was already offering Skip frictionless checkout at the majority of its locations, as…

CStore Decisions’ Executive Editor Erin Del Conte speaks with Tanner Krause, president of Des Moines, Iowa-based Kum & Go, which operates more than 400 convenience stores in 11 states. Following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and the resulting outcry and protests across the country, a lot of businesses are asking questions, including…