CStore Decisions caught up with Dora Ocampo, senior foodservice category manager for Waltham, Mass.-based Global Partners, to learn more about her approach to the foodservice category. Global Partners operates more than 300 stores across New England and New York with many different banners (Alltown, Xtramart, Jiffy Mart, Honey Farms, etc.). Of those 300-plus stores, 75%…

Having weathered the dip in sales caused by the pandemic and concomitant withering of the morning daypart, hot dispensed beverages are staging a comeback. The best-selling hot beverage items tend to be single-origin coffees, flavored coffees and syrups with a natural element such as honey. Interestingly, stores are seeing stronger sales behind decaffeinated varieties, suggesting…

In a new initiative to offer a convenient, quick-service concept to the southern market, Lubbock, Texas-based Curby’s opened its first store on Feb. 1. Given that cases of the COVID-19 omicron variant have spiked, the on-the-go service is expected to be well-received. The grand opening celebration of the first Curby’s Express Market is projected for…

It’s no secret that the number of consumers using omnichannel digital tools in their purchasing decisions is growing. C-stores today are responding, offering order-ahead and delivery through mobile apps and websites, and growing loyalty programs beyond punch or swipe cards to include a mobile interface that often features payment options as well as rewards tracking.…

The chocolate and non-chocolate candy categories are both expected to perform well in 2022, fueled by a desire for value, new product launches, a return to pre-pandemic shopping patterns and America’s enduring sweet tooth. Chocolate candy should continue to increase market share, according to Rockville, Md.-based Marketresearch.com, with bite-sized and dark chocolates leading the way.…

More convenience stores are introducing Hispanic menu items to tempt customers across demographics. With the portability of burritos and taquitos, and the customizability of nachos and tacos, Hispanic foods are the “ideal fit” for convenience customers, according to Ann Golladay, associate director at Datassential research firm. Hispanic or Hispanic-inspired specialties are key to many American…

Retailers, economists and parents worried the clogged supply chain would depress the holiday spirit by limiting inventories last year, but other tobacco products (OTP) category sales remained strong through the end of 2021. And as convenience store tobacco/nicotine category managers will attest, supply issues have existed since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cigar…

“The days of smokes and Cokes are coming to an end,” said Jon Siron, foodservice director for Gier Oil Co., with more than 50 Eagle Stop stores in Missouri. “C-stores are finally understanding that they aren’t just gas stations that sell food; they’re restaurants that sell gas.” For West Des Moines, Iowa-based Kum & Go,…

The Black Lives Matter movement has brought a heightened awareness to systemic and institutional racism, and to the implicit personal biases that impact the workplace in far-reaching ways. By now, it has become clear that active anti-racism measures are critical to bring about much-needed change in the corporate world. To infuse diversity, equity and inclusion…

When the novel coronavirus hit in spring 2020, record numbers of people signed up for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  In 2018, 39.7 million Americans were enrolled, and by 2021, that jumped to 42 million. Because convenience stores account for 45% of the approximate 248,000 SNAP-qualified retailers, these developments equated to more electronic…