Last year, Kwik Chek began the process of rebranding under the TXB (Texas Born) name. While Kwik Chek did a lot of things well, the company’s senior leadership team wanted to enhance and refine many aspects of the operation as well as change the name and logo, explained TXB CEO Kevin Smartt. “In addition to…
McNeil Advocates for People at OnCue
Norah McNeil, human resources manager of Stillwater, Okla.-based OnCue, which operates 68 stores in Oklahoma and one store in Texas, has found success by taking a people-first approach to her position. She enjoys watching employees grow in their careers and providing an empathetic ear. With 12 years in the human resources (HR) department at OnCue…
Dispensed Beverages Offer Cold Comfort
With two years of pandemic fatigue in the rearview mirror and spring promising warm and sunny days ahead, c-store retailers are preparing for a revival of sales in the cold and frozen dispensed beverage category as customers return for their favorite and new thirst quenchers. Last year, SunStop Convenience Stores and Markets made a good…
Sprint Mart’s McKinney Succeeds With Technology
Chris McKinney, chief human resources officer at Sprint Mart, is championing new programs within his role that aim to positively impact the employee experience at the Ridgeland, Miss.-based chain, which operates 115 stores across Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Recently promoted to chief human resources officer this past winter, McKinney was involved in numerous technology-based human…
Three Insight-Driven Approaches to Great Retail Foodservice
Forward Thinking is in my company name because the importance of thinking ahead is paramount to anything else we do as business owners. Predictive thinking is a strategy for constantly improving. Restless dissatisfaction can drive us to find ways to capitalize on what’s working well and improve in areas that are struggling. In my role…
Marketing Denial Orders Issued on Select Fontem Vapor Products
The National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) in a NATO News Bulletin on April 8, reported on the FDA’s issuance of marketing denial orders (MDOs) on April 8, 2022, to manufacturer Fontem US, LLC for several myblu electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products. The MDOs issued involved the following ENDS products: myblu Device Kit myblu…
IRI and NPD to Merge
Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) and The NPD Group (NPD) announced the signing of a definitive agreement through which IRI and NPD will merge. The combination will create a leading global technology, analytics and data provider that offers clients a view of total retail purchasing and consumption trends powered by advanced, predictive analytics on the IRI…
MRTP: Tobacco Products for the Future
The first authorized modified-risk tobacco product (MRTP) was General Snus by Swedish Match, which was authorized in October of 2019. In July 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the marketing of the IQOS tobacco heating system by Philip Morris with reduced exposure claims, but as of late, due to patent litigation, it is…
What Did COVID Teach Us About Employee Management?
Well, we didn’t see that coming! How many of us would have predicted that for the better part of two years, the entire planet has had their professional lives turned upside down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. From industries that were shuttered to millions of us forced to work remotely, our work lives have been…
Modern Oral Nicotine Drives Smokeless Tobacco Sales
Most market research firms combine traditional smokeless tobacco products, such as moist, loose chew and snus, with the more recent newcomer segment of modern oral nicotine, including the highly popular nicotine pouches. From an analysis point of view, that appears to be a beneficial pairing because it makes the segment a strong leader among the…