For the first time in 24 years I will not be joining the industry at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show this year in Las Vegas as the COVID pandemic has claimed yet another industry gathering. On paper, it’s just another show in a long line of canceled conferences since March, but in…

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, c-stores began adjusting their business practices to hold on to foodservice customers in the midst of state lockdowns, like adding curbside pickup and delivery services, if they didn’t already have those options in place. Many c-stores, accustomed to providing the best packaging for instant dashboard dining, began adjusting takeout options…

By Frank Beard, director of Safe Shop/Director of Special Projects for CStore Decisions, and Brandon Lawrence, fuel consultant Fuel and convenience retailing are at a crossroads. Concerns have been raised for years about the long-term outlook of motor fuels demand, and the COVID-19 pandemic is providing a glimpse of what that future might look like.…

  The roller grill. The convenience store staple that has brought hungry consumers more and better choices light years beyond the one-dimensional. Thanks to the roller grill, c-store hot lunch, dinner and snack customers now have cheesy, spicy, crunchy and even sweet options. With the addition over the last several years of international offerings like…

The winds of change can happen suddenly. One of the worst days of my life was learning that my mother had a stroke at the age of 58. I was 23 at the time, and was hardly prepared for a shock to my family that early in life. Forty-eight hours later, she was pronounced dead.…

Raise your hand if you had the word “pandemic” in your 2020 strategic plan.  In a matter of a week, the world rapidly changed last spring. The pandemic is reaching further than any key worldwide event in the last several decades. How we interact with one another, how business is conducted, where we live and…

Let’s face it: Building a new convenience location is exciting. Exhilarating, in fact. There’s no shortage of details to keep one busy in creating something from the ground up. It’s a task that makes for an enormous punch list. But once the location is chosen, financing secured, a reputable contractor starts putting the finishing touches…

  Major players in the cannabidiol (CBD) industry are going full speed ahead on innovation despite growing economic uncertainty for consumers. Innovation in dosage and ingredients are helping to keep CBD brands top-of-mind, attract holistic wellness seekers, and offer easier-to-understand products for a growing consumer base that is turning to CBD to manage stress and…

  From time to time, we all lose a bit of our enthusiasm. Running a successful convenience operation with all of its complexities can wear down even the toughest of us – even more so in time of a chaotic pandemic. Sometimes, we aren’t even aware that our enthusiasm is lagging a bit until we…

The COVID-19 pandemic has made customers hyperaware of physical touch points while shopping, so it comes as no surprise that retailers across verticals have seen substantially more customers opting to use their digital commerce experience (DCXs). For many c-stores offering a digital experience today, their DCX consists of an online ordering interface, SMS or email…