More convenience stores are upping their foodservice game today, but the best program for a c-store chain depends on numerous factors. First, retailers need to evaluate the offerings already sold in their operating area. Is there a sandwich shop next door or a pizza place across the street? If so, you might want to set…

A while back, a gentleman who wanted help selling his company approached me. I asked him, “So, what do you hope the purchase price to be?” He looked at me and said, “$5 million.” I then asked, “How did you come up with that figure?” He looked at me and said with a straight face,…

America has been a car culture since long before the pandemic, but the past two years have cemented that status.  At a time when many consumers couldn’t go into stores and restaurants, they relied on their cars to pick up meals and groceries at unprecedented rates — or used third-party delivery drivers to do it…

Small to medium-sized businesses are ready to get their hands on your goods and services. On the first day of operation, business owners may have the impression that their establishment is a roaring success. It’s possible, though, that this isn’t the case. It’s nice to see customers flocking to the store weeks after it opens,…

Should your convenience store embrace third-party, aggregated delivery services? As the pandemic stretches on, it’s time to re-examine the pros, cons, risks and costs. Could the pros of paying others for delivery services, ostensibly justified in net-new incremental sales, be far outweighed by the cons of unknowingly donating your SKU-level sales data to third-party intermediaries…

In 2021, chocolate saw increases in dollars, units and volume, according to the National Confectioners Association (NCA). Sales growth continues to accelerate, driven by more frequent trips and larger baskets. Across demographics, consumers agree that chocolate belongs in a “happy, balanced lifestyle,” according to NCA’s 2021 “Getting to Know Chocolate Consumers” report. Still, consumers’ chocolate preferences,…

Customers found renewed interested in boxed wines during the height of the pandemic. As COVID-19 began in spring of 2020 and bars and restaurants shutdown in various areas of the country, customers looked to stock up on wine. Three-liter boxes of wine became a popular purchase. Boxed wine’s stay-fresh packaging and value also struck a…

Many convenience stores sell beer, but some savvy retailers have made their stores destinations for cold beer sales, resulting in increased revenue. Growing beer sales at your convenience store can be accomplished in a variety of ways. First, know what brands are most popular. According to IRI, for the 52 weeks ending Dec. 26, 2021,…

January’s National Retail Federation’s (NRF) Monthly Economic Review noted the economic effects of the COVID-19 omicron variant. The variant will bring uncertainty to the economy in 2022 and could contribute to inflation, but is unlikely to cause widespread shutdowns or slowdowns, NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said. “Even with the experience of the past two…

There may be no single product sub-category in a convenience store that embodies the concept of convenience as well as travel-size health and beauty aid (HBA) items, which are designed to let consumers sprint through their lives without breaking stride. That’s why it makes so much sense for c-stores to keep them in stock. While…