CStore Decisions is recognizing EZ Stop with a Best Store Design Award for its new upscale, modern design that drives inspiration from the east Tennessee community. The design debuted at EZ Stop’s new-to-industry store that measures 7,015 square feet and opened on Sept. 26, 2023, in Maryville, Tenn. The convenience store includes the chain’s new…
Buc-ee’s to Hit North Carolina Despite City Council Hurdles
Buc-ee’s — one of America’s most beloved c-store chains, known for its Texas-sized … well, everything — has officially set a course for its expansion into North Carolina. The new Buc-ee’s site will take up a whopping 75,000 square feet of real estate in Mebane, N.C., as the chain continues to greet customers in new…
New Year, New Opportunities
As we enter 2024, c-store retailers and customers alike are keeping an eye on inflation and the economic outlook for the year. As this month’s operations article, “Tackling Inflation in C-Stores,” points out, while inflation has slowed from its high of 9.1% in June 2022 to 3.1% in November 2023, customers seem to be feeling…
Better Cigars and Better Stores Equal Happier Customers
Cigar facings on the c-store tobacco backbar are about to be substantially reduced. As most readers already know, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will soon enact its ban on flavored cigars. It may have already happened before you read this. After enactment of the flavor ban, actual enforcement won’t take place until the legal…
Serving up Success With Servais
Convenience stores that have implemented foodservice programs are well aware of the nuances that derive from cooking in a smaller footprint compared to quick-service and full-service restaurants. In taking on the endeavor, they have learned how to maximize space, which equipment is best for their kitchens and how to achieve success. For those c-store retailers…
Diving Into Mobile Ordering and Delivery
Today’s consumers are shopping more frequently at stores that offer pickup or delivery options, and c-store retailers are responding by zoning in on how to implement these services or improve what they already have. In fact, 33% of respondents to a study titled “Understanding the Food-Focused C-Store Shopper,” by FoodserviceResults and commissioned by NAG Convenience,…
How Top Workplaces Achieve Winning Results
Leadership that prioritizes a people-first culture makes a company a wonderful place to work. Employees feel valued, appreciated and connected, which drives trust, respect and honest communication. These companies achieve higher employee engagement, attract top talent and minimize turnover, contributing to greater overall profitability. When leaders show they understand what’s going on in their organization…
Tackling Inflation in C-Stores
Since 2021, inflation has been impacting consumers’ spending and shopping habits, and as we enter 2024, customers seem to be feeling the pinch now more than ever. CivicScience reported its Penta-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index — that tracks U.S. adults’ expectations of the economy and sentiment on current conditions — had fallen to its lowest point…
Breakfast Rules
Convenience stores understand why customers choose to eat breakfast outside of the home. Fifty-eight percent of consumers who eat breakfast away from home do so because of convenience, according to the “Breakfast Keynote Report” fielded in April 2024 by research firm Datassential. And c-stores know how to deliver on convenient, quick breakfast options. However, 36%…
Legislation Looms for Tobacco
As a longtime staple in the convenience store industry, tobacco has always been a key category on which retailers have focused. In recent years, however, increasing regulations have forced c-stores to repeatedly revamp their backbars to stay in compliance with changing rules, particularly around vape. Now, c-store operators are keeping an eye on the Food…