As COVID-19 disrupts lives and businesses across the globe, U.S. convenience stores are experiencing different realities depending on their location, but many are already adapting by evaluating new opportunities to meet changing customer needs in the midst of chaos. At press time, California, Ohio, Illinois, Massachusetts and Washington closed bars and restaurants beginning Monday, March…

EG Group and the American Cancer Society have partnered to help drive funding for life-saving programs and services provided by the American Cancer Society. This partnership will take place from Feb. 26  through March 31, 2020. During this time, all EG Group convenience stores across the U.S. will offer their customers an opportunity to make…

The 2020, biennial BP Amoco Marketers Association (BPAMA) Convention and Business Expo, held at Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, Fla., concluded on March 4. The convention focused on the future of the retail fuels industry, how it is being impacted by the fast rate of innovation and how a combination of BP’s global expertise and capability…

As the coronavirus cases pass 100,000 worldwide and 230 cases in the U.S., as reported by CNN, businesses — and especially foodservice providers — are working to set protocols to keep people safe. “The coronavirus/COVID-19 scare affects many types of companies, and in particular those in the food industry. From restaurants to catering and delivery,…

In 2020, convenience stores are enticing customers with increased category innovation, from new beverage varieties to fresh food to mobile payment options. In the year ahead, c-stores are also set to face ongoing challenges, including increasing tobacco regulations, technological disruption and growing competition from other channels on ‘convenience.’ The U.S. convenience channel today is comprised…

Update: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 YEO Conference, originally scheduled for May 4-7 in Nashville, will be rolled into the 2020 NAG Conference, Sept. 13-16 in Charlotte. The CBD Retail Trends Conference will transition to a two-part webinar series May 6-7. The seventh annual Young Executives Organization (YEO) Conference, which will be held May 4-6 in Nashville, is set…

Seven & i Holdings Co., the parent company of 7-Eleven, has canceled plans to acquire Marathon Petroleum Corp.’s Speedway, according to Bloomberg News. Marathon Petroleum had been in exclusive talks to buy Speedway for $22 billion and had been setting up financing for the expected transaction, as of Feb. 20, but changed course this week.…

In time for International Women’s Day on March 8, Shell is becoming She’ll. The She’ll logo is being featured at a station in San Dimas, Calif. – a site run by a duo of female entrepreneurs, who are part of the executive leadership team, and who own and operate the station and are the largest…

As a category manager at Jacksonville, Fla.-based Gate Petroleum, Cole Fountain manages the three C’s: cooler (beer and non-alcohol), candy and cakes (snack cakes), for the chain’s approximately 200 Gate convenience stores in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. He also oversees additional category segments, including ice cream, milk, wine and firewood. He’s responsible…

Peter Kempton, category manager for Westlake, Ohio’s TravelCenters of America (TA), is a re-tail veteran with 25 years of experience that serve him well as he navigates the center store categories for TA’s more than 250 locations nationwide. Those center store categories include ice cream, packaged meat and cheese, frozen/ice, confection, bakery, cookies, salty snacks,…