Although 2021 may not have felt “normal” as COVID-19 continued to wreak havoc, key market indicators suggest the tobacco category settled back into more predictive patterns for convenience stores. C-store retailers are looking to tobacco’s Q4 performance and the regulatory landscape for clues on what to expect for tobacco in 2022. Cigarettes Whereas 2020 cigarette…
Street Corner’s Post-Pandemic Reinvention
Street Corner may not be the new kid on the block — it first entered the market in the mid-1980s — but the chain’s reinvention post-pandemic positions it as a cutting-edge, modern c-store business. With a new CEO at the wheel, Street Corner recently debuted a revamped foodservice menu and is aggressively rolling out three…
FDA Director Provides Update on Federal Tobacco Regulations
On Dec. 2, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products Director Mitch Zeller presented a live webinar on FDA tobacco regulations. The presentation focused on premarket tobacco applications (PMTA), the new graphic cigarette health warnings and synthetic nicotine products, and gave insights into what might await the category in the new…
Why NAG Is Right for You
I’m sure everyone will join me in saying good riddance to 2021, and let’s hope 2022 brings good health, and personal and professional growth. As we move into a new year, we are working hard on the upcoming National Advisory Group (NAG) conference scheduled for March 27-30 in La Jolla, Calif. Personally, I can’t wait…
The 2022 Social Media Awards
CStore Decisions, for the 10th consecutive year, is recognizing convenience store chains standing out on social media. For the second year running, CStore Decisions partnered with Rival IQ to determine the c-store chains going above and beyond on social media. Rival IQ, which was recently acquired by global consumer and market intelligence company NetBase Quid,…
‘C’ Is for Community: Meeting Shoppers’ Expectations Around Sustainability
For a number of years, the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) has argued that the “C” in its name could actually stand for community — and during the COVID-19 pandemic, shoppers seemed to agree. This emphasis on community offers important opportunities and challenges for convenience store operators, especially when it comes to meeting consumer…
Voices of the Next Generation
In today’s tight labor market and age of digital disruption, convenience store chains need young executive talent who can lead the company into tomorrow. That’s why CStore Decisions, in partnership with the National Advisory Group’s (NAG) Young Executives Organization (YEO), is recognizing the industry’s next-generation leaders who are standing out at their c-store chains for…
Celebrating Yesway and Industry
I sat down to write this column after honoring Yesway as our 2021 Convenience Store Chain of the Year at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show in Chicago. It felt so good to be out with the industry again and to recognize the hard work all retail chains have done these past 12…
Top Estate Planning Considerations
Congress is planning to make a number of “adjustments” to our basic income and estate taxes, changes that will purportedly impact several commonly used estate planning strategies. That means most convenience store owners, operators, franchisees and executives should get their house in order in preparation for increased federal estate taxes. After months of proposals for…
Merchandise Your Way to a Touchdown
It’s football season, so let’s approach in-store merchandising, layout and adjacencies in the context of football. Guests entering your store most often have a primary need (goal) in mind when they arrive. It’s likely this goal falls into one of three categories — hungry, thirsty or comfort. Think of them finishing the quest to satisfy…