Rutter’s Farm Stores’ exceptionally diverse menu is expanding to include sloppy Joe sandwiches and chicken wings. Chicken wings are now available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at most of Rutter’s 56 Central Pennsylvania convenience stores. The wings are available in quantities of 6 or 12 and in 3 flavors: original, hot and…
Dispensed Beverage Sales Show Promise
Cold and frozen beverages continue to be a mainstay of the convenience store offering—something consumers expect, enjoy, and increasingly want to tailor to their own individual tastes. Others have noticed. McDonald’s, for example, is making smoothies and other cold beverages part of its strategy for expanding its beverage offerings. Beginning in March, the burger giant…
Hands free water and ice dispenser
Hoshizaki America Inc. offers the new hands-free water and ice dispenser, models DT-400-AR and DT-400BAH-OS. The former features a drop-in replacement refrigeration circuit, ease of serviceability for maintaining ice making/dispensing operation and simple disconnects for removal and installation. DT-400BAH-OS features a self-contained space saving design (21w x 22.5d x72.5h with 6-inch legs) and front in…
Coffee’s Popularity Surges
You wouldn’t think something as simple as coffee could prove to be so complex a phenomenon—or one so indispensable to Americans. Turns out America can see its reflection in a cup of coffee—its economic worries, its desires for variety and small-scale luxury, and even its hopes for a brighter future. All of that swirls together…
Energizing Beverage Sales
Thirteen years after the energy drink market emerged in the U.S. with the introduction of Red Bull, the category remains popular with consumers, who are willing to pay higher prices in a difficult economy for an extra jolt. But while Mintel reported in July 2009 that the energy drink market had climbed to an estimated…
Energy Sales Hold Strong
Familiarity with shifting consumer attitudes amidst a turbulent economy–and the willingness to make changes in the cooler if need be–could help retailers cash in big with isotonics and energy drinks this year. “If you’re intent on raising your share in that marketplace then I think you have to get in touch with who that user…
Competition Brews for Beer Sales
Convenience stores across the country are facing burgeoning competition on beer and wine sales from drug store giant Walgreens, which is branching back into the adult beverages category. Walgreens is adding beer sales due to “a direct response to consumer demand,” said Robert Elfinger, spokesperson for the Deerfield, Ill. drug store chain. It plans to…
Demand Grows for Juices and Teas
Tea Truths The U.S. is the birthplace of iced tea. More than 80% of tea consumed here is still sold as an iced drink. Tea sales in the U.S. are expected to exceed a phenomenal $10 billion in 2010 for both beverage and non-beverage categories, according to Worldteaexpo.com In the U.S., 37% of consumers prefer…
7-Eleven Rolls Out Iced Coffee Program
7-Eleven Inc. today introduced its version of iced coffee with a new marketing campaign that references cup sizes, cheap dates and love at first sight. Available in French Vanilla and Mocha flavors, the new iced beverage met with such enthusiasm in pilot programs earlier this year that the company believed there would be great demand…
Bottled Water Holds Strong
Proprietary Brands Prosper With consumers seeking less expensive options, private label sales are increasing across all channels, but struggling in c-stores, where they brought in $3 billion in sales, but were down 3.3% compared to last year, for the 52 weeks ended Feb. 21, 2009. In contrast, Wal-Mart’s private label sales were up by 10.8%,…