Erin Canetta

Leading Through Crisis or Calm THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS between convenience store retailers and supplier partners has perhaps never been more pronounced than in 2020. As the COVID-19 pandemic appeared, it waved in sweeping changes seemingly overnight and left retailers struggling to adapt. And who did operators turn to for insights and solutions? Their…

CStore Decisions January 2021 Digital Edition is sponsored by ZiiP-Lab. CStore Decisions outlines best practices on social media for 2021 and highlights the c-stores performing best on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. CStore Decisions, for the ninth consecutive year, is recognizing convenience store chains standing out on social media. If there was ever a year where…

CStore Decisions November 2020 Digital Edition is sponsored by Smuckers The Savannah, Ga., chain is the 31st winner of the most prestigious award in the industry for convenience retailing. It’s 10 a.m. on a Wednesday, and after 44 years in the industry, no one would blink if Parker’s Founder and CEO Greg Parker took some…

Amid a pandemic that’s shifting norms and shopping habits, retailers nationwide must grapple with an economy in flux. 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.,…

CStore Decisions July 2020 Digital Edition is sponsored by Hunt Brothers Pizza CITGO, Charge Up and Dandy Mini Marts head this year’s class of innovative chains energizing and expanding their brands. In just 10 short years, Charge Up has grown from a singlestore operation to a 40-store chain with locations in Texas and Louisiana, with…

Rising sales are boosting retailer optimism across the category, but regulatory hurdles loom. 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 tech forward company is crafting a uniform experience across platforms while leading with prepared foods and investing in cutting-edge technology, including its own delivery service and vision-based autonomous checkout. Choice Market isn’t letting a pandemic impede its plans for 2020. If anything, COVID-19 has increased consumer demand for seamless delivery of convenience products, fresh…

The 12th annual CSD/Humetrics HR Benchmarking Survey outlines how c-stores are responding to today’s human resources challenges, as COVID-19 presents never-before-seen obstacles. CStore Decisions’ and Humetrics’ 12th annual Human Resources (HR) Benchmarking Survey polled c-store retailers — between Jan. 5 and March 2, 2020 — on top HR challenges and evolving practices. Already, some c-store…

CStore Decisions outlines extensive insights on top trends and critical headwinds impacting today’s core c-store categories. 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…

In 2004, the energy drink category was fairly new, but growing fast in convenience stores. Similar to traditional sodas, energy drinks were confined to store coolers. But what if an energy product could be adapted to a store’s front end? That was the question that started the development of 5-hour ENERGY® and gave birth to…