Chocolate candy sales totaled $2.66 billion for the 52 weeks ending Dec. 28, 2014, according to Information Resources Inc. (IRI) data. That’s a jump of 3.2% compared to same period the previous year. Unit sales for the same period totaled 1.83 billion, up 0.47% over the same period. Meanwhile, non-chocolate candy brought in dollar sales…

Dairy products like ice cream and milk can prove productive parts of the c-store sales mix in the months to come provided retailers and suppliers are open to aggressive merchandising, flexible pricing and flavor innovation. According to Mary Chapman, senior director of product innovation for Chicago-based research and consulting firm Technomic Inc., 73% of consumers…

Growth has been slow but steady over the past five years in the $38.7 billion business that is the pizza category. By 2019, that number is expected to rise to $42.6 billion, according to the IBISWorld research firm. At LaCrosse, Wis.-based Kwik Trip, the proprietary Cheese Mountain pizza, introduced about 10 years ago, today accounts…

Despite increasing competition from made-to-order items, roller grill is still a c-store foodservice mainstay. And for good reason. In a recent Convenience Store Foodservice report by Mintel International research company, at least half of the respondents said they had and would order hot dogs or corn dogs at convenience stores. “I believe that consumers have…

There’s no doubt that chicken is the nation’s No. 1 protein. According to the National Chicken Council, Americans consume 83.6 pounds of it per capita, more than anyone else in the world. In its 2014 Consumer Survey, the Council reported that 89% of consumers said they ate chicken during a two-week period. And they ate…

Hispanic Americans are expected to make up 31% of the U.S. population by 2060, reported the U.S. Census Bureau. And, according to Forbes magazine and other media, they are expected to have $1.5 trillion in buying power this year, a 50% increase from 2010, according to Nielsen research. The NPD Group forecasts that the consumption…

Convenience store profits often rise higher with the right bakery program. However, figuring out the best route to profits takes planning. Some convenience stores are expanding their bakery beyond pre-packaged snack cakes through proprietary programs or just partnering with the local bakery in town. Some chains have invested significant capital in bakery programs. The total…

Last year, Americans drank an estimated 6.5 billion gallons of coffee, a modest increase in volume over the year before. An estimated 9.5% of that coffee was purchased from convenience stores, said Gary Hemphill, managing director of research for the New York-based Beverage Marketing Corp. “Modest growth” is the description Hemphill used again to project…

Sandwiches are big business for Scott Zaremba, owner of Zarco USA convenience stores in Lawrence, Kan. In fact, they’re so big that he just opened a second standalone shop for his popular proprietary Sandbar Subs concept. Overall, sandwich sales are growing 8% every month for Zaremba at both the Zarco USA stores and standalone restaurants.…

A well-run program can help customers start the day with a smile and bring them back again and again. It can also anchor a breakfast program, serve as a profit center and prove a key point of differentiation—assuming it is done right. Doing it right means starting with top-quality products, having all the condiments and…