Potato chips are the stars of the salty snack category in convenience stores, accounting for over $1.7 billion in sales, according to a Nielsen research report covering the 52-week period ending Feb. 27, 2021. And that’s during the year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their variety, versatility and compatibility with a wide range of foods and…

Impulse sales are an area where convenience stores hold a huge advantage over Big Box stores. Why, you ask? C-stores are relatively small compared to the Walmarts and Targets of the world, so customers find it significantly easier to find items. Plus, because of that size difference sales associates are more apt to know right…

Jerky is salted or spiced lean dried meat that is eaten as a snack or meal replacement. While many tend to think of jerky as beef sticks and strips, it is also available in a wide variety of meats ranging from chicken, turkey and pork to exotic elk and, wild boar and venison. Fish jerky…

According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the body that regulates public transportation in the U.S., including air travel, it matters whether your CBD products are derived from hemp or from marijuana. The federal 2018 Farm Bill lifted hemp from the list of controlled substances, reclassifying it as an agricultural commodity. Hemp has less than…

Jim Farrell • PRfirst As the owner of a group of convenience stores, maybe you recently opened an additional location and want to let the community know. Perhaps your company earned a “Best Places to Work” designation from a local business journal. Or your team just volunteered for a “Build Day” at a local Habitat…

Convenience stores that are serious about growing beer sales often opt to add a beer cave. Beer caves bring a number of benefits that can help drive sales in the alcoholic beverage category. Better Selection A beer cave can help position your store as a destination for beer. For one, a beer cave allows more…

The fight for share-of-customer by convenience stores to effectively capture sales has never been fiercer. C-store operators that sit back and wait for their business to improve will have a very long road to recovery, if ever. Aggressive retailers that go after sales by working the critical three-mile business radius surrounding their retail store will…

Imagine a business world where resources are plentiful and industry expertise could be available at every juncture. Where decisions could be made that dovetailed alignment in support of your convenience store’s strategic plan. Imagine a world that anticipates your directives and assists in helping to execution your vision flawlessly. This is a business community that…

The term ‘modified risk tobacco products’ came onto the scene after regulators became concerned that tobacco products marketed using words like “light” or “mild” might give consumers the impression that the products posed less of a health risk than other tobacco products. Consequently, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, enacted into law in…

As the line between c-stores and quick-serve restaurants (QSRs) becomes increasingly blurred, and consumers become more accustomed to made-to-order foodservice, the roller grill is no longer a given. As with all c-store segments, operators must ask themselves whether the roller grill is the best fit at their locations. So, what sets the roller grill apart…