Way before there were mass-produced cigarettes, there were pipes. Indeed, since the early days of tobacco harvesting and curing, people packed pipes with tobacco, as captured in iconic images of farmers with corncob pipes, sea captains clenching pipes, and aristocrats enjoying a pipe with an after-dinner drink. Over the years, the mystique of pipe smoking…

Foodservice is an increasingly important part of c-stores’ offer. While many food-focused c-stores emphasize made-to-order, hot prepared foodservice, the pandemic reinforced the need for a strong grab-and-go offer, too. According to NACS State of the Industry (SOI) data, total industry inside sales increased 1.5% to a record $255.6 billion in 2020 — despite a 1.6% decline…

A newly proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) would require corrective statements about cigarettes to be posted by manufacturers at the point of sale (POS) in stores where cigarettes are sold. Background In 1999, the U.S. government sued the major cigarette manufacturers, asserting claims under several federal statutes for conduct by the…

Chocolate candy remains a customer favorite, so merchandising the product should be easy, right? But selling chocolate successfully in a convenience store can prove a surprisingly complex proposition. That’s because retailers must adroitly manage a host of moving parts, from meeting conflicting consumer demands to tracking top-selling brands as well as their innovative new products…

Next to baseball, snacking is the Great American Pastime. Cravings for something crunchy and salty can strike any time of day or night. Research has also shown that consumers, especially younger ones, frequently skip at least one of the traditional, daily three-square meals, choosing instead to tame their hunger pangs with snacks. For both reasons,…

For non-smokers, the mention of roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco very well could conjure up images of cowboys rolling old-fashioned cigarettes beside a campfire. But that’s Hollywood. In real life, RYO tobacco sales still roll in for convenience stores because it continues to appeal to young and old, male and female. Technically, RYO is loose cigarette tobacco…

Chicken’s a super versatile and popular foodservice offer across all dayparts. In restaurants, servings of chicken wings were up 7% in 2020 vs. 2019 despite an 11% decline in trips to commercial restaurants over the same time period, according to NPD Group/CREST data. Additionally, total U.S. wing retail sales during the pandemic months totaled almost…

Creating an exciting retail grand opening or anniversary event requires work upfront, but in the long run will make your store drive sales. Still, this can often be a challenge for small, independent convenience store chains who often lack the promotional power of huge chains. But with some careful planning and strategic attention to detail,…

Sports drinks are an important beverage segment in the convenience store cooler case. You’ll often hear sports drinks referred to as ‘isotonic beverages.’ Isotonic beverages are technically a type of sports drink. Isotonic beverages help to rapidly replace fluids in the body that are lost through sweating, while also providing energy via carbohydrates. The drinks…

ENDS stands for electronic nicotine delivery systems. According to the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association (CASAA), the first e-cigarette-like product was submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998 for consideration as a drug delivery device. Despite the agency denying the application, it wasn’t long before e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery…