The Beer Cave. The separate space – set off from the rest of the interior of a convenience store – that allows retailers to stock cold, adult beverage selections while giving the beer lover and entertaining consumer a space to browse at will. Our continued success with growing beer and wine sales, while impressive,…
Global Partners Donates Meals to First Responders
CStore Decisions Executive Editor Erin Del Conte speaks with Andrew Slifka, executive vice president of Global Partners to learn more about how the company’s network of c-stores is serving its communities. When COVID-19 hit, Global Partners began donating meals to first responders in its communities. It’s AllTown Fresh c-stores also launched the One for One…
Podcast: The Hassan Family Grows Power Market Convenience Stores
CStore Decisions Executive Editor Erin Del Conte speaks with Sal Hassan, president and CEO of H&S Energy, and his son Amir Hassan, operations coordinator for H&S Energy. The family-owned company is expanding its network of company-owned Power Market convenience stores and ExtraMile locations, while launching a wholesale distribution branch, proprietary delivery service, loyalty program and…
Six Ways for C-Store Retailers to Prepare for a Disaster
As if the COVID-19 pandemic weren’t enough, disasters have caused immense destruction in 2020 — wildfires across the West, hurricanes in the Southeast, a derecho in Iowa. While the best time to prepare for a hurricane, for example, is before hurricane season begins on June 1, due to climate change, disasters of all kinds happen…
NAG/YEO Virtual Conference: Tobacco Policy Primer – Stay Informed, Stay Engaged
National Advisory Group (NAG) Executive Director John Lofstock opened the eighth and final session of the 2020 NAG/YEO Virtual Conference with a thank you to all of the attendees as well as panelists who, despite the obstacles presented by the pandemic, came together to learn and to educate over an eight-week period. The session,…
Open Pantry Elevates C-Store Veteran Jim Schutz to COO
Pleasant Prairie, Wis.-based Open Pantry Food Marts is celebrating long-time partner Jim Schutz, who earlier this year accepted the title of chief operating officer (COO), in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Jim has really been running Open Pantry for the last eight years,” said Robert Buhler, president and CEO of Open Pantry, which operates seven…
Exclusive: Parkland to Unite North American Stores Under On the Run Flag
Parkland Corp. has acquired the license for the exclusive use of the On the Run trademark in the majority of U.S. states from Alimentation Couche-Tard, allowing it to create a unified North American convenience store brand, Parkland USA executives announced today in an exclusive meeting with CStore Decisions. The deal also provides what the company…
NAG/YEO Virtual Conference: Blockchain’s Value Is Its Trust Factor
NAG Executive Director and CStore Decisions Editor-in-Chief John Lofstock welcomed convenience industry veteran and Road Ranger Chief Information Officer Jeremie Myhren for the NAG/YEO Virtual Conference’s seventh session, “What Is Blockchain and How Will It Affect You?” Myhren, with more than two decades experience in tech leadership in the c-store industry, broke down what…
Podcast: Speed Mart’s Entrepreneurial Spirit
Viral “Joe” Patel immigrated to the United States at the age of 10 along with his immediate family. By his teenage years, he was working in his grandfather’s convenience store. Now, he and his brother — along with other family members — operate a small chain begun with the purchase and renovation of one store,…
NAG/YEO Conference: Overcome Pandemic’s Obstacles Facing Diners
The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting dining across all categories and demographics, forcing foodservice operators to shift gears and find new ways to appeal to safety-minded consumers who are commuting less and cooking at home more. Session 6 of the NAG/YEO Virtual Conference invited three industry players with differing perspectives of the challenges facing c-store…