Although 2021 may not have felt “normal” as COVID-19 continued to wreak havoc, key market indicators suggest the tobacco category settled back into more predictive patterns for convenience stores. C-store retailers are looking to tobacco’s Q4 performance and the regulatory landscape for clues on what to expect for tobacco in 2022.  Cigarettes Whereas 2020 cigarette…

Street Corner may not be the new kid on the block — it first entered the market in the mid-1980s — but the chain’s reinvention post-pandemic positions it as a cutting-edge, modern c-store business. With a new CEO at the wheel, Street Corner recently debuted a revamped foodservice menu and is aggressively rolling out three…

If COVID-19 weren’t challenging enough for convenience retailers, the start of the pandemic saw an increase in crime, said Sean Sportun, a security expert who’s spent almost 18 years in the convenience store world, 15 of which were with Circle K, leading the company’s Central Canada Loss Prevention Department. “People, it seemed, felt very comfortable…

C-store retailers are raking in foodservice profits with chicken programs and finding the versatile protein helps make them a destination for food, while opening the door to easy menu expansion. Chicken is more than a part of the foodservice offering at Fremont, Ohio-based FriendShip Food Stores; it is the crux of it, according to Kirk…

On Dec. 2, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products Director Mitch Zeller presented a live webinar on FDA tobacco regulations. The presentation focused on premarket tobacco applications (PMTA), the new graphic cigarette health warnings and synthetic nicotine products, and gave insights into what might await the category in the new…

I’m sure everyone will join me in saying good riddance to 2021, and let’s hope 2022 brings good health, and personal and professional growth. As we move into a new year, we are working hard on the upcoming National Advisory Group (NAG) conference scheduled for March 27-30 in La Jolla, Calif. Personally, I can’t wait…

CStore Decisions, for the 10th consecutive year, is recognizing convenience store chains standing out on social media. For the second year running, CStore Decisions partnered with Rival IQ to determine the c-store chains going above and beyond on social media. Rival IQ, which was recently acquired by global consumer and market intelligence company NetBase Quid,…

DoorDash’s recently released, third-annual Deep Dish Report checks in on popular food and other trends across the globe over the past year using DashPass and DoorDash order data. Notably, french fries came in at No. 1 on the top-ordered food list. DoorDash saw an increase in a variety of different fries, including cilantro lime fries…

As traffic to c-stores slowly increased in 2021, c-store retailers drew customers back to the coffee segment with seasonal and unique flavors, a variety of blends, as well as cold-brew options. Now, as the year comes to a close, retailers are adapting to a more consistent flow of consumers, especially in the hot dispensed category,…

Americans who had to cancel getaways and get-togethers last year because of the pandemic are making up for lost time this holiday season. More than 109 million people — an almost 34% increase from 2020 — will travel 50 miles or more as they hit the road, board airplanes or take other transportation out of…