As the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues its regulation of the tobacco category, manufacturers are developing products that are less harmful, fly under the government’s regulatory eye and may even help customers quit traditional cigarettes. The FDA announced plans in June to implement a maximum nicotine level to reduce the addictiveness of cigarettes and…

The past couple of years have been unprecedented for the U.S. foodservice industry. When COVID-19 shuttered nearly all of the U.S. economy in March 2020, c-stores were one of the few places left where consumers could escape for a quick snack or a break from home lockdown. As we enter September 2022, there are still…

Your c-store sells the same beer, tobacco, candy bars, soda pop and chips as the convenience store across the street. Even your sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches and pre-fried chicken strips are similar. So, how do you stand out? Progressive c-stores are increasingly more food-focused to increase revenue and attract customers. Over the past…

Champlain Farms, based in South Burlington, Vt., is mourning the passing of our general manager, Paul Trinanes, who served our c-store chain faithfully for 27 years.  After serving as a cook and foodservice manager in the Coast Guard, Paul began his career in the retail industry, working for Honey Farms and Cumberland Farms prior to…

Early in the pandemic, without on-site consumption of adult beverages at bars and restaurants, many Americans turned to their neighborhood convenience stores for wine, beer, ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails and hard seltzers. At Rutter’s, which operates 82 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia, adult beverage sales “reached volumes we certainly never even imagined,” said Sean…

Contactless payments are becoming mainstream in the convenience store industry, as more retailers upgrade to offer the service. As c-store operators consider how they might like to implement new technology, they also need to determine how it might impact data security. During the height of the pandemic, customers wanted to avoid touching possibly contaminated surfaces,…

Convenience stores continue to elevate their foodservice programs, bringing in chefs to tempt customers with menu offerings that rival those from fast-food restaurants. CStore Decisions caught up with Chef James Fry, foodservice director for Dandy Mini Marts, which operates 66 stores in Pennsylvania and New York. Sixty-three of those locations offer a foodservice program. Fry,…

Started in 2016 as a little country store in Slade, Ky., family-owned and -operated Go Time c-stores still give customers a personal, small-town feel throughout its seven locations in Kentucky, with an eighth site soon to come and a ninth store in the works for 2023. As foodservice flourishes throughout its stores, customers can also…

Gilligan’s Retail, a second-generation family business, has been busy elevating its proprietary foodservice offering, rolling out new equipment including bean-to-cup coffee machines and remodeling stores. The eight-year-old company owns and operates 10 Gilligan’s sites in Arizona and two stores in Montana under the banner ‘The Welcome Stop.’ Now, the Scottsdale, Ariz.-based chain is set to…

Cold beverages are known for strong sales during the summer months. By focusing on key strategies, c-store retailers can drive even more sales during the hottest time of the year. Here are seven tips for increasing beverage sales this summer.  1. Implement and Market Promotions Trumpeting beverages and providing incentives for purchase have always been…