Universally beloved for breakfast, lunch and dinner, pizza’s the ultimate foodservice offer. And, as a takeout-friendly comfort food that can be customized and easily updated with new toppings and limited-time offers, it’s fared well during the pandemic. According to a September 2020 Mintel study, “Pizza Restaurants: Incl Impact of COVID-19 US,” 72% of Americans say,…

As convenience store retailers look to add cannabidiol (CBD) products to their stores, they’re finding they have a large number of options, which can leave them wondering which type of CBD product is going to appeal to the most customers. CBD is available in numerous forms today, such as edible gummies, oral tinctures that go…

Retaining top-tier employees can be challenging for convenience store chains competing in a tough labor market. Small, independent convenience store chains can find this even more difficult as they compete against larger retailers that often have larger budgets and more robust employee benefits. But there are many things small retailers can do to improve their…

Craft beer has taken convenience store beer caves by storm in recent years. The Brewers Association has reported that retail dollar sales of craft beer grew 6%, up to $29.3 billion in 2019, and now account for more than 25% share of the $116.0 billion U.S. beer market. But what exactly is craft beer and…

They’re both classified as modern oral nicotine products. They’re both tobacco-free. They’re both odorless and spitless. But for convenience store tobacco category managers, there are some key differences to nicotine pouches and nicotine lozenges. Nicotine Pouches Nicotine pouches hold nicotine that has been extracted from tobacco plants and crystallized into salts. The pouch measures about…

Generally speaking, toothpicks are one of those classic utility items that people don’t expect will ever change. But there have been changes. Introduced to the U.S. market around 2013, nicotine toothpicks serve a different function than simply dislodging food bits stuck between teeth. Oftentimes touted as a smoking cessation option, “nic picks” certainly can substitute…

Foodservice is an increasingly important part of c-stores’ offer. But how does one decide between a proprietary or co-branded foodservice program? The short answer: It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. The best course of action is to do your research, and decide which works best for your company based on your size, location, foodservice experience and…

Discussing cleanliness and safety isn’t always easy for retailers.  Much of their hard work happens behind the scenes in ways that aren’t apparent to consumers, and there has never been a simple and effective way to communicate brand standards. This was apparent over the past year as retailers worked to maintain brand trust during the…

When the health and wellness trend first began to enter mainstream food and beverage segments, buzzwords like antioxidants, superfoods and superfruits began to appear on marketing materials and on packaging to attract customers. Now, as a customers’ focus on health, wellness and immunity continues the latest buzzword to hit the beverage market is ‘adaptogen.’ Adaptogens…

This bright green drink from Japan now has a presence on menus worldwide — from Dunkin’ to Starbucks to Peet’s Coffee and more. But what exactly is matcha, and why is it gaining so much traction? Matcha is a type of green tea. The green tea plants used for matcha are shade-grown (or covered to…