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W H AT ’ S N E X T I N C O N V E N I E N C E A N D F U E L R E TA I L I N G

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W H AT ’ S N E X T I N C O N V E N I E N C E A N D F U E L R E TA I L I N G

PUTTING AI

TO WORK

IN CONVENIENCE RETAIL THE TECHNOLOGY IS GAINING TRACTION IN THE CHANNEL, BUT OPERATORS HAVE ONLY SCRATCHED THE SURFACE

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 6 C S N E W S .C O M

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Your Guide to an Ever-Changing Industry

Lightning speed is the new pace of convenience retail transformation • Putting AI to Work in Convenience Retail (page 34) • Driving Foodservice Profitability Through Innovation (page 48) • Loyalty Gets Personal (page 90) • Winning the Fuel Trip (page 94)

WELCOME TO Convenience Store

News’ annual NACS Show issue, our largest and most informationpacked issue of the year. As the convenience retail industry gathers in Las Vegas for the 2026 NACS Show, the CSNews editorial staff is proud to bring you this issue which is chock full of the latest c-store market intelligence, industry trends and analysis, category management insights, and more. As my team and I were toiling away on this issue, it struck me how much convenience retail has changed in just the past year. Built around quick in-and-out trips, the convenience channel has always been known for its speed. But these days, it’s the lightning speed of change that’s dominating the headlines. And I feel like I just said this last year and the year before that.

Change isn’t coming. It’s here to stay. As Caterpillar Farm Inc. founder and CEO Patrick Fitzmaurice noted earlier this year at our Outstanding Independents Awards Ceremony, c-store operators must shift from being operational leaders to change leaders. “These are disruptive environments, and there’s really two things that can happen in a disruptive environment. You can either cope with disruption and try to capitalize on it, or you could be the disruptor of the environment,” he explained.

During the COVID years, the industry transformed by removing friction from the shopping experience. Aspects like mobile ordering, self-checkout, delivery and drivethru remain important facets of convenience retail today. Now, though, c-stores are again in transformation mode: turning into high-tech, data-driven retail hubs; delivering thoughtfully curated, personalized customer experiences; and becoming full-fledged food destinations.

Doing nothing is not an option.

In this issue, we cover it all! Be sure to check out these timely features:

For comments, please contact Linda Lisanti, Editor-in-Chief, at llisanti@ensembleiq.com.

The NACS Show — with its 50-plus education sessions and 435,000-square-foot expo — is a great place to generate ideas on how to capitalize on the disruption or be the disruptor. I intend to take in as much as I can, and I encourage you to do the same. I hope to see you there.

EDITORIAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS (2016-2026)

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Laura Aufleger OnCue Express

2021 Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award Finalist, Best Infographics, June 2021

2018 Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award

Finalist, Best Editorial Use of Data, June 2017

2023 American Society of Business Press Editors, National Azbee Awards Silver, Data Journalism, January/April/June 2022

2023 American Society of Business Press Editors, Upper Midwest Regional Azbee Awards Gold, Data Journalism, January/April/June 2022 Bronze, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, March 2022

2016 American Society of Business Press Editors, National Azbee Awards Gold, Best How-To Article, March 2015 Bronze, Best Original Research, June 2015

2016 American Society of Business Press Editors, Midwest Regional Azbee Awards Gold, Best How-To Article, March 2015 Silver, Best Original Research, June 2015

2020 Trade Association Business Publications Intl. Tabbie Awards

Honorable Mention, Best Single Issue, September 2019

2016 Trade Association Business Publications Intl. Tabbie Awards Silver, Front Cover Illustration, June 2015

4 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

2025 Eddie Award Honorable Mention, Folio:

Business to Business, Retail, Full Issue, September 2024 Business to Business, Magazine Section

2024 Eddie Award, Folio:

Winner, Business to Business, Retail, Single Article, May 2024 Honorable Mention, Business to Business, Magazine Section

2023 Eddie Award Honorable Mention, Folio:

Business to Business, Retail, Full Issue, September 2022 Business to Business, Retail, Single Article, March 2023

2022 Eddie Award, Folio:

Winner, Business to Business, Retail, Single Article, March 2022 Winner, Business to Business, Food & Beverage, Series of Articles, October 2021 Honorable Mention, Business to Business, Retail, Single Article, September 2021

2020 Eddie Award, Folio:

Business to Business, Retail, Series of Articles, September 2019

2018 Eddie Award Honorable Mention, Folio:

Business to Business, Retail, Website Business to Business, Retail, Full Issue, October 2017 Business to Business, Editorial Use of Data, June 2017

2017 Eddie Award, Folio:

Winner, Business to Business, Retail, Single/Series of Articles, May 2017 Honorable Mention, Business to Business, Retail, Single/Series of Articles, June 2016

Faheem Jamal CPD Energy Corp./ Chestnut Markets

Richard Cashion Curby’s Express Market

Vito Maurici McLane Co. Inc.

Billy Colemire Majors Management

Jonathan Polonsky Plaid Pantries Inc.

Robert Falciani ExtraMile Convenience Stores

Greg Scriver Kwik Trip Inc.

Jim Hachtel Core-Mark Chris Hartman Rutter’s

Roy Strasburger StrasGlobal

VIEWPOINT

From Information to Action

Convenience retailers aren't short on data, they're short on practical insights that drive profitable foodservice decisions IN MY QUARTER-CENTURY of covering the convenience store industry, I've had the privilege of

attending hundreds of conferences, interviewing thousands of retailers, and listening to some of the smartest minds in foodservice — from pioneering c-store foodservice innovators like Jerry Weiner to world-renowned restaurateurs like Danny Meyer and Rick Bayless. If there's one thing I've learned, it's this: our industry doesn't suffer from a lack of information. If anything, convenience retailers are drowning in it. Research reports. Consumer surveys. Menu trends. Social media chatter. Competitive analysis. AI-generated insights. Every day seems to bring another report promising to reveal the next big thing in foodservice. The challenge isn't finding information. It's figuring out what to do with it.

As competition intensifies, standing still is no longer an option.

That's exactly why we created the Convenience Foodservice Exchange (CFX) event more than a decade ago. The goal was never to overwhelm attendees with presentations. It was to bring together the industry's best operators, researchers and suppliers to observe and share practical ideas that retailers could take back to their stores and put into action. Now, we're taking that philosophy one step further. As an extension of CFX, Convenience Store News has launched THE COUNTER, a monthly webinar series designed to deliver something our industry needs more of: actionable intelligence.

Each webinar will pair a respected foodservice researcher or industry expert with an accomplished convenience retailer for a conversation that bridges theory and execution. In other words, we'll discuss not only what the trends are, but how leading retailers are successfully responding to them. Our inaugural webinar, “The Future of Foodservice: C-stores vs. QSRs,” is a perfect example. Broadcast on Aug. 20 and now available for on-demand viewing at csnews.com, Ryan Krebs, the dynamic foodservice leader at southern convenience store chain Sprint Mart, and Josh Spicher, c-store and foodservice associate at Cleveland Research, examined the strategies that are driving today's most successful restaurant brands and, more importantly, explored which of those ideas convenience retailers can realistically adapt to grow sales and profits. Future sessions will tackle topics that directly affect retailers' bottom lines, such as using menu trends to build stronger foodservice brands, leveraging technology to improve profitability, protecting your business through food safety, transforming successful limitedtime offers into permanent menu winners, and maximizing the profit potential of dispensed beverages. Notice the common thread? Every topic addresses a real challenge facing convenience retailers today. At CSNews, we've always believed our role extends beyond reporting the news. Our responsibility is to help c-store retailers build stronger, more profitable businesses. That means connecting them with the industry's brightest minds and creating opportunities for meaningful discussions that continue long after a conference ends. Foodservice has become the primary growth engine for many convenience retailers. As competition intensifies, standing still is no longer an option. Those that succeed will be the ones willing to keep learning, testing new ideas, and adapting to changing consumer expectations. That's exactly what we hope THE COUNTER will help them do. I hope you'll join us. For comments, please contact Don Longo, Editorial Director Emeritus, at dlongo@ensembleiq.com.

6 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

Light Up Your Sales with Quality and Safety.

CONTENTS SEPT 26

VO LU M E 6 2 N UMB ER 9

COVER STORY 34 Putting AI to Work in

Convenience Retail

The technology is gaining traction in the channel, but operators have only scratched the surface.

FEATURES 90 Loyalty Gets Personal

Move over mass mailings, c-store retailers are increasing visits and boosting basket size with personalized loyalty program offers and rewards.

94 Winning the Fuel Trip

Personalized promotions and cashback offers draw in motorists, regardless of gas prices.

COV E R STORY - PAGE 3 4

97 A Private Label Playbook

Tri Star Energy leverages bold flavors and impulse-driven merchandising to propel its Daily Favorites proprietary products.

DEPARTMENTS

EDITO R’ S N OT E

4 Your Guide to an

Ever-Changing Industry

122

Lightning speed is the new pace of convenience retail transformation. VIEWP O IN T

6 From Information to Action

Convenience retailers aren’t short on data, they’re short on practical insights that drive profitable foodservice decisions.

12 CSNews Online 22 New Products SMA LL O P ERATO R

24 Don’t Fear Change,

Welcome It

Small operators can embrace change leadership better than their larger counterparts.

26 Hey Buddy, Got Any Spare

Electrons?

90 8 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

Electricity arbitrage could allow c-stores to maximize opportunities in an electrified world. IN SIDE T HE CO N SU MER MIND

122 Stalling Out

Interest in electric vehicle ownership wanes among convenience store shoppers.

© 2026 FIJI Water Company LLC. All Rights Reserved. FIJI, EARTH’S FINEST, EARTH’S FINEST WATER, the Trade Dress, and accompanying logos are trademarks of FIJI Water Company LLC or its affiliates. FW260729-12

888.426.3454 FIJIWater.com

CONTENTS SEPT 26

VO LU M E 6 2 N UMB ER 9

8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Ste. 225, Chicago, IL 60631 (773) 992-4450 Fax (773) 992-4455 WWW.CSNEWS.COM BRAND MANAGEMENT SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/GROUP PUBLISHER, CONVENIENCE NORTH AMERICA Sandra Parente sparente@ensembleiq.com VICE PRESIDENT OF CONTENT & EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, CONVENIENCE GROUP Michelle Warren mwarren@ensembleiq.com EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Linda Lisanti llisanti@ensembleiq.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Melissa Kress mkress@ensembleiq.com MANAGING EDITOR Danielle Romano dromano@ensembleiq.com

INDUSTRY ROUNDUP

CATEGORY MANAGEMENT

SENIOR EDITOR Angela Hanson ahanson@ensembleiq.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR EMERITUS Don Longo dlongo@ensembleiq.com

14 7-Eleven Hires New CEO to Drive Growth Strategy 16 Retailer Tidbits 20 Supplier Tidbits

TOBACCO

42 Full Steam Ahead for Smokeless As product regulation becomes more predictable, confidence in the segment soars. FO O DS E RV I C E

48 Driving Foodservice Profitability Through Innovation Highlights from the 2026 Convenience Foodservice Exchange event in San Antonio. C A N DY & S N AC KS

64 Decoding the New Snacking Landscape C-stores must respond to changing consumer priorities and new avenues for product discovery. A LCO H O LI C BE V E R AGES

ADVERTISING SALES & BUSINESS ASSOCIATE BRAND DIRECTOR Rachel McGaffigan - (774) 212-6455 rmcgaffigan@ensembleiq.com SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Taylor Lewis - (615) 364-6582 - tlewis@ensembleiq.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE & CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING Terry Kanganis - (917) 634-7471 - tkanganis@ensembleiq.com DESIGN/PRODUCTION/MARKETING ART DIRECTOR Cristian Bejarano Rojas crojas@ensembleiq.com PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Pat Wisser pwisser@ensembleiq.com MARKETING MANAGER Jakob Wodnicki jwodnicki@ensembleiq.com SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES LIST RENTAL mbriganti@anteriad.com SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS contact@csnews.com

72 Finding Bright Spots A look at how c-stores can capitalize on alcohol’s top-performing segments. G R O C E RY

78 A Guide to the New SNAP Rules Achieving compliance may prove more challenging than expected.

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Renée M. Covino, Tammy Mastroberte

CORPORATE OFFICERS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Jennifer Litterick

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Jane Volland

CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER

Ann Jadown

TECHNOLOGY

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Derek Estey

82 Elevating Today, Innovating for Tomorrow

CONVENIENCE STORE NEWS AFFILIATIONS

Convenience Store News introduces the 2026 Technology Leader of the Year honorees.

Premier Trade Press Exhibitor

The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations.

Convenience Store News (ISSN 0194-8733; USPS 515-950) is published 11 times per year, monthly, by EnsembleIQ, 8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Ste. 200, Chicago, IL 60631. Subscription rates: Subscription rate in the United States: $148 one year; $273 two year; $18.40 single issue copy; Canada and Mexico: $202 one year; $386 two year; $22.00 single issue copy; Foreign: $202 one year; $386 two year; $22.00 single issue copy; Digital One year, digital $87; two year, $160. Periodical postage paid at Chicago, IL 60631, and additional mailing addresses. Copyright 2026 by EnsembleIQ. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Convenience Store News, 8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Ste. 200, Chicago, IL 60631.

10 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

CSNEWS ONLINE

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INDUSTRY ROUNDUP

7-Eleven Hires New CEO to Drive Growth Strategy

Mauricio Leyva brings extensive experience from the CPG industry THE MONTHS-LONG SEARCH for a new CEO for 7-Eleven

Inc. is over.

The convenience retailer’s parent company, Tokyo-based Seven & i Holdings Ltd., appointed Mauricio Leyva as CEO of 7-Eleven (SEI), effective Aug. 1. He will lead the company’s next phase of growth, working closely with 7-Eleven’s leadership team to elevate the customer experience; strengthen its store network; advance operational excellence and innovation; and drive sustainable, profitable growth. “[Mauricio] brings a wealth of executive leadership experience at global consumer goods companies and a proven track record of leading business transformations,” said Steve Dacus, president and CEO of Seven & i Holdings. “His appointment represents an important milestone as the company accelerates toward our transformation program ‘North Star,’ and we are delighted to welcome Mauricio to the Seven & i family to lead SEI into this next stage of growth.” From 2020 to 2024, Leyva served as group president of Keurig Dr Pepper, where he led the company through a critical post-merger transformation, strengthening its operating foundation while shaping and executing a new business strategy. During his tenure, Dr Pepper grew to become the second-largest carbonated soft drink brand

14 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

in the United States. Prior to that, he held senior leadership roles at Lala Mexico, AB InBev and SABMiller. “I have long admired the 7-Eleven brand, and I am honored to lead SEI at such an important moment in its history. I look forward to working closely with our franchise owners, our associates, and the leadership team across Seven & i to unlock SEI’s full potential,” Leyva said. “Together, we will redefine convenience and bring the 7-Eleven experience to more customers across North America.” He takes the corner office seven months after former CEO Joe DePinto retired at the end of 2025 after serving 30 years in the position. Company veterans Stanley Reynolds and Douglas Rousencrans served as interim co-CEOs prior to Leyva’s appointment. Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 12,000 stores in the United States and Canada. In addition to 7-Eleven stores, it operates and franchises Speedway, Stripes, Laredo Taco Company, and Raise the Roost Chicken and Biscuits locations.

Making Checkout Work Harder: How Stinker Stores Is Rethinking the Queue Experience Benjamin Nicklaus discusses how Stinker Stores is using ImageWorks Display's Planniq Queue™ to improve customer ﬂow, enhance merchandising opportunities, and create a more intentional checkout experience. In convenience retail, few areas receive as much traffic

different, so we needed something that could adapt.

as the checkout zone. Every customer passes through

We liked the clean look, the overall design, and the

it, yet many retailers still view it primarily as a

ability to customize the system to ﬁt different

transaction space.

footprints without disrupting guest sightlines or traffic ﬂow.

For Stinker Stores, Benjamin Nicklaus (Merchandising Project Manager) saw an opportunity to think

Q: What results are you seeing so far?

differently. After installing a Planniq Queue pilot, the

A: We've seen strong engagement almost

retailer began exploring how a more intentional

immediately. Kids' toys, our Stinker mascot plush

checkout environment could improve customer ﬂow,

skunks, hats, and even a camping-themed s'mores

create additional merchandising opportunities, and

section have performed extremely well.

enhance the overall shopping experience. One of the biggest beneﬁts, though, has been guest Q: How do you think about checkout in the

ﬂow. During busy periods, guests clearly understand

convenience store today?

where the line starts and who's next. It creates a more

A: The checkout is probably one of our most valuable

organized experience while also providing additional

pieces of real estate because it's the one place every

merchandising opportunities.

guest visits. For us, it's more than where a transaction happens. It's the last opportunity to inﬂuence the

I've been reviewing camera footage, and every time I

shopping experience.

check, someone is shopping the queue while the line forms. That's exactly what we hoped to see.

Q: What prompted Stinker Stores to take a closer look at the checkout area?

Q: What advice would you give other retailers?

A: It started with a conversation about opportunities

A: Don't underestimate the value of your checkout

we might be missing in one of the highest-traffic areas

space. A well-designed checkout isn't just about

of the store. Guests naturally spend time near

generating additional sales. It can improve traffic ﬂow,

checkout, especially during busy periods, so we began

create a better guest experience, and provide a

looking at ways to make that space work harder.

cleaner, more consistent merchandising environment. If you design it intentionally, the possibilities are much

Instead of simply lining guests up, we wanted

bigger than many retailers realize.

checkout to become an extension of the shopping experience. It creates one last opportunity to browse while also allowing us to merchandise impulse items, seasonal products, limited-time offers, and new

Reserve your complimentary Client Collaboration Center session today. 1-800-704-3660 | imageworksdisplay.com

product innovations. Q: Why did Planniq Queue stand out? A: Flexibility was a big factor. Every store layout is ADVERTORIAL

INDUSTRY ROUNDUP

Retailer Tidbits

7-Eleven Inc. launched 7-Select Soda, now available at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores nationwide. The private label lineup includes three varieties: Cola Classic, Orange Soda and Lemon-Lime Twist.

Tri Star Energy is migrating its three c-store brands to the Rovertown platform for a unified mobile app ecosystem. By bringing Twice Daily, Sudden Service and Little General onto a single platform, it will provide greater flexibility.

Each brand will retain its Paytronix-hosted loyalty program.

RMarts LLC sold eight company-owned convenience stores in the greater Chicagoland area to an undisclosed regional c-store operator. The sale allows the retailer to realize value from a portion of its portfolio while continuing to own and operate legacy locations.

buy two unveiled the buy two rewards app, powered by Liquid Barcodes. The platform enables customers to earn and redeem rewards, collect digital stamps and play interactive games.

Anabi Oil inked a deal with Accel Entertainment Inc. for electronic gaming terminals at its Green Valley Grocery locations. Accel is already the gaming partner for Anabi’s Rebel Convenience Store sites in Las Vegas.

Love’s Media Group, the retail media network of Love’s Travel Stops, surpassed 20 brand partnerships since its October 2025 debut. Current advertising solutions include pump screen advertising, in-store digital screens and store signage.

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WHEN DEAL MEETS DONE

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WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.

ZYN ’s New Brand Platform Comes to Retail Leila Del Mar, Vice President, Brand and Portfolio, at PMI U.S., shares what’s behind the campaign and what it means for retail partners.

Q: What inspired “When It Clicks”?

Del Mar: “When It Clicks” centers on the instantly recognizable sound of “the ZYN click” —a sensory cue that signals momentum and marks the point when everything comes together. The campaign taps into a simple insight: adults increasingly value being present for the moments that matter. In a world filled with constant distractions, competing priorities, and the pull of always being connected, ZYN keeps busy legal-aged nicotine users fully present without having to step away. Q: What should C-store retailers know about how “When It Clicks” connects with their customers?

Del Mar: Inspired by the role ZYN can play in helping adult nicotine users stay engaged in those moments, "When It Clicks" celebrates the feeling of being in sync, when effort, timing, and confidence come together. It all starts at retail. You’re the ones stocking the product, merchandising it, and talking with legal-age nicotine users about it every day, so you should see the full platform—the look, the sound, and the story. NACS is where we walk our partners through what’s coming and how we’ll support it on shelf. Q: What can attendees expect at the booth this year?

Del Mar: We’re excited to bring “When It Clicks” to the floor in a way that’s interactive and unmistakably ZYN. Attendees will get to experience the campaign firsthand—the creative rolling out across point of sale, digital, social, and out-of-home. We’ll walk through all the assets built to bring the platform to stores, so our partners leave knowing exactly how we’ll support them. Q: Where does the platform go from here?

Del Mar: This is just the start. We'll keep building the platform through 2027—new channels, new communities, new occasions, all tied back to the same idea: the moment it clicks. ZYN products are intended only for legal-age adults 21+ who currently use nicotine. For more about PMI U.S. and its commitment to responsible marketing, visit www.uspmi.com. For Trade Only. Not for Distribution to Consumers. ©Swedish Match North America LLC

21+

ONLY

INDUSTRY ROUNDUP

Supplier Tidbits

Mondelēz International selected nine companies for its CoLab Tech 2026 program, the third cohort of the accelerator program led by the snack company’s global research and development team. More than 200 companies applied for this year’s program. GSTV joined with The Marketing Cloud to integrate the Stagwell Agentic Targeting System (SATS) into audience planning and activation. Conagra Brands is the first GSTV advertiser to incorporate SATS into its campaign planning. King’s Hawaiian expanded its foodservice footprint in convenience retail with the debut of Original Hawaiian Sweet Soft Pretzel Bites at Sheetz stores. The innovation is available at more than 830 Sheetz locations across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest.

EVgo joined NATSO as a Chairman’s Circle member. The NATSO Chairman’s Circle membership provides companies with opportunities to engage with the travel center and truck stop industry. Rise Baking Co. is acquiring Jimmy’s Gourmet Bakery, a cookie and baked goods manufacturer serving in-store bakery and foodservice operators. Jimmy’s Gourmet Bakery has more than 350,000 square feet of manufacturing capacity across three facilities. Vroom Delivery is partnering with Swiftly to bring Swiftly’s Alcohol Cashback solution to Vroom Delivery’s network of c-store partners. Participating retailers can offer manufacturer-funded digital alcohol rebates through their online ordering platforms. Wip, a clean caffeine energy pouch brand, celebrated its first anniversary after launching in June 2025. Within the first year, the company surpassed 2.5 million cans sold and expanded to more than 7,000 retail locations nationwide.

This launch marks King’s Hawaiian’s first-ever single-serve snack offering.

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Texas Pete Flavored Boiled Peanuts

Luray Peanut Co. introduces Texas Pete Flavored Boiled Peanuts, a spicy, tangy twist on the South’s favorite snack made in partnership with the iconic hot sauce brand. The product brings together Luray’s peanut craftsmanship and Texas Pete’s signature cayenneforward heat for a ready-to-eat boiled peanut that delivers bold flavor and authentic Southern soul, the company noted. The peanuts are available in a 12-ounce grab-and-go convenience size, a 2-pound family bag, and a 5-pound foodservice bag. LURAY PEANUT CO. • JACKSONVILLE, FLA. • LURAYPEANUT.COM

Reese’s Pieces With Chocolate Cookie

Marking the first U.S. Reese’s Pieces innovation in the last 10 years, Reese’s Pieces with Chocolate Cookie gives the brand’s fans a playful twist on one of the most recognizable candies. The new product combines the brand’s creamy peanut butter flavor with a crispy chocolate cookie center, creating a bold, poppable snack that is packed with layers of flavor and texture in every bite. Reese’s Pieces with Chocolate Cookie launched nationwide in mid-July in pouches. A king-size package is slated to follow later in 2026. THE HERSHEY CO. • HERSHEY, PA. • HERSHEYLAND.COM/PRODUCTS

Joe Knows Coffee Cold Brew

Leveraging its best-selling ground coffee brand, Paramount Coffee introduces its first cold innovation: Joe Knows Coffee Cold Brew. The ready-to-drink coffee comes in 12-ounce cans in four rich flavors: Caramel Café, Mocha Mo-Joe, Vanilla Chill, and Tall, Dark and Handsome. The premium coffeehouse-style beverages offer grab-and-go caffeinated refreshment. Convenience store, foodservice and restaurant operators can also use them as a base for specialty drinks. Joe Knows Coffee Cold Brew is packed 12 cans per case and is shelf stable for one year. PARAMOUNT COFFEE • LANSING, MICH. • PARAMOUNTCOFFEE.COM

Scandit Age Verified Self-Checkout

Scandit unveils Age Verified Self-Checkout, a fully autonomous checkout with no additional kiosk hardware needed. When a shopper scans a restricted item at self-checkout, the kiosk displays a QR code. The shopper scans the code with their smartphone to open a verification page. The customer then takes a quick selfie and on-device vision AI estimates their age. If the estimate is above the retailer’s threshold, the checkout continues automatically. If the estimate falls below the threshold, the customer is prompted to scan an ID, which is read on-device and compared against the selfie photo to detect underage customers attempting to use someone else’s ID. SCANDIT • ZURICH, SWITZERLAND • SCANDIT.COM

ADD Atlas Intelligence

New from ADD Systems, Atlas Intelligence is an evolution of its business intelligence software, Atlas Reporting. While Atlas Reporting enables users to combine silos of data to create dashboards and deliver automated reports and alerts to gain actionable insights into their entire operation, Atlas Intelligence introduces new features coupled with AI capabilities. The new features include a search bar to quickly jump to a report or alert; a redesigned menu to easily navigate across Favorites, Reports and Alerts; a copy feature for subscriptions and views; and exception alerts for processing invoices, managing time clock hour overages, and more. ADD SYSTEMS • FLANDERS, N.J. • ADDSYS.COM

22 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

SMALL OPERATOR

Don’t Fear Change, Welcome It

Small operators can embrace change leadership better than their larger counterparts By Linda Lisanti THE CONVENIENCE STORE INDUSTRY is in a

period of rapid change. To successfully navigate this landscape, the industry’s small operators must shift from being operational leaders to change leaders — a move they can make more easily than their larger counterparts. This was the overarching message that Caterpillar Farm Inc. founder and CEO Patrick Fitzmaurice delivered while presenting the keynote address at Convenience Store News’ 2026 Outstanding Independents Virtual Awards Ceremony, sponsored by WAM. “I believe we need more and better change leaders,” he said. Although small operators may feel unprepared to make the adjustments that are necessary to adapt and thrive in today’s era of disruption, the tools they need to

24 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

lead change — not just react to it — are close at hand, according to Fitzmaurice, who urged the industry’s single-store owners and small chains to view change not as a threat, but as an opportunity to innovate and differentiate themselves from the larger, less agile chains. “These are disruptive environments, and there’s really two things that can happen in a disruptive environment. You can either cope with disruption and try to capitalize on it, or you could be the disruptor of the environment,” he explained. While operational leadership focuses on keeping the lights on and ensuring that the current business runs smoothly, change leadership focuses on transformation and the future. Retail frequently centers around operational leadership, in which store leaders make sure the right things get done at the right time to deliver a profit. According to Fitzmaurice, change leadership does require operational leadership by way of finding those areas that must be transformed in some way for you to be more successful.

“Change leadership is within the grasp of all of us.” — Patrick Fitzmaurice, Caterpillar Farm Inc.

“Change leadership is within the grasp of all of us,” he said. There are different types of change leaders. For example, “Passionate Pathfinders” constantly seek out methods of getting from where they are to the future they really want, embodying belief in the possible and igniting commitment in others by leading visibly and vulnerably at the edge. “Structured Improvisationists,” on the other hand, build on an existing framework and thrive in ambiguity by flexing between planning and adaptation without losing focus on what matters. Fitzmaurice advised small operators to find “clarity and impact” by simplifying their goals. Rather than trying to compete on every front, they should double down on what they do best — whether that is fresh food, community involvement or specialized product curation. He also encouraged store owners to use their agility as a competitive advantage, noting that small operators can implement new business practices and technologies faster than larger organizations can. They should leverage this agility to pivot quickly when consumer trends shift. Change is a journey and it can be disruptive and chaotic, Fitzmaurice acknowledged, but getting people to believe in it before moving to enact it can smooth the path forward. As such, he said the role of the store owner needs to shift from being a manager to an “executive facilitator” who must inspire their team to embrace change. Inevitably, there will be some team members who are more comfortable sticking to the status quo, or they may prefer the old ways of doing things. Leaders must therefore think about how they will guide their cohorts through change adoption, getting them to understand the rationale behind the change and what benefits it will bring. “You build trust, you reduce uncertainty, you manage resistance to the change and

you get everybody aligned toward this common goal to make the implementation happen as easily as you can, as successfully as you can,” Fitzmaurice concluded. The Outstanding Independents Virtual Awards Ceremony celebrated this year’s record class of 30 Outstanding Independents Awards winners. Now in its second year, the program shines a light on the small chains and single-store owners that are making a big impact in the convenience store industry despite their smaller size and more limited resources. CSN

S E P T E MB E R

2026

Convenience Store News

SMALL OPERATOR

Hey Buddy, Got Any Spare Electrons?

Electricity arbitrage could allow c-stores to maximize opportunities in an electrified world

By Roy Strasburger, CEO, StrasGlobal

DUSK WAS FALLING as I entered the tent.

Outside, the lights, sounds and smells brought the evening to life. I could hear the music and screams from the rollercoaster, smell the strange combination of deepfried Twinkies and the Ag barn, and feel the heat radiating from the concrete, dirt and bodies along the state fair midway. Inside, it was dark and cool. The smell of sandalwood incense filled my nostrils. In the center of the space, lit by a single spotlight, was a table. On that table sat a slightly cracked crystal ball on top of a multicolored tablecloth. And behind the table was the fortuneteller swaddled in a bright crimson and mustard robe. The teller of fortunes bid me to come and sit at the table. An outstretched palm was to be the resting place for my cash. A heavy sigh from the other side of the table indicated that my future would arrive earlier than expected. Why do people want to know what the future holds? Is it to learn about their

26 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

fate so that they can either prepare for it or avoid it? Or is it curiosity about how humanity is going to evolve and what the ramifications will be? For many people, knowing the future would be more of a financial concern. Who is going to be the next Nvidia, Apple or Google? What if you had been able to anticipate — and take advantage of — AI, smartphones and Labubus? In April, the Electric Vehicles Vision Group (evVG) discussed the “duck curve.” Dr. Jose Torre-Bueno, executive director of the Center for Community Energy, explained that the duck curve happens when the electricity generated by solar panels declines at the end of the day when the sun goes down and electricity demand goes up as people return home and turn on their electrical appliances and air conditioning. This gap between solar energy generation and consumer demand has to be met by traditional power plants running on either coal, natural gas or nuclear energy. This means that electricity-generating

A R T

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O F

M E R C H A N D I S I N G

THE ART OF MERCHANDISING

Merchandising is more than ﬁtout and ﬁxtures. It’s the art of creating an attractive, well-organized retail presentation. As with any artistic composition, a wide variety of tools

may

used

create

your

masterpiece. In retail Visual Merchandising, a gondola, pegboard, slatwall or shelf is your blank canvas. When combined with tools such as display hooks, label and sign holders, bar merchandisers, tray systems, and merchandising accessories, there are endless ways to effectively display all kinds of products and inspire your target audience to make a purchase. As one of the world’s top retail ﬁxture manufacturers, Trion offers a generous supply of over 25,000 components and over 50 years of experience using them to execute precise planogram solutions, store designs and retail displays. Call us to turn your vision into an inspirational retail masterpiece. DISPLAY AND SCAN HOOKS LABEL HOLDER SYSTEMS DIVIDER AND PUSHER SYSTEMS BAR MERCHANDISING SYSTEMS COOLER MERCHANDISING SYSTEMS

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Zip Track Merchandiser

tensions and lane depths are available Call | TrionOnline.com to fit 800-444-4665 any and all shelf and product needs. The sturdy plastic is durable, with an extended merchandising life.

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Call 800-444-4665 | TrionOnline.com or gravity itself. Call 800-444-4665 | TrionOnline.com

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Dividers WonderBar Hooks Dividers & & Pushers Pushers

Dividers & Pushers

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Cold Front Forecast

Air Flow Baffle

Oversize? No Problem! TM Clip It! Installs in an Instant ®

The is a cold Beverage cooler frontSales when Forforecast Grab-and-Go you use Trion’s®Air Flow Baffle in coolers. Product temperature can be difficult to maintain at the of a cooler. This Merchandise all front size drinks from mini Air ensures that Gatorade cold air is® RedFlow Bull®Baffle cans to oversized forced to® is keep items versatile at their bottles.forward ZIP Track the most ideal temperature. Grab-and-Go Use as part of your and cost-effective system cooler outfitting with available on thestrategy, market. along Use actual ® 3 WonderBar Bar width Merchandisers product to set lane from 2" to 3and /4 ". TM hooks, EWTwidth Expandable Wire Reset lane on set-up in less Tray than System, and cooler capable and ClearcoolerScan® 30 seconds. Shelf-based

Zip Track Beverage System

ready, this anchored system billboards label holders. product for easy selection and fast sale. Call 800-444-4665 | TrionOnline.com

ZIP Track® forwards and faces product at all times. Quickly add lanes with this easy to install and adjust system. ZIP Track® offers a wide range of adjustability for this ever-evolving beverage category and changing package designs.

WonderBar EWT Large Zip Track Components ®

If you think the WonderBar EWT is ® ZIP Track components on the great, wait till you meet its clip big brother! front rail adjustment. Oversizedallowing just likeeasy some of your Lanes can this slide on the railstays evenstrong when products, weightlifter full to add additional facings. on or both metal and open wire shelves and bar. One-piece installation means you can drop this bad boy right into place, adjust as needed, and watch the revenue increase. The EWT takes over from there, automatically feeding product to the front and billboarding merchandise for maximum visibility.

Call 800-444-4665 | TrionOnline.com Zip It! Setting Width is a Breeze

Zip Track Easy Install ®

Use actual product to set lane width from 2" up to 3 3/4 ". Slide product front-to-back, along the lane, to “ZIP” each track together in final position.

Super Hooks!

Containers Well Contained

Cooler Capable AMT

Neatly and effectively display cooler and freezer items, including yogurt, Forpuddings, Storewide Grocery Sales dips, iceand cream, single-serve ® foods, and more. Our small Adjustable Merchandising Tray (AMT) fits a range It’s not just for coolers or beverages. of 4- to 6-ounce cups; the medium AMT Use ZIP Track® in multiple categories organizes mid-range offerings; and the to showcase many different types large AMT gives ice cream lovers pause of product. This is the most versatile to browse and choose a pint of their system, of its kind available on the favorite flavor (hmmm ...why not get both market. Manufactured from durable, Cherry Vanilla and Rocky Road?). This modern plastics, it provides extended manual-feed tray ensures that products merchandising life. ZIP Track® offers remain faced and accessible. Time to a wide range of adjustability. Custom re-stock? Just lift out and refill. Add Clear

Zip Track Merchandiser

WonderBar Hooks ®

WonderBar® Displays are the versatile heroes of the Trion product family, coming to the rescue when you need muscle and good looks to merchandise items of all sizes. These Bar Hooks can lift heavy loads in their capable arms. Fill It! With a WideSaddle Range Mount of Products Display or Scan, or Plug ® in, there are Trion WonderBar Hooks for every need. ®

Zip Track Sells It All

Fill it with product. ZIP Track maintains its width accurately for the entire depth of facing without the need for a rear anchor system.

spring tensions and lane depths are available to fit any and all shelf and Call 800-444-4665 | TrionOnline.com product needs. Scan® Label Holder, and you’re finished!

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Clip label holders and strips available.

Flip-Scan Hooks Mini Dual Lane Trays WonderBar Hooks ®

Flip-Scan hooks are an open and shut This mini tray ® leads to maximum revenue, WonderBar Displays are the versatile case forit ease ofcomplimentary use. The articulated because allows items to heroes of the Trion product family, label holdertogether. lifts up and out of adjust the way be featured Dual lanes coming to the rescue when you needto fornarrow easy product access, thenasfalls back fit merchandise sizes small as muscle and good looks to merchandise 3 vertical for viewing product and price 1to ⁄4". Each lane features a separate pusher items of all sizes. These Bar Hooks can info. Our label holder flexes open paddle tounique keep products forwarded and lift heavy loads in their capable arms. faced. Feature different widths so plain paperitems labelsof can be inserted Display or Scan, Saddle Mount or Plug via asymmetric lane configurations. effortlessly. Available with short Cross label in, there are Trion WonderBar Hooks merchandise a variety products holders or full length of label strips with and forTrays everyinstall need.without tools and lift out ease. constructed of long-life materials, these for quickattractive restockingscan or product rotation. durable, hooks can outfit Full line includes standard and oversize all display surfaces, including pegboard, trays, and display, scan and pusher hooks. slatwall, grid, crossbar, and corrugated. Fully compatible with the Clear Scan® Label Holder System for C-channel, shelf edge, wire basket, and refrigerated ®

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Cold Front Forecast™ Expandable Wire Tray Tray Expandable Wire Air Flow Baffle Product offerings come in different sizes, Product offerings come in different TM

The is a cold cooler front when so itforecast makes sense that displays should sizes, so it makes sense that displays you usein Trion’s Air Flow Baffle in coolers. come different sizes, too. That’s should come in different sizes, too. ® ® Product temperature can be difficult to why Trion created the WonderBar That’s why Trion created the WonderBar maintain at Wire the front of aSystem. cooler. This Expandable Wire Tray We Expandable Tray System, aka EWT. Air Flow Baffle ensures that coldwant air is included every feature you would if We included every feature you would forced forward to keep items powderat their you created it yourself: powder-coated want if you created it yourself: ideal temperature. Use as part your galvanized wire that stands up to coated galvanized wire that of stands cooler outfitting strategy, along with harsh adjustable width; up to environments; harsh environments; adjustable ® WonderBar Bar Merchandisers and easy custom configuration; rail mount width; easy custom configuration; rail TM hooks, EWT Expandable Wire Tray and freestanding units; wire or clear mount and freestanding units; wire System, and cooler capable Clear Scan acrylic product stops. EWTstops. mounts on® or clear acrylic product EWT label holders. pegboard, gondola shelf, table mounts on slatwall, pegboard, slatwall, gondola top and cooler. shelf, table top and cooler. Call 800-444-4665 | TrionOnline.com Call 800-444-4665 800-444-4665 || TrionOnline.com TrionOnline.com

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Bin there, organized that! Trion’s deck ® Use ZIP Track storewide for neat If you think the WonderBar EWT is fencing youbeauty bin small, bulk and tidyhelps health, andlarge, wellness great, wait tillitems you meet its big brother! or packaged while keeping them displays. This is the most versatile Oversized justcustomers. like someCustomize of your accessible system of itstokind on the market. Easy products, thisto weightlifter stays strong ® your display create closed-front or to install, ZIP Track components clip on and open using wire shelves open-front compartments on aboth frontmetal rail allowing lanes tostraight adjust and bar. One-piece installation means or offset front when fence, then our quickly, even full or add to add you can drop this Use bad boy right into convenient labeling systems to finish additional facings. actual product place, adjust as needed, andtowatch theset joblane right.width to from 2" up 3 3/4 ". the revenue increase. The EWT takes Slide product front-to-back to “ZIP” Call 800-444-4665 | TrionOnline.com over from automatically each trackthere, together. Customfeeding spring product to the front and are billboarding tensions and lane depths available merchandise for all maximum visibility. to fit any and shelf and product needs. Manufactured from durable, Call 800-444-4665 | TrionOnline.com modern plastics, ZIP Track® provides an extended merchandising life.

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Think of these extruded Think of these extruded signs signs as as aa GPS GPS for your retail setting. Quickly guide for your retail setting. display Quickly cooler guide Neatly and effectively customers to products they and customers to the the products they want want and and freezer items, including yogurt, need puddings, with these versatile holders. need with theseice versatile sign holders. dips, cream,sign single-serve Plan your your customer’s then Plan routes, then slide slide foods, andcustomer’s more. Our routes, small Adjustable in signs signs when you’re ready. in when Tray you’re ready. Creative Merchandising (AMT) fits Creative a range merchandisers might these sign merchandisers might also use theseAMT sign of 4- to 6-ounce cups;also theuse medium holders for monthly or weekly specials, holders formid-range monthly or weekly specials, organizes offerings; and the buy-one-get-one specialized buy-one-get-one offers, specialized large AMT gives iceoffers, cream lovers pause category (think gluten category definition (think gluten free, to browsedefinition and choose a pint of free, their organic,flavor fair etc.), or promotion organic, fair trade, trade, etc.), ornot promotion favorite (hmmm ...why get both of in-store in-store loyalty of of loyalty cards. A A variety variety of Cherry Vanilla and cards. Rocky Road?). This mounting options are available including mounting options are available manual-feed tray ensures that including products hooks, push foam hooks, push pin, pin, and foam tape. tape. The remain faced and and accessible. TimeThe to

Slatwall Hooks WonderBar Hooks Super Hooks!

Let’s review® your wish list Yeah, We’ve Got That of slatwall hook features: ® flat back plate are base? Trion’s WonderBar Displays the versatile got it. Even loadproduct distribution? heroes of the family, Let’s review yourTrion wish list of slatwall Check. Customizable with Clear Scan coming to theflat rescue when youbase? need hook features: back plate Labels? Yep. Flip-front ordistribution? metal plate muscle and merchandise Trion’s got it.good Evenlooks loadto Label Holder, gotcha. Like varied items of all sizes. These Baryour Hooks can Check. Customizable with Clear Scan products, Trion’s Hooksarms. are lift heavy loads inSlatwall theirorcapable Labels? Yep. Flip-front metal plate offered in aorrange of standard, medium, Display Scan, Saddle or Plug Label Holder, gotcha. LikeMount your varied heavy, andTrion’s extra heavy gauges. Our in, there are Trion WonderBar Hooks products, Slatwall Hooks are hooks allrange industry standardmedium, slatwall for fit every need. offered in a of standard, slots, and manyheavy workgauges. with slot heavy, and extra Ourinserts. hooks Call a sample to check the fit with fit all for industry standard slatwall slots, and

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The Problem Solver

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Zip Track EndlessMerchandiser Baskets

Endless Baskets

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When Visibility is Your Goal

Clear Acrylic Dividers Clear Acrylic Dividers customers spotEWT andisbrowse neatly WonderBar Large The way can to profits clear when When Visibility is Your Goal Oversize? No Problem! The way to profits is clear when ®

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F a s t a n d E Hooks asy Attached-Back Attached-Back Hooks You read that right. These two-piece TM TM

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Cooler CapableHooks AMT Attached-Back Attached-Back Hooks

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Extend Your Revenue Super Hooks! E x t e n d Y o u r® R e v e n u e

Pegboard Extenders WonderBar Hooks Pegboard Extenders

Extend your opportunities to ® WonderBar Displays arewith the versatile increase revenue Trion’s Extend your opportunities to heroes of the Trion product family, pegboard extenders. Use E x t e n d Y o u r R e v ethem nTrion’s u e to increase revenue with coming to the rescue when you need E x display t e n dextenders. Ysurfaces o u r RUse eso v eyou n u e to layer pegboard themcan muscle and goodshow looks to merchandise simultaneously layer display surfacestallsoand youshort can Extend opportunities to items of all your sizes. These Bar Hooks can items. Commonly used to merchandise simultaneously show tall and short Extend your opportunities to increase revenue with Trion’s lift heavy loads in their capable arms. mops, brooms, long handled tools and items. Commonly used to merchandise increase revenue with Trion’s pegboard extenders. Use them to Display or Scan, Saddle Mount or Plug more, cross sells and accessories mops, with brooms, long handled tools and pegboard extenders. Use them to layer display surfaces so extenders you can in, there are Trion WonderBar Hooks directly in front. Pegboard more, with cross sells and accessories layer display surfaces soand youshort can simultaneously show tall for every need. extend merchandising directlyyour in front. Pegboard reach. extenders simultaneously tall and short items. Commonlyshow used to merchandise extend your merchandising reach. items. Commonly used to merchandise mops, brooms, long handled tools and mops, with brooms, long handled tools and more, cross sells and accessories more, with cross sells and accessories directly in front. Pegboard extenders directlyyour in front. Pegboard reach. extenders extend merchandising

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HOOKS | lAbElING | SHElF & COOlER MERCHANDISING HOOKS || SHElF HOOKS || lAbElING lAbElING SHElF & &COOlER COOlER 800-444-4665 | info@triononline.com MERCHANDISING MERCHANDISING .triononline.com/Art 800-444-4665 800-444-4665 || info@triononline.com info@triononline.com .triononline.com/Art .triononline.com/Art HOOKS | lAbElING | SHElF & COOlER MERCHANDISING HOOKS | lAbElING | SHElF & COOlER

T H E

A R T

O F

M E R C H A N D I S I N G

THE ART OF MERCHANDISING

Merchandising is more than ﬁtout and ﬁxtures. It’s the art of creating an attractive, well-organized retail presentation. As with any artistic composition, a wide variety of tools

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As Tobacco Evolves, Responsible Retailing Must Evolve Too The expansion of new nicotine forms and the emergence of illicit products in the market broadens responsibilities for c-store retailers. “Responsible retailing is about much more than checking an ID,” said Doug Anderson, president of The We Card Program. “Retailers today are navigating a rapidly changing marketplace, evolving regulations, concerns about illicit products, and the ongoing challenge of social sourcing. Our goal is to provide the training, tools, and resources that help retailers support their employees, and prevent youth access to age-restricted products.” Responsible retailing has always been We Card’s mission, and as the marketplace evolves, so do its programs. To address the shifting landscape, We Card has added programs and layered them into its broader toolbox of compliance efforts, including strategies to identify and prevent social sourcing. THE NEW REALITY IN TOBACCO RETAILING

Convenience store operators now must merchandise a complex matrix of e-cigarettes, alternative nicotine products and modern oral nicotine pouches alongside traditional tobacco products. At the same time, unauthorized and illicit products, especially in the vaping segment, continue to infiltrate the marketplace. Operators might assume that if a product is available in the marketplace, it must be legal for sale. Increasingly, that is no longer the case. “Staying on top of this dynamic is critical,” Anderson warns. “Failure to do so exposes retailers to significant risks, including fines, penalties, and potential threats to their ability to operate.” For convenience store retailers, illicit tobacco is a multibillion-dollar business issue involving compliance, consumer trust and lost tax revenue.

In 2024, sales of unauthorized flavored disposable e-cigarettes reached $2.4 billion, representing about 35% of all e-cigarette sales in c-stores and supermarkets. CIRCANA HIGH STAKES FOR CSTORES

Selling unauthorized products can trigger rapid regulatory backlash, including FDA warning letters, product seizures and other enforcement actions. If violations continue, the FDA can impose financial penalties exceeding $20,000 per violation. Retailers with repeated violations risk being prohibited from selling any tobacco products.

We Card recommends working with trusted manufacturers and distributors and consulting both FDA resources and the state directories listing the authorized products for sale. We Card’s Awareness Month in September focuses retailers on the importance of overall compliance and the equipping of stores and their employees with the tools, training, signage and resources they need to responsibly retail age-restricted products. “More than 1.2 million We Card kits have been sent to our partners, and 90% of retail locations selling tobacco display We Card signage,” said Anderson. “We’ve provided retailers with 4.6 million age calculation tools, 7.2 million training tools, and 6.2 million in-store signage materials. And we have 30,000-plus active monthly website users seeking tools, job aids, law summaries, and other key information they can use to prevent underage sales.” We Card’s tools address everything from calculating age at the point of sale to mitigating social sourcing—the growing practice of underage youth asking legal-age consumers to buy products for them. We Card has expanded its educational efforts with consumer-facing awareness campaigns like “Be a Real Influencer” and “We Card. We Care,” giving retailers the collateral they need to educate both employees and customers. We Card has helped lower the retail violation rate from 40% in 1997, when the federal government began requiring random inspections, to about 10% today. In 2025, retailers achieved an impressive 87% compliance rate across more than 117,000 FDA store inspections. “Retailers are vital businesses within their communities,” Anderson said. “Customers notice when stores are working hard to keep age-restricted products out of the hands of kids, and they appreciate those efforts.”

For more information and to order your 2027 We Card materials and train employees, visit www.wecard.org.

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SMALL OPERATOR

What if the electrons in EV batteries became a tradable commodity? Can your business profit from it?

capital improvements. It was a fascinating discussion and is captured in the evVG Vision Report that can be accessed, for free, at vgnsharing.com. Dr. Torre-Bueno’s plan got me to thinking about the future of EV batteries and how they might affect convenience retailing. Hence, my visit to the metaphorical fortuneteller to peer into the haze of the future. Have you ever thought about electricity arbitrage? What if the electrons in EV batteries became a tradable commodity? Can your business profit from it? Let’s look at the following hypotheticals. Jane Doe drives her EV to work. While she is at her desk, her EV is getting fully charged on cheap solar-generated electricity from solar panels on the roof of her office building. Let’s say it is costing her 25 cents per kilowatt (kw) to charge. (It could actually be free if the business installed the solar panels themselves and provided the service to their employees.)

companies must invest large amounts of capital to create these “peak” power plants and the transmission lines to go with them in order to stabilize the grid and match output with demand. Dr. Torre-Bueno’s suggestion is that electric vehicle batteries could help bridge the gap. EV owners can fully charge their batteries during the day when solar energy is cheap and then sell a portion of that energy back to the grid at night to close the demand gap. The electricity can either be sold back into the grid or used to power the EV owner’s home, reducing the need for more infrastructure and, therefore, reducing the costs to consumers who ultimately pay for the utilities’

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After work, Jane drives home and instead of paying the local utility 50 cents/kw to run the equipment in her house, she plugs her bidirectional EV into a socket and uses her cheaper electricity through the night — saving herself 25 cents/kw. In the morning, she has enough battery charge remaining to get back to work, where she recharges her car’s battery and the cycle repeats. Hypothetical No. 2 is that Jane drives her car home after work and decides that she’s going to have a quiet evening. She plugs her bidirectional EV into a different socket and sells her electrons back to the utility grid at 40 cents/kw — making a profit of 15 cents for each kilowatt that she puts back into the grid. The utility is better off because it did not have to make the capital investment to generate more energy, and

SMALL OPERATOR

they can resell Jane’s electrons to other homeowners at 50 cents/kw, where they make a profit of 10 cents/kw. A win for everyone. But how about this as hypothetical No. 3? While Jane is driving home, she passes your convenience store and sees a price sign saying that you are buying electricity for 40 cents/kw. Jane pulls into your location, plugs her bidirectional EV into the outlet at your store, and Jane‘s electrons go into the battery storage at your location. Jane has now made 15 cents on each kilowatt she sells to you, plus a free coffee and additional points in your loyalty program. You can now use those electrons to avoid incurring demand charges from the utility, sell them back to the utility at 45 cents/kw, resell the electrons to your EV customers at 55 cents/kw, or run your coolers, air-conditioning, lights and back-office equipment on electricity that is cheaper than you can buy from the grid.

If we start thinking of electrons as a fungible commodity, it allows us to maximize our opportunities in an electrified world. Bidirectional EV has a component that allows electrons to go in and out of a car battery (remember the ads for the Ford Lightning pickup truck that could power a house?), which I think will soon become standard equipment on EVs. This, in effect, makes an EV a mobile battery storage unit that can supplement the grid during high demand periods. The market would dictate that, as demand increases, the price for buying electrons from an EV will go up, creating a greater profit incentive for EV owners to participate. Of course, this is going to need a change in the mindset of utility companies and EV owners, as well as changes to regulations governing the electric utility industry. But the same way that supply and demand dictate the prices for hydrocarbons, it will also control the sale of electrons. The retailers who recognize this opportunity first will be the ones that will benefit the greatest. Have a look into your crystal ball and see whether electricity arbitrage is in your future. CSN

Roy Strasburger is CEO of StrasGlobal, a privately held retail consulting, operations and management provider serving the small-format retail industry nationwide. StrasGlobal operates retail locations for companies that don’t have the desire, expertise or infrastructure to operate them. Learn more at strasglobal.com. Strasburger is also cofounder of Vision Group Network, whose members discuss future trends, challenges and opportunities, and then share with all retailers and suppliers, regardless of the size of their business. Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of Convenience Store News.

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Steady Energy & Supports Focus

COVER STORY

PUTTING AI

TO WORK

IN CONVENIENCE RETAIL THE TECHNOLOGY IS GAINING TRACTION IN THE CHANNEL, BUT OPERATORS HAVE ONLY SCRATCHED THE SURFACE By Tammy Mastroberte

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AS AI TOOLS like ChatGPT, Grok and

Claude become everyday essentials for consumers, convenience retailers are increasingly adopting AI and rapidly scaling high-ROI applications across both their store operations and corporate headquarters. “Some retailers think AI is just ChatGPT, but it’s so much more,” said Babir Sultan, president and CEO of Independence, Mo.-based FavTrip, a chain of three convenience stores in the Kansas City area. “Don’t get distracted by all the things that come your way. Look at your business and ask, ‘Is this a problem for me, and is it worth solving with AI?'" Compared to big-box and grocery stores, convenience stores are still in the early stages of adopting AI. Adoption, though, is growing especially in “high return on investment areas,” noted Nick Goad, managing director and senior partner at Boston Consulting Group. “In-store, we see AI powering self-checkout, computer-vision monitoring and frontline ‘assistant’ tools, while at headquarters early scaled use cases focus on demand forecasting, pricing optimization, category analytics and employee scheduling,” he explained. As c-store operators enter the fast-moving and changing AI space, one important area to watch for is agentic shopping, where AI agents can search for products, compare prices and even complete purchases on behalf of consumers, according to Gray Taylor, former executive director of the technology-focused trade association Conexxus, who moved into a strategic advisory role as of April. “Agentic shopping is coming down on us so fast, and we need to pay attention to it. These search engines are going to do a live search for the consumer of all the data available and make recommendations,” he said, explaining that c-stores will need to make their pricebook and inventory available in real-time to compete with other c-stores, as well as other industries offering the same products, foodservice options and more. “Stores will have to put their data out there and the better quality of data you put out, the agent will rank you and start making

“Agentic shopping is coming down on us so fast, and we need to pay attention to it.” — Gray Taylor, Conexxus

decisions on how well you play in the space,” he said. Tapping Into Computer Vision Currently, AI-driven computer vision is becoming more common in the convenience channel. This field of artificial intelligence, which trains computers to see and understand digital images and videos, is assisting convenience retailers in a variety of ways — putting eyes in the store

S E P T E MBE R

2026

Convenience Store News

COVER STORY

without needing a human employee for monitoring. Use cases include security and fraud prevention, inventory management and self-checkout. “I don’t know a new c-store that is not offering self-checkout, and companies like Mashgin are taking it to another level with computer vision and checking people out three to five times faster. And this technology keeps getting better,” said Taylor. In the area of security and fraud prevention, computer vision is being used to monitor both cashiers and customers. The technology can be programmed — or trained — to look for certain discrepancies and flag security and fraud issues at the register and throughout the store, said Bill Miller, president of GK Software, with U.S. headquarters in Raleigh, N.C. He cited examples such as if an item did not get scanned but was put in a bag; or “ticket switching” where the employee scans a smaller priced item but bags one at a higher price. “At self-checkout, there can be a soft and a hard alert. So, a soft alert would be a gentle nudge to the customer saying, ‘Did you forget to scan your item?’ and a hard alert would lock up the register where a manager has to intervene,” Miller explained.

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At FavTrip, the retailer is using Eagle Eye Live, a proprietary technology that is now available to other c-store chains. The solution focuses on shoplifting prevention using heat mapping in the store, and the AI taps into any existing cameras both in-store and at the pump. “We can monitor the fuel island and see what type of truck pulled up and how long it stayed there,” Sultan said. “We are running a test with one fuel supplier who had an unmanned store with people putting scanning devices on the pump. It will alert the manager if someone has been at the pump for an unusual amount of time now to prevent this.” FavTrip also uses InStore.ai and was an early adopter of this technology, which monitors frontline employees for feedback and compliance, and analyzes customer interactions with voice analytics. It allows retailers to improve cashier engagement. “We have our employees promoting the text club to customers. It recently allowed us to identify an employee who is doing a great job at it, and we can encourage everyone to follow her model and also reward her for doing an amazing job,” Sultan explained. “We also flag conversations, so if customers complain a certain pump is not working or we are out of ice, we can use it to identify gaps where we can improve.” Improving Operations & Inventory From the point-of-sale to the back office, AI is also being used today to finetune all aspects of c-store operations. For instance, Carmi, Ill.-based Huck’s Market, which operates 135 locations in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri

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COVER STORY

“Look at your business and ask, ‘Is this a problem for me, and is it worth solving with AI?’” — Babir Sultan, FavTrip

inventory will be needed based on prior sales or even the weather. “Inventory performance in c-stores hinges on forecast accuracy, especially given high SKU velocity and fresh complexity,” Boston Consulting Group’s Goad pointed out. “AI-driven forecasting models incorporate local demand signals, seasonality and promotions to improve order recommendations, while optimization algorithms help allocate limited shelf space to maximize sales and reduce out-of-stocks.”

and Tennessee, is rolling out Tote AI chainwide. It is an AI-native point-of-sale platform built specifically for convenience and fuel retailers. “We didn’t want to change technology just for the sake of changing,” Huck’s Market CEO Murat Tokad told Convenience Store News. “As the convenience store experience has evolved, we finally found an AI-driven solution that was built specifically to meet the unique needs of our industry and genuinely support how our stores operate. The timing felt right to invest in something that helps our teams and improves the customer experience without adding disruption.” The technology enables faster transactions and easier product lookup, and includes an updated customer-facing display for shoppers to interact during the transaction, such as entering their loyalty number, signing up for the loyalty program, and more. “AI is built directly into the POS to make everyday tasks faster and more intuitive for associates, from faster transactions to easier training and issue resolution,” Tokad explained. “By reducing friction for teams and simplifying interactions for customers, it helps transactions move more smoothly, especially during busy periods. Over time, that combination has the potential to transform both the associate and shopper experience in meaningful ways.” Likewise, inventory management and product merchandising at c-stores are getting AI upgrades. AI-powered imaging can track out-of-stocks, low inventory and promotional display compliance at the store level. The technology can also be used to predict or forecast what

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He cited Merch AI by BCG X, which is a customizable merchandising platform that helps retailers “put the right products in the right stores, with the right space and at the right cost.” According to Goad, the software is evolving into an “agentic decision-support system.” Dipping into agentic AI, FavTrip is using OpenClaw (formerly known as Clawdbot) to help with product recommendations for its stores. Sultan said he can interact with it via text from his phone and ask questions on products based on trends and what is happening in the stores. “I can text it that I have a meeting and ask for the top two products I need to carry in beverages and snacks, and it never misses,” he said. “It freed up the person I have doing this work to focus on ordering things and creating relationships with suppliers rather than doing the research this program can do. It reports to me every day at 8 a.m. since I started using it.” The AI-Powered C-store of the Future AI is continually evolving and changing. Convenience retailers are interested in finding more ways to utilize the technology in the future to assist their employees, as well as the customers who shop their stores. “We see AI as a way to further support our in-store teams, not replace them,” said Tokad of Huck’s Market. “Over time, it can help reduce repetitive or manual

COVER STORY

AI in Action: Present-Day Applications • Weigel’s announced a partnership with Tote to bring its AI-native point-of-sale platform to all 90 of its convenience stores. The cloudbased platform combines POS, back-office, foodservice and store operations in a single system.

“We see AI as a way to further support our in-store teams, not replace them.” — Murat Tokad, Huck’s Market

tasks, so associates can spend more time on customer service and higher-value interactions.” AI will eventually be in charge of price updates, reorder quantities and more, according to Goad. “Humans will guide the strategic outcomes, AI will orchestrate across functions,” he said. “AI will bring together closed-loop systems that not only recommend but autonomously execute routine decisions — such as price updates, reorder quantities or microassortment adjustments — while escalating exceptions to merchants,” Goad continued. “For c-stores, this could dramatically increase speed and localization across thousands of small-format sites, provided strong data governance and controls are in place.” Convenience retailers are especially keeping a watchful eye on agentic technology and the ways it can be used in the store and outside of the store to attract new customers. “We're paying close attention as these capabilities continue to mature,” Tokad said. “For c-stores, the opportunity is significant, but adoption has to genuinely benefit the people it touches — our teams and the customers and communities we serve. As these tools evolve, so will how we put them to work.” CSN

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• Loop Neighborhood Markets is working with Tote to deploy Genie, a store associate AI agent, across its network. Available 24/7, Genie is helping the 63-store chain shorten associate training time, ensure compliance with procedures, and eliminate the need to escalate to busy store managers for answers to routine questions. • Majors Management LLC, which supports more than 1,400 c-stores across 21 states through its MAPCO brand and wholesale fuel supply network, entered into a strategic partnership with ResultStack to bring AI into its day-to-day operations. The companies plan to use AI and machine learning to improve pricing, inventory management, loyalty, labor planning and customer experience. • Kwik Trip Inc. is working with Eagle Eye to use its AI-powered gamification tool, Personalized Challenges, to deliver AI-powered personalized and gamified offers to its 5.25 million loyalty members. The customized promotions are based on shoppers' purchase histories, predicted behaviors and promotional responsiveness. • Casey’s General Stores Inc. renewed and expanded its partnership with SoundHound AI Inc. By leveraging voice AI ordering agents, Casey's stores can answer incoming calls for pizza even during peak mealtimes, reducing missed orders and long hold times while ensuring guests can place orders quickly and accurately.

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TOBACCO

Full Steam Ahead for Smokeless

As product regulation becomes more predictable, confidence in the segment soars By Renée M. Covino SMOKELESS TOBACCO alternatives are moving forward with

unmistakable momentum, backed by recent actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

2026 has been an unusually active year on the regulatory front as the FDA is tightening up enforcement, speeding up premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) reviews, and authorizing new products for the first time in years. Among the developments: • On May 5, FDA expanded market access by authorizing new electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products, including nontobacco, nonmenthol flavors. This is a major shift because flavored ENDS have historically been blocked. • On May 7, FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products announced major PMTA processing improvements, including a 70% backlog reduction and faster filing reviews for nicotine pouches and ENDS. Experts say as a result, compliant nicotine pouch brands such as ZYN, VELO, on! and Rogue could receive decisions sooner, while noncompliant brands may face faster removal. • On May 8, FDA issued new guidance outlining how it will target illicit products, especially those without PMTA authorization. Industry experts say this is the strongest anti-illicit market stance the agency has taken to date.

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• On June 26, the agency proposed new regulation that would strengthen its ability to identify unauthorized tobacco products imported into the country. The rule would require foreign tobacco product manufacturers to register with the FDA and provide detailed information about the products they sell in the U.S. • On June 30, FDA issued its first modified risk granted order to nicotine pouch products. Twenty ZYN products can now be marketed with a modified risk claim that informs adults who smoke about the lower risks associated with these products. If appropriately implemented, the FDA’s recent actions can be an important step forward to helping the 25 million Americans who continue to smoke cigarettes, the most harmful form of nicotine consumption, according to Sam Dashiell, manager of the U.S. Press Office for Philip Morris International U.S., maker of ZYN. “The agency’s science-based approach to evaluating products across the continuum

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TOBACCO

pathway for products undergoing FDA review are both critical to restoring a regulated marketplace,” a company spokesperson said. For several years, the industry has been waiting for clearer indications that the agency would both move products through the PMTA process and take meaningful action against products that have not gone through the process, noted Kellsi Booth, associate general counsel for Black Buffalo (now part of the ITG Brands family), which makes a modern oral nicotine product that mimics moist smokeless tobacco but without the tobacco leaf. “Recent actions suggest FDA is increasingly distinguishing between companies that invest in compliance and responsibility, and those that do not,” said Booth. It also signals that “the regulatory system is becoming more predictable and science-driven.” Chris Howard, executive vice president of external affairs and new product compliance at Swisher International, maker of Rogue, agrees that the current Administration’s approach to tobacco product regulation appears to be moving toward greater regulatory predictability.

“The strongest marketplace is one where responsible companies can compete on a level playing field, while products that do not meet regulatory expectations are appropriately addressed.” — Kellsi Booth, Black Buffalo

of risk and communicating those findings transparently can help ensure legal-age consumers have accurate information about and access to better, modern nicotine alternatives — a benefit to both c-stores and their consumers,” said Dashiell. Reynolds American Inc., manufacturer of VELO, told Convenience Store News that it views the recent FDA actions as encouraging signs that the agency is working to create a more effective regulatory framework for tobacco and nicotine products. “Strong enforcement against illicit products and a clear

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“While important challenges remain, recent actions provide additional clarity about the direction of the marketplace,” Howard said.

The C-store Impact

For convenience store operators, the recent FDA activity is an important and positive development as “a more active regulatory environment should provide greater confidence that products remaining on shelves are increasingly those with staying power,” Booth said. Regulation and innovation are not competing goals; they should reinforce one another, she added. “The strongest marketplace is one where responsible companies can compete on a level playing field, while products that do not meet regulatory expectations are appropriately addressed,” Booth explained. The way Howard sees it, the category is increasingly separating into products with a defined regulatory pathway and products that present greater regulatory uncertainty. Convenience retailers must understand which products are FDA-authorized; which have pending PMTAs that may fall within

TOBACCO

current FDA enforcement priorities; and which products could create regulatory, reputational or inventory risk, he advised.

and other smokeless oral nicotine products are central to the future growth of the U.S. nicotine market.

“As the market continues to evolve, regulatory credibility will become an increasingly important differentiator,” Howard said. “Retailers should prioritize suppliers that are investing in robust regulatory science, responsible marketing practices and appropriate FDA submissions, while maintaining a long-term commitment to compliance and product quality.”

She recently forecasted that nicotine pouches would generate about $11 billion in revenue by 2035 and become the second-largest category by volume after cigarettes. Herzog also emphasized that there will be long-term market transformation toward smokefree products as the main profit engine, with pouches as a top growth segment.

A Long-Term Transformation

Goldman Sachs Managing Director Bonnie Herzog has been steadfast in her assessment that nicotine pouches

“In the near term, expansion is likely to come through additional nicotine strengths, more refined flavor profiles, and variations in pouch size, texture and mouthfeel.” — Chris Howard, Swisher International

In Goldman Sachs’ fourth-quarter 2025 “Nicotine Nuggets” survey, retailers indicated that they expect strong momentum to continue in smokeless and oral nicotine products, with many planning to add shelf space to nicotine pouches at the expense of cigarettes, moist smokeless tobacco, and cigars. Now, with the flurry of FDA developments, industry insiders expect backbar resets to accelerate for the rest of this year and beyond. The continued migration from cigarettes and traditional smokeless products to innovative smokeless categories, including vapor and nicotine pouches, will continue, they say. And their belief is that nicotine pouches will continue to be the fastest-growing category in the nicotine space for the near future— with more innovation coming. “In the near term, expansion is likely to come through additional nicotine strengths, more refined flavor profiles, and variations in pouch size, texture and mouthfeel to better meet adult consumer preferences,” Swisher’s Howard stated. “While entirely new product formats will continue to emerge over time, most innovation in the next year is expected to occur within the pouch category itself,” he added. For the time being, Reynolds expects transitional periods of dual use, or polyusage, to remain common. “Many adult smokers do not move away from cigarettes in a single step and may use multiple product categories as they explore alternative smokeless products and determine what best meets their preferences,” the company’s spokesperson noted. CSN

FOODSERVICE

Driving Foodservice Profitability Through Innovation

Highlights from the 2026 Convenience Foodservice Exchange event in San Antonio By Angela Hanson MORE THAN 100 FOODSERVICE LEADERS from

across the convenience store industry came together to learn, network, sample and tour at the 2026 Convenience Foodservice Exchange (CFX) conference, presented by Convenience Store News. Held in San Antonio, the 11th annual CFX event explored the theme of “Profitability Through Innovation” and served as an exclusive networking and experience-focused conference that gave attendees new information and ideas about menu planning, culinary trends, marketing tactics, promotion strategy, and much more. In addition to local c-store visits and a historical walking tour and taste of San Antonio’s unique local cuisine, highlights included a keynote presentation by industry veteran Joe Chiovera and sessions led by expert speakers from a range of food-forward convenience chains and supplier companies. CFX also included the 2026 Foodservice Innovators Awards ceremony. Read on for key takeaways from the event.

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Learning, networking, touring and sampling were all part of the CFX 2026 agenda.

S E P T E MB E R

2026

Convenience Store News

FOODSERVICE

Forging a Pathway to Innovation WHEN CONVENIENCE STORE operators discuss ways to

boost foodservice sales, innovation is frequently one of the first concepts mentioned. Innovating in prepared food and dispensed beverages can spark consumer interest and encourage trial, among other things, but it’s not as simple as flipping a switch. In fact, innovation itself is an “easy but difficult” concept, according to Joe Chiovera, a convenience channel veteran and senior advisor at Premium Brands Holdings Corp. As he explained, “The biggest part of innovation is being able to accept failure.” “You fail more than you succeed in our business, especially in retail and foodservice. If it was easy, well, I mean, everybody would do it, right?” he said. “You have to be able to accept failure, and our industry does not handle that very well.” It’s also crucial that operators recognize the COVID-19 pandemic prompted major changes to consumer habits, and it is no longer enough to focus on commuters, soccer moms and the stereotypical “Bubba” as the target customers. “We have to think, where is the customer going? They’re not the same anymore, right?” Chiovera said. “Have we done that as an industry to meet the customer where they’re going?” Not only are consumers shopping at different times and 50 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

in different amounts, but they’re also utilizing different methods of transactions, with mobile ordering and order-ahead leading the way. Millennials and Generation Z shoppers are today’s prime convenience foodservice shoppers, and they’re seeking different things from the foods and beverages they consume. These generations are increasingly looking for functional benefits and are especially inclined toward products that boost energy and offer immunity support. They report that their top motivations for eating healthy are looking and feeling good. “What they eat, how they eat it, when they eat it is so important to them,” Chiovera said. “They’re reading labels like we never did before in our lives.” To innovate effectively, he told CFX attendees that they must take a phased approach to growth: • Phase one focuses on foundation before differentiation • Phase two focuses on cultivating simplicity through menu rationalization,

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FOODSERVICE

Innovation requires a high tolerance for failure, said convenience channel veteran Joe Chiovera.

product refinement and optimization, labor optimization and other steps • Phase three focuses on nurturing success through performance and other advanced considerations “You can’t just wake up and say ‘I’m gonna be innovative.’ If you want to be successful in innovating for your stores, having a strong foundation on the fundamentals is so important,” he pointed out. Taking a strategic and proactive approach to innovation, not a rushed or defensive approach, is most likely to lead to success, according to Chiovera. Retailers’ food and limited-time offer promotions calendar should run 18 months ahead, with plans locked in for the first six months, followed by six months of planning ahead with penciled-in projects that have room for changes, and then six months of future ideas with greater flexibility tied to the most distant plans. Innovation should be viewed as a value-creating investment, not an expense, with value-added as the antidote to price-based competition, he added. “There’s monetary value and there’s perceived value, right?” For millennials and Gen Z, perceived value matters most,” Chiovera noted. “They’ll spend the money just as long as it tastes good and suits their needs. They’re

52 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

looking for value, but value is not cheap.” In fact, 72% of consumers reported becoming more selective about where they spend their money on food in 2025, according to Datassential research. Great taste is the most frequently listed consideration, followed by value. “Value means so much other than cheap: great taste, low price, portion size,” Chiovera said. Other important value factors include the quality/freshness of ingredients, how filling/satisfying the meal is, and healthiness/ nutritional value. Whatever path to innovation and value retailers take, they must keep in mind that the customer has changed, and millennials and Gen Z are the ones driving the change. Operators need to stay strategic and proactive — never reactionary — and prepare for failure at some point in order to be successful in the long term. “We innovate for change. We innovate to disrupt. We innovate to carry momentum forward,” Chiovera concluded.

FOODSERVICE

operators view the menu as their No. 1 lever for growth and relevance. However, with trends peaking in weeks rather than months, Sandlin stressed that velocity matters more than volume. “If you’re slow, you’re not cautious, you’re just becoming invisible to the consumer,” she warned. This is because trends are no longer born within brands’ research and development kitchens. Instead, they come from creators, global culinary influences, social food culture and other sources, resulting in consumers experiencing food as content first and products second. Culture creates ideas, and execution of those ideas creates revenue. Retailers will win not just by spotting the next cool new food trend, but by “making it easy to order, easy to build, easy to repeat within your operations,” Sandlin said. Most ideas fail in the execution, but c-store operators can boost their odds of success by focusing on signal, simplifying and systemizing for scale:

Tackling Culinary Trends DRIVING PROFITABLE foodservice innovation in convenience

stores requires bridging the gap between social culinary trends and frontline operational execution. Megan Sandlin, senior category manager, restaurants at 7-Eleven Inc., revealed that while 70% of consumers are influenced by new items, 70% to 80% of limited-time offers (LTOs) fail because store staff cannot support complex builds.

To win individual customer trips amidst flat channel traffic, Sandlin emphasized to the CFX audience that c-store operators must move fast to translate viral culinary culture into simple, repeatable and craveable menu items. “Consumers are deciding how they want to eat based on social media and how the internet influences what we do, now more than ever,” Sandlin said during her presentation. “Whoever is the best translator tends to be the one that wins within the menus.” While overall menu innovation is up across convenience stores, as well as quick-service restaurants, results are not keeping pace. Of the 4,000-plus LTOs launched annually in the channel, only 20% to 30% sustain beyond the launch window. “It’s not that an idea is the problem; it’s how we’re actually translating it and bringing it to the consumer,” Sandlin explained, adding that one-third of operators cite execution complexity as their top barrier. “If an operator cannot support the menu item or LTO, that innovation never gets the impact it needs to have.” With channel foot traffic remaining flat to negative, operators must focus on winning individual customer trips. Updating the menu remains essential — 63% of 54 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

• Signal: Operators should pay attention, but not try to follow trends so early that they are really just noise. Repeated signals are a sign of actual growing trends. • Simplify: The best menu items don’t need any explanation. Consumers want accessibility more than authenticity; a familiar format will result in faster trial. • Systemizing for Scale: If a new idea doesn’t fit an operator’s system, it doesn’t scale. Features of scalable products include a familiar format, simple build, a clear flavor, and repeatable experience. A product needs to check all the boxes of understandable, executable, craveable and profitable to be worth investing in. “If the idea needs a bunch of new equipment or a bunch of complexity, that’s not going to make it easy to replicate and that idea is going to fail,” Sandlin said. Retailers should also consider global flavors, which are increasingly popular with consumers, and sauces, which offer many flavor possibilities and can be added to any menu item. Handheld and snackable items are more likely to do well, as they are easy to eat and suit the off-premise eating habits of convenience foodservice shoppers. Craveability is also an important factor, with items that have strong visual appeal outperforming other products in trial intent. “The visuals are going to really drive what consumers want to buy,” Sandlin said. “Getting a really craveable product at a really great price will help.”

FOODSERVICE

most obvious reasons are to drive sales and gross margin amid significant economic headwinds and declining transaction counts. More broadly, promotions can help introduce new items or product lines, influence customer behavior around daypart or product size, encourage trial, and increase basket size. “When trips are down, your No. 1 point of defense is to increase the basket size,” Salaria said. “You try to get customers to buy more, and you do that by expanding consumption.” One reason that is never good enough, she emphasized, is “we did it last year.” To accurately measure whether a promotion is successful or not, convenience store operators need to have a clear goal for each promotion, such as: • Drive more trips: Set a low street price, such as a 32-ounce fountain drink for 79 cents • Expand basket size: Incentivize multiples, such as two breakfast sandwiches for a discounted price • Build loyalty: Create new habits, such as launching a repeating free coffee Fridays offer Promotions built with intention become even more important as c-store retailers face a key industry reality: in-store transactions have not, and may never, return to pre-pandemic levels. Changes in commuting patterns have contributed to this shift, with commuting declining from 35% of trips in 2019 to 26% in 2025, a 9-point drop.

Getting Smarter With Targeted Foodservice Promotions STEP ONE TO SUCCEEDING in convenience foodservice is

having a quality offering at the right price. Step two is making sure consumers are aware of it and giving them reasons to try it. But crafting effective promotions is a more complex process than it seems. “It’s really critical to think about how we curate promotions that are really effective in our business and are not just driving sales and margin, but are really driving our overarching business objectives,” said Liza Salaria, senior vice president of category management and foodservice at consulting firm W. Capra, who explored the whys and hows of effective foodservice promotions during a session at this year’s CFX. When considering why retailers run promotions, the

56 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

“The challenge is we have never rebounded from COVID,” Salaria said. “There’s just less customers coming to our stores.” To make up for the lost traffic, retailers can create new trip missions and use promotions to encourage the type of trips they want to build. Examples of mission types and what customers are searching for when on them include: • Meal missions: Hot and ready for now, fresh for later • Vice missions: Smokes, quick fix, happy hour • Beverage missions: Refresh, power up • Snacking missions: Sweet treat, salty snack, light bites • Fill-in missions: Personal care, basic staples, meal for later

FOODSERVICE

When deciding what items to promote, retailers should consider secondary effects. For instance, a loyalty program member who buys a discounted gallon of milk may be paying less for that gallon, but their higher shopping frequency means the value of their incremental purchases makes them more profitable overall. “Investing in high-consumption products does drive more trips. But it’s not about just driving the trip. It’s about the basket that comes with the trip,” Salaria said. Discounted fountain drinks can serve as a key trip driver, as most customers will buy another item to go with their beverage. Retailers may want to require a food purchase to eliminate the segment of “cherry pickers” who would only purchase the discounted item and nothing else, she advised. “The key here is it’s not about the item, it’s about the habit, the trip and the affinity purchases,” she noted. Adjacencies really matter, Salaria stressed. If a promotion pairs a hot dog and a bag of chips, the chips should be located close to the roller grill. The worst thing for a combo promotion is to make customers have to search for the items in it.

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Promotions are increasingly important as c-store retailers navigate declining trips, according to Liza Salaria.

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FOODSERVICE

Leaning Into the Power of Local MAJOR CONVENIENCE STORE operators like

7-Eleven and Casey's General Stores Inc. get plenty of attention for their prepared food and beverage offerings, but chains don't have to be huge to achieve success in the category. Small operators and midsize chains can punch outside their weight class if they focus on what they do best and what their markets want from them. "Sometimes, small presents different challenges, but also has different opportunities," said Ieva Grimm, chief operating officer at Jim Dandy Stores, which operates eight locations along North Carolina's Crystal Coast. Grimm joined fellow panelist Philip Santini, senior director of foodservice and bar strategy at Rutter's, and moderator Kay Segal, industry advisor and consultant at Business Accelerator Team, to explore the power of local during a CFX panel discussion.

to prepare cheese rolls, breakfast bread and other items that customers can see and smell when they arrive. At Rutter's, which operates 90 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia, Santini said, "The differentiator for us is really not the size of the store, it's what's in it." Among the chain's most recent innovations is its 1747 Bar & Lounge concept, which blends the energy of a sports bar with the ease and accessibility of a c-store. "[It's] this place that you can go, enjoy a nice restaurant-quality meal and have a little bit of fun in there," Santini said. For the convenience channel at large, how a brand differentiates is very individualized, noted Segal, adding that while the industry is great at merchandising, it is still learning to market well. "Our marketing is really based on 'who is your customer? What is your offer? What do you want to be known for?'" with hyperlocal marketing as a subset, according to Segal. "It's brand impressions and how you're communicating about your brand to the outside world."

"The big piece that's allowed us to still be around is that local connection — the unique aspects of the offer in the stores," Grimm explained.

In a nutshell, hyperlocal marketing is a tactical way of reaching people searching for services. In the past, it was done through the yellow pages. Now, it's done digitally in a more targeted and efficient way.

This includes a focus on fresh-baked items. Jim Dandy's bakers arrive at 3 a.m. daily

One method is to manage a brand's Google business profile on a store level, paying attention to the photos,

60 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

FOODSERVICE

"We had people in our program that were not loyal customers, meaning that we did not require them to provide us any level of loyalty other than we handed you a card," Santini said. "Would anybody consider that customer a loyal customer? No, they just have something in their wallet they're keeping. They know that they're going to get 3 cents off."

Ieva Grimm (left) and Philip Santini discussed hyperlocal marketing.

information and ratings attached to individual locations, not just the company as a whole. This is particularly relevant considering the growing number of consumers who search for things like "food near me now open" with no prior brand experience. "If you've got people coming to your area, those are the ones that are pulling up Google Maps," Grimm said. "They're not the folks that are driving past you all the time." By choosing the photos attached to its Google business profile, Jim Dandy is able to curate what visitors see, which may be extra persuasive to consumers who searched for gas stations and may not have been expecting such a quality foodservice offering. Geofencing via mobile app is another way to draw consumers in exactly when they're positioned to visit a store, but the rewards for turning on notifications need to be attractive while not overly intrusive. Apps and loyalty programs as a whole should be revisited to ensure they are gathering customer insights and data, not just rewarding visits.

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Rutter's addressed this imbalance with a revamped loyalty program and app, which gives the company the opportunity to "hyperfocus on who these people are, what deals they're looking at or what deals they're getting through market basket data." Additional hyperlocal marketing tactics include charitable events such as Rutter's golf outings and a fundraiser for a playground, which sound small but are great for brand identity and building the next generation of customers. Jim Dandy also builds local connections by marketing its fresh-baked cookie program to high schools, booster clubs and local concession stands. Not only is the company making money as a catering program, but it's also marketing itself for future in-store customers. Whatever hyperlocal marketing tactics retailers choose, Segal advised them to "stay hungry." "The minute you stop being hungry to want to grow, to do something better, to finetune it, is when you start outdating," she cautioned. CSN

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CANDY & SNACKS

Decoding the New Snacking Landscape

C-stores must respond to changing consumer priorities and new avenues for product discovery By Danielle Romano A NEW ERA OF SNACKING has arrived. Not

only are consumers today snacking more frequently, but they’re also expecting more functionality from their snacks and increasingly discovering products through a growing mix of social, digital and in-store touchpoints. Today's snacking landscape can largely be defined by three F’s: fun, fuel and function, according to Sally Lyons Wyatt, executive vice president and global advisor, CPG and foodservice at Chicago-based Circana, who recently presented a "State of the Snack Industry" eye-opener session at the 2026 Sweets & Snacks Expo, held in Las Vegas in May. "We cannot be mistaken — snacking is all about fun," she said, noting that 62% of consumers describe snacks as exciting, up 10 points since 2021. "This is going to be fueled with a little bit of fuel, a little bit of function." Consumers are increasingly looking to snacks for nutritional support and convenience. More than half of consumers report eating three or more snacks per day. Still, 64 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

86% cite taste as the top purchase driver, according to Circana research. "So, this isn't an 'I'm going to give up on taste' because we all know if you don't land the taste, you're not going back," Lyons Wyatt said. Rather than choosing between indulgence and wellness, consumers are increasingly embracing what she described as a "healthy enough" mindset, balancing cravings and convenience with nutritional considerations. Demand continues to grow for products featuring protein, fiber, vitamins, hydration benefits and reduced sugar, while portion-controlled formats are gaining traction as shoppers seek moderation without sacrificing enjoyment. At the same time, indulgent categories remain resilient. Lyons Wyatt pointed to renewed growth in salty snacks, continued strength in chocolate and candy, and rising interest in globally inspired flavors, sweet-heat combinations and other bold taste experiences. "You cannot out-spice the consumer right now," she said. "Consumers want depth, not just heat. Growth is strongest in sweet-heat, creamy-spicy and layered profiles." How consumers discover products is changing as well. While family and friends remain the leading source of snack discovery, social media's influence continues to

NOT JUST ANOTHER GUM:

How PUR Delivers New Buyer Growth to the Gum Category and the Opportunity for Convenience When founder Jay Klein launched PUR Gum out of a backpack in 2010, his goal was straightforward: to create a clean alternative to legacy gum brands. PUR, the world’s best-selling aspartame-free gum, is making a major push into convenience stores, helping operators satisfy rising demand for betterfor-you options, while driving incremental category growth. PUR has built its business satisfying this consumer shift by offering aspartame-free, sugar-free gum, that’s 100% sweetened with xylitol. In this Q&A, Gord Moffat, PUR’s Director of Sales, and Oliver Woodburn, Director of Marketing, discuss how the brand provides c-store operators with an option that brings new buyers to the gum category, re-engages lapsed consumers, drives innovation, and builds sales. Convenience Store News: PUR has built a strong following in natural and mainstream retail. Why is now the right time to make a major push into the convenience channel? Gord Moffat: Better-for-you isn’t a niche anymore, it’s how mainstream shoppers buy. We proved the model in the Natural channel where PUR dominates with a 73% share, and have expanded listings in most major retailers including Target, Walgreens, Kroger, Albertsons, Publix and more, becoming the #1 fastest-growing brand. Convenience is the natural next step because it’s where gum thrives: front of store, impulse-driven, high frequency. Consumers are ready to buy PUR; the gap is at the register. PUR will be attending the NACS show this year to share our growth story and showcase our amazing products. CSN: Can you share data that supports the brand’s growth and how it expands the overall gum category? GM: The numbers tell the story: PUR is growing the gum category. We are the fastest-growing gum brand in North America, at +30% per year, we’re #2 in driving new buyer growth to the

category, and we’re ranked #1 bestselling gum brand on Amazon — proof consumers actively seek PUR out. Most importantly for retailers, 75% of our growth is incremental to the category according to NIQ data*: 19% from new buyers, 48% from current users buying more and 8% increased consumption. Experience shows that PUR re-engages lapsed gum consumers who walked away from artificial sweeteners — health-conscious shoppers who left the category years ago. CSN: Looking ahead, what opportunities do you see for innovation in the gum category, and how does PUR plan to support convenience retailers through new products and merchandising? GM: Innovation is where PUR also wins. In addition to top-selling mint flavors, we’ve launched Jumbo gum that’s 3 times the size of our regular gum in both top-selling fruit flavors and our new Jumbo Sourz flavors. These on-trend products appeal to younger consumers as well as nostalgic Millennials and GenX. Plus, the fact that all our products are 100% sweetened with xylitol gives us a real oral health

story consumers care about: fresh breath with benefits. For retailers, we’ve developed lay-flat merchandising trays that fit perfectly in convenience checkout spaces. We’re committed to this channel for the long haul. CSN: How is PUR using social media and influencer marketing to drive consumer demand before shoppers even walk into the store? Oliver Woodburn: We built this brand on demand creation, and social media is our engine. Our “Chew Better Gum” message resonates because it’s simple, shareable, and thought-provoking. Consumers love discovering that a better gum exists; PUR delivers all the flavor, taste, texture and freshening benefits but with a clean ingredient list! We partner with everyday consumers and influencers on TikTok and Instagram who reach millions of people that are thrilled to learn about PUR and all the reasons to chew it. When shoppers arrive at your store, they already know us, so if PUR is on your shelf, their purchase decision is easy.

Learn how to get PUR into your store! Contact sales@thepurcompany.com Visit PUR at the NACS Show 2026 – Booth C3578 ADVERTORIAL

CANDY & SNACKS

“Discovery no longer has a single front door.” — Sally Lyons Wyatt, Circana

noted during an education session at the Sweets & Snacks Expo focused on Gen Z and the rise of in-store discovery. Although this generation is comprised of digital natives, they are increasingly gravitating toward real-world experiences — particularly when it comes to product and flavor discovery. With 92% of Gen Z consumers saying they enjoy browsing convenience stores, the channel is evolving into a destination for discovery and product trial, creating new opportunities for brands to connect with younger shoppers, according to Lazarus. That shift is redefining the role c-stores play within the path to purchase. Rather than simply fulfilling an immediate need, convenience stores are becoming places where consumers intentionally browse, explore new products and seek out small indulgences. GSTV research found that three-quarters of Gen Z adults visit a convenience store at least once a week, while nine in 10 browse the store on purpose. "When the c-store stops being functional and starts being experiential, every brand on that shelf is suddenly playing a different game," Lazarus said. "You are no longer a convenience purchase, you are a discovery candidate." grow, with platforms such as TikTok increasingly shaping product awareness and purchase decisions. "Discovery no longer has a single front door. Consumers move fluidly across social, retail and digital touchpoints," Lyons Wyatt explained.

The C-store Opportunity

Alongside these changes in product discovery, convenience stores are being viewed in a different light. For decades, c-stores were largely looked at as functional stops — places consumers visited because they needed gas, a drink or a quick snack on the go. But that perception is now rapidly changing among Generation Z consumers (aged 14 to 29). "The c-store is no longer the means to a destination. For Gen Z, it is the destination," Lauren Lazarus, senior vice president of insights and analytics at Detroit-based GSTV,

68 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

The implications are particularly significant for sweets and snack brands. Gen Z shoppers are 31% more likely than other generations to discover new products in c-stores, reinforcing the channel's value as a testing ground for new flavors, limited-time offerings and emerging brands. The format also lends itself naturally to experimentation. With lower price points and single-serve packaging, snacks and beverages present a low-risk opportunity for shoppers to try something new. At the same time, convenience stores' smaller footprints can make innovative products more visible. In fact, 71% of Gen Z shoppers say the variety packed into a convenience store's compact format is part of the appeal, according to GSTV research.

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While trial often happens in-store, Lazarus emphasized that awareness still matters. Brands that build familiarity before a shopping trip are more likely to win at the shelf, making digital and retail media complementary rather than competing strategies. "The digital signal sparks interest; the physical environment closes the loop," she said.

Trendspotting on the Show Floor On the Sweets & Snacks Expo show floor, many of the products on display reflected the consumer behaviors and opportunities highlighted across the event’s education sessions.

Education sessions and the expo floor illuminated the future of candy and snacks.

From protein-packed snacks and probiotic treats to texture-driven confections and products inspired by viral internet culture, these were the six biggest trends spotted on the show floor: Function Meets Indulgence: Betterfor-you snacking continues to evolve beyond traditional health-focused products, with candy and snack suppliers increasingly incorporating functional benefits into indulgent formats. Texture Takes Center Stage: Exhibitors showcased products that layer crunchy, chewy, creamy and soft elements into a single bite, creating multisensory experiences designed to drive consumer engagement and trial. A New Spin on Familiar Favorites: Many suppliers are finding success not by creating entirely new concepts, but by reimagining products consumers already know and love. Snacking Goes Viral: Social media's influence on product innovation was impossible to ignore at this year's expo. Manufacturers are increasingly looking to online culture, viral trends and emerging consumer communities for inspiration. Bold Flavors Break Boundaries: Whether inspired by international cuisines, spicy flavor profiles or sweet-and-sour combinations, suppliers continue to push flavor boundaries as shoppers seek new and exciting snacking experiences. Value Remains Top of Mind: Despite the focus on innovation, exhibitors also acknowledged that affordability remains a key consideration for consumers. CSN

70 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

Finding Bright Spots

A look at how c-stores can capitalize on alcohol’s top-performing segments By Tammy Mastroberte WHILE THE ALCOHOLIC beverages category

Where it’s legal for c-stores to sell wine and spirits, retailers are shifting their focus to capitalize on what is doing well in the RTD segment. Meanwhile, when it comes to beer, many are “leaning into imports that have strong momentum right now,” said Dave Williams, president of Bump Williams Consulting, a beverage alcohol consulting firm in Shelton, Conn.

“Right now, the convenience channel is one of the most resilient and in some cases, still finding growth,” Kaleigh Theriault, director of beverage alcohol thought leadership at Chicago-based NielsenIQ, told Convenience Store News. “The c-store has primarily been a beer space historically, and we are seeing that shift over into the ready-to-drink (RTD) products that have been a bright spot, including flavored malt beverage, hard seltzer and spirits-based products.”

“Victoria and Pacifico are doing well in imports, and c-stores should also be finetuning their assortment to lean more toward super premium beer like Michelob Ultra, as well as some value brands doing well for them,” Williams noted.

The ready-to-drink segment in all U.S. markets, not just convenience stores, was up 4.8% in the first half of the year, according to Scott Scanlon, executive vice president of alcoholic beverages at Circana, a market research company based in Chicago. In the convenience channel specifically, premixed cocktails were up more than 50% for the 52 weeks ended June 14, he cited.

“Sometimes, c-stores wait until a trend is proven, but they have the ability to accelerate a trend,” she said. “Watching what is happening in the data and thought leadership reports and staying on top of the latest flavor trends in the category will help.”

is in decline across multiple retail channels, there are bright spots showing growth, with prepared cocktails leading the way. This is good news for convenience stores, which remain the destination channel for immediate and same-day consumption.

72 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

While each convenience store is limited by the size of the location and the number of cooler doors available, acting quickly on trends and recognizing what is performing well can help operators boost their sales in the total alcohol category, Theriault advised.

Boosting Malt Beverage Sales

Convenience stores lead in same-day consumption sales of beer, with 89% of purchases consumed immediately or on the same day, according to NielsenIQ data.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

“Sometimes, c-stores wait until a trend is proven, but they have the ability to accelerate a trend.” — Kaleigh Theriault, NielsenIQ

and are continuing to drive a large percentage of it, but also flavors like Busch Apple continue to do well, along with Pacifico,” he added, while also pointing to hard seltzers like White Claw seeing consistent growth. “White Claw has clawed its way back to growth in some pockets,” Williams echoed. The key for convenience stores, he explained, is shifting out underperformers from the cooler space and adjusting sets to put in some of the newer products that are taking off. In addition, an area that’s experiencing growth but sometimes isn’t focused on in c-stores is nonalcoholic beer, which was up more than 28% in dollar sales year over year for the 52 weeks ended June 14, according to Circana data. Nonalcoholic athletic brand Michelob Ultra NA and Heineken NA both present opportunities for convenience stores, said Scanlon. Wine-based cocktails like BuzzBallz are experiencing strong sales growth.

While the beer category is experiencing an overall decline as well — including in convenience stores — there are some segments outperforming market headwinds, which can be capitalized on by c-store operators. This includes super premium beer, such as international imports, craft beers and higher-alcohol domestics like Michelob Ultra and Samuel Adams Utopias. “The category of beer is challenged across all off-premise outlets but imports still have a pretty strong grip in c-stores, along with the super-premium like Michelob Ultra,” reported Williams. “Mexican imports, value brands and even flavored offerings have some momentum.” Corona Sunbrew, Keystone Light Apple and AnheuserBusch’s Busch Light Apple are a few of the flavored beer options performing well, especially during the summer months, along with flavored seltzers, according to Circana’s Scanlon. “Modelo and Michelob Ultra drove the growth last year 74 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

“The c-store channel has been slower to accept the nonalcoholic beer trend and some of these products within the set, but there is a huge opportunity for that,” Theriault agreed.

Boosting Wine Sales

Similar to beer, nonalcoholic options in wine are showing growth rather than decline. According to NielsenIQ data covering the four weeks ended July 11, nonalcoholic wine across all off-premise channels posted a 15.7% increase in dollar sales and a 12% increase in volume nationwide. Meanwhile, c-store specific data from Circana for the 52 weeks ended June 14 showed nonalcoholic wine grew 21% within the convenience channel. Still wine remains the top category seller in terms of dollars, though sales dropped 4.5% nationwide in the four-week period

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

“C-stores are shifting space from malt-based to spiritbased where they can be legally sold.” — Dave Williams, Bump Williams Consulting

bifurcated total alcohol industry.

Cutwater and other premixed cocktails are a silver lining in the alcoholic beverages category.

ended July 11, per NielsenIQ. Sparkling wine, No. 2 in dollar sales, experienced less of a drop — down only 0.2% over the same period. “In c-stores, the still and table wine smaller boxed wines (375ml instead of 750ml) — and even 200ml cans — are a format still finding success as they are more in-hand occasions,” said Williams. Also, wine-based BeatBox and BuzzBallz are “still growing and gaining traction.” Other wine options doing well include Black Box and La Marca, as many of the boxed wines are “tailor-made for the c-store and they should go heavy in carrying it,” Scanlon offered. Traditional wine bottles are still selling in c-stores, too. “Brands like La Marca that the younger demographic likes, and Josh Cellars, which is an every-person wine, are working well,” he added.

Boosting Spirits Sales

The highlight of the alcoholic beverages category in convenience — and all off-premise channels — right now is prepared cocktails. In the convenience channel, premixed cocktails were up 50.1% during the 52 weeks ended June 14, according to Circana data. NielsenIQ defines this category as spirits-based ready to drink and ready to serve cocktails, wine-based cocktails, flavored malt beverages (FMB), and seltzers. In its July 2026 “Total Alcohol Pulse” report, the consumer intelligence company described prepared cocktails as “the ongoing beacon of hope, sustaining growth trends” in a

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Across all off-premise channels, spiritsbased RTDs demonstrated the most positive trends for the four weeks ended July 11 — delivering 22.2% dollar growth and 21.9% volume gains. Wine-based cocktails also contributed to growth, up 7.5% in sales and 2.3% in volume. Conversely, FMBs and seltzers experienced some weakness. “Prepared cocktails or ready-to-drink single-serve cans, even in a four- or eight-pack, are becoming very popular,” Theriault explained. “The c-store is already a destination purchase for beer and now these as well.” According to Theriault, there are a lot of flavor trends in this segment. Popular ones as of press time included lemonade, limeade, tea, tropical and grape, as well as growth in “sweet heat” varieties such as chili lime margarita and mango habanero. “The prepared cocktails and wine-based cocktails are still new, and assortment is getting sorted out as consumers are exposed to new brands,” Williams said. “There is still some novelty, and c-stores are shifting space from malt-based to spiritbased where they can be legally sold.” The top five prepared cocktail brands by dollar growth for the four weeks ended July 11 were Cutwater Cocktail, Surfside Cocktail, Sun Cruiser Cocktail, BuzzBallz and Super Lyte Cocktail, NielsenIQ reported. In terms of overall dollars for the same period, White Claw took the No. 1 spot, followed by Twisted Tea, High Noon Cocktail, Smirnoff and Buzzballz. “C-stores should pick the top two or three brand leaders fueling growth,” Williams said. CSN

GROCERY

A Guide to the New SNAP Rules

Achieving compliance may prove more challenging than expected By Angela Hanson CONVENIENCE RETAILERS that wish to participate in the

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) face a notable shift in requirements following the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) publication of the final rule regarding stocking standards. Achieving proper compliance may be trickier than expected. The rule, published May 8 and set to take effect Nov. 4, marks the most significant change to SNAP eligibility standards in nearly a decade, according to a recent webinar presented by NACS and hosted by Margaret Mannion, NACS' director of government relations, and Doug Kantor, NACS' general counsel and senior vice president. While as of press time, NACS was seeking a delay of the rule's implementation based on a lack of updates to the USDA's retailer website and guidance document, convenience stores that participate in SNAP should take steps to prepare for the new stocking requirements.

food varieties in three separate groups for organizational purposes: • Group 1: Single-ingredient varieties • Group 2: Derivative food product varieties • Group 3: Shelf-stable varieties Group 1 consists of foods that, with no other ingredients added, count as distinct staple food varieties, such as shell eggs, dry beans and flour. These items are separate from multi-ingredient foods with the same main ingredient; for example, plain chicken but not seasoned chicken, or plain milk but not flavored milk.

In each of the four staple food groups — protein, grains, vegetables/fruit and dairy — retailers will be required to stock seven varieties of food and carry three stocking units each. One variety must be perishable in at least three of the four categories.

Group 2 consists of derivative food products that count as one distinct staple food variety regardless of type, kind, flavoring or main ingredient, such as pasta/noodles, breakfast cereals and shredded cheese. Any other food item not on the list of items in the group with the same main ingredient will count as a separate variety.

The USDA is also distinguishing certain kinds of staple

"If a food is listed by USDA under Group 2,

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GROCERY

milk and dried/powdered milk. Beef can be a main ingredient, but preparation and shelf stability create distinct varieties, according to the new rule. Raw ground beef is different from frozen beef ravioli or canned beef stew. Retailers will need to correctly classify products in each food group to understand which group they come from and ensure they stock seven or more distinct varieties. For dairy, all perishable liquid milk products (including whole fat milk, nonfat milk and 2% milk) would count as a single variety; having different SKUs is not enough to distinguish them. However, stocking whole milk and chocolate milk would count as two of the seven varieties.

it would count as just one variety even if the main ingredient is a different ingredient," Mannion pointed out. "Whole grain rice noodles, even though it's made of rice, and whole grain wheat noodles, even though it's made of wheat, that counts as one variety. You can't use both of them to count as two varieties." In Group 3, items that are sold in a shelf-stable form with or without other ingredients count as distinct varieties from both the single-ingredient items in Group 1 and the perishable, multi-ingredient foods with the same main ingredient. Examples include meat, poultry, fish, liquid

C-store operators must keep in mind that prepared foods (either hot or cold) do not count toward SNAP stocking requirements. Cold prepared foods include any item that is: made by the retailer (including food products that are assembled, cooked, mixed or otherwise prepared); and made or prepared by the retailer on-premises, sold cold and requiring no additional preparation for immediate consumption. Accessory foods also cannot count toward stocking requirements. These include snacks and desserts (such as chips, ice cream and snack bars); food items that complement/supplement meals (such as carbonated and uncarbonated beverages, condiments and spreads); and edible items used in food preparation (such as spices and seasonings, butter, and cooking oils and fats). CSN

Once the new stocking standards rule goes into effect, convenience retailers must:

What’s Changing?

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• Stock seven distinct varieties per staple food category, up from three • Include a perishable variety in at least three of the staple categories, up from two • Have three units of each variety (84 items in total) on shelves, up from 36

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35 YEARS

TECHNOLOGY

Elevating Today, Innovating for Tomorrow

Convenience Store News introduces the 2026 Technology Leader of the Year honorees By Melissa Kress AT THE HEART of the convenience store

industry is the customer and the promise of delivering convenience to them in a fast, efficient and friendly manner. While the human element is a critical part of the equation, convenience retailers are increasingly meeting the needs, wants and expectations of today’s c-store shoppers with the help of technology. Take a quick look around the industry and you’ll find many examples of convenience store operators embracing technology. A closer look uncovers those that are leaning in a little more. This year, Convenience Store News is honoring four such retailers in its 2026 Technology Leader of the Year awards program. Now in its 11th year, this program recognizes convenience retailers (a company

or an individual) that demonstrate exceptional vision and innovation in the development and utilization of technology solutions for the good of their own organization, and contribute to the advancement of the c-store industry as a whole. Nominations were accepted in two categories: Large Chain Award, recognizing a retailer with 51 stores or more; and Small Chain Award, recognizing a retailer with 50 stores or less. The 2026 Technology Leader of the Year honorees are: • Large Chain Award, Gold Medal: 7-Eleven Inc. • Large Chain Award, Silver Medal: Matthew Makarem, Loop Neighborhood Markets • Small Chain Award, Gold Medal: Hot Spot Convenience Stores • Small Chain Award, Silver Medal: FriendShip Kitchen Read on for profiles of this year’s winners.

Join Us in Recognizing Excellence The Technology Leader of the Year honorees will be presented with their awards at the 2026 Technology Leadership Roundtable & Awards Dinner, hosted by Convenience Store News. Against the backdrop of the NACS Show in Las Vegas, the event will take place the evening of Oct. 7 at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab. Along with the awards ceremony, the night will feature interactive discussions, an exclusive research presentation and more.

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Retailers interested in attending can scan the QR code to register.

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TECHNOLOGY

Large Chain Award, Gold Medal:

7-Eleven Inc. Irving, Texas

7-ELEVEN INC.’S innovation streak touches

all areas of the store, and technology plays a key role as the retailer works to transform convenience at scale in a digital-first environment. That’s some heavy lifting considering 7-Eleven serves more than 12 million customers a day. “As a pioneer in convenience retail, 7-Eleven Inc. continues to connect physical and digital experiences to better serve customers, support employees, improve profitability and influence how the industry operates,” the company’s nominator noted. The retailer’s strategy centers on delivering seamless, connected experiences that meet changing customer expectations. With more than 12,000 stores across the United States and more than 86,000 globally, the company offers unmatched accessibility — extended through 7NOW Delivery, which brings thousands of items to customers in as little as 30 minutes.

Delivering Innovation

Inside its stores, 7-Eleven has scaled several digital and frictionless solutions that simplify everyday interactions. Mobile checkout allows customers to scan and pay directly through its app,

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while dual interface self-checkout and AI-powered Quick Checkout (QCO) improve speed and reduce wait times. Sevvy, an AI-powered assistant within the app, adds a more intuitive and personalized layer to the experience, according to the company. In the past year, 7-Eleven also launched a Localization Initiative designed to remove language barriers across its digital ecosystem. Piloted within 7POS Assisted Self-Checkout and 7QSR kiosks, this capability enables customers to interact in their native language through real-time, context-aware translations. By leveraging large language models that understand regional dialects and retail-specific terminology, the system reduces order errors, shortens time-to-checkout and delivers a more inclusive, frictionless experience. Within the last year, 7-Eleven strengthened the reliability and transparency of 7NOW as well through a modernized order lifecycle and Order State Machine. This enables real-time tracking, proactive notifications and clearer visibility across customers, stores and drivers. Additionally, the redesigned 7NOW.com online platform has reduced page load times from approximately seven seconds to two seconds, while availability-aware merchandising ensures customers only see items that can be fulfilled, creating a more dependable experience.

Data-Driven Decisions

Loyalty — supported by a strong, connected data foundation — is central to customer engagement and customer experience at 7-Eleven. With more than 100 million loyalty members and more than 12 million daily shoppers, 7-Eleven’s nominator pointed out that the retailer uses real-time insights to understand behavior and guide decisions across the business.

The company’s enterprise data platform, built on Databricks, brings together data across mobile, loyalty and in-store systems, enabling faster iteration and more relevant engagement. AI is embedded into daily operations, from marketing to merchandising to maintenance. In the back office, 7-Eleven eliminated the operational drag of fragmented data and manual reconciliations of financial data during period and quarter close by migrating from multiple legacy finance and accounting systems to a single, unified platform. The Localization Initiative further strengthens this data strategy by introducing a centralized, AI-driven orchestration layer. By analyzing language usage patterns across self-checkout and kiosk interactions, the retailer can identify emerging customer demographics, optimize regional marketing strategies, and refine digital experiences in real time. Other tech moves 7-Eleven has made recently to propel its business forward include: • A proprietary AI-powered assistant built on Mosaic AI that enables teams to generate customer briefs, create content and deliver targeted offers more efficiently, reducing audience segmentation timelines from more than a week to just hours. • An AI-powered Technician Maintenance Assistant that provides instant access to manuals and equipment data through natural language queries, reducing search time by up to 60% and improving first-time fix rates by 25%. • An AI-powered frontline hiring transformation, developed with Workday and Paradox. Through its conversational AI assistant, “Rita,” 7-Eleven reduced time-to-hire from approximately 10 days to fewer than three, while saving more than 2 million hours annually and enabling 85% of applicants to be scheduled for interviews within an hour.

Acting Now for the Future of Convenience

7-Eleven continues to advance innovation through a disciplined test-and-learn approach. Its Evolution Stores serve as testing environments for new formats, technologies and services, and the insights gleaned inform the broader rollout of New Standard Stores.

7-Eleven uses real-time insights to understand behavior and guide decisions across the business.

In its ongoing push to champion innovation in the convenience channel, 7-Eleven has introduced a Robotic Test Automation initiative that bridges the gap between software and physical store systems. Using proprietary solutions such as TapperBot, ScannerBot and the MODARM robotic platform, the company can simulate real-world checkout scenarios — contactless payments, barcode scanning and age verification — to ensure system reliability before deployment. By combining robotics, AI and in-house engineering, the retailer has reduced reliance on third-party hardware, improved testing scalability and created a repeatable, data-driven model for validating store and fuel systems across its 12,000-plus locations. In tandem, 7-Eleven is building toward a unified app ecosystem across 7-Eleven Inc., 7NOW and Speedway, while exploring emerging channels such as in-vehicle commerce, gaming and connected TV. The company also patented technology to detect and prevent fuel theft in real time, addressing a longstanding industry challenge. “What sets 7-Eleven Inc. apart is its ability to operate at scale while continuing to redefine convenience retail,” its nominator said. “With approximately 50% of U.S. households within two miles of a store, the company is positioned to influence how the industry develops.”

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TECHNOLOGY

Small Chain Award, Gold Medal:

Hot Spot Convenience Stores Spartanburg, S.C.

HOT SPOT CONVENIENCE STORES operates a network of 41

c-stores in the Carolinas. While this may be on the smaller size compared to some convenience channel portfolios, the company has distinguished itself as a technologyforward player in the industry. The chain executes a cohesive digital strategy that enhances the customer journey, strengthens employee engagement, drives business performance, and elevates the role of technology across the enterprise. Over the past 12 months, Hot Spot has moved beyond incremental technology upgrades to deliver meaningful, scalable innovation across all its locations. Case in point: the retailer remains focused on winning the customer and is leveraging technology to do just that by reducing friction and increasing engagement at every touchpoint.

Improving the In-Store Experience

Hot Spot implemented electronic shelf labels (ESLs) across its stores, enabling faster price changes, improved accuracy and greater promotional agility. This investment, according to the company, not only improves the in-store experience for customers but also streamlines execution at the store level. In addition, the chain installed digital TV screens across its portfolio, providing a modern communication platform for promotions, food programs and brand messaging. The result: a dynamic, engaging in-store experience. Central to the retailer’s connection to its customers is

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the Hot Spot mobile app. Over the past year and a half, it’s added more value to its mobile presence with several enhancements: • Fully integrated fuels rewards • Mobile food ordering • App-based customer gaming with rewards “Together, these initiatives deliver a unified, digital-first experience that meets evolving consumer expectations while strengthening customer loyalty,” the company stated.

Improving the Employee Experience

While Hot Spot leverages tech tools to connect with its customers, it does not overlook those who can connect with customers outside of the bounds of technology: its employees. Recently, the company introduced an Employee Hub within the Hot Spot app. Through this hub, associates have access to a centralized platform for important company news, updates and communication. The hub also includes exclusive free offers for employees, reinforcing Hot Spot’s commitment to recognizing and rewarding its frontline teams. “By embedding employee tools directly into the same digital ecosystem used by customers, Hot Spot creates alignment,

EVERY accessibility and consistency across the organization,” the retailer noted.

Improving Profitability & Operational Efficiency

Technology investments at Hot Spot are designed to deliver measurable business impact. Notably, ESLs reduce labor hours and pricing errors; mobile ordering, loyalty features, gaming and digital offers increase transaction frequency and basket size; and digital media and appbased promotions improve campaign effectiveness while lowering reliance on traditional signage and manual execution.

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SLICES

“These initiatives collectively support stronger cost control, improved margins and scalable growth,” a company spokesperson explained. By expanding its digital ecosystem, Hot Spot is also generating actionable data across customer behavior, promotions, loyalty engagement and digital ordering — providing pivotal insights the retailer uses to refine marketing strategies, personalize offers, evaluate vendor partnerships, and guide operational decisions. As a result, tech investments translate into real performance gains. Speaking of vendor partnerships, Hot Spot is not traversing its technology journey alone. The retailer enhances its in-house capabilities through strategic tech partnerships. For example, the company partners with Mobivity for mobile engagement and targeted offers; Get It for enhanced digital food ordering functionality; and Electrum Corp. for advanced app-based customer offers and promotions. These partnerships, the company emphasized, reflect Hot Spot’s willingness to collaborate, innovate and scale solutions that align with changing customer and operational needs. “By integrating electronic shelf labeling, digital media, mobile ordering, fuel rewards, customer gaming and employee engagement into a single, cohesive platform, Hot Spot demonstrates how convenience retailers can effectively leverage technology to modernize operations and strengthen brand loyalty,” its spokesperson said. “The company’s execution provides a practical model for how technology can be deployed at scale with measurable returns.”

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TECHNOLOGY

associate AI agent, to assist with employee inquiries regarding customer service, point-of-sale operations, maintenance, payments and more. Genie is available 24/7, supports multiple languages and works via voice and chat. The rollout of Genie across Loop’s network is designed to assist associates with training and day-to-day tasks, allowing them to quickly search for answers tailored to their specific store location rather than consult standard operating procedure manuals tucked away in binders.

Protecting Profits, Driving Growth

On the loss prevention front, Makarem has taken the lead in the retailer’s partnership with Envysion, a Motorola Solutions company, to transition loss prevention from gut instinct to data-driven, proactive asset protection. He leveraged POS video integration to automatically isolate credit card reuse, partial match anomalies, employee refund fraud, and unauthorized line voids. Large Chain Award, Silver Medal:

Matthew Makarem, Director of Loss Prevention & Employee Development Loop Neighborhood Markets Union City, Calif.

AS DIRECTOR of loss prevention and employee development

at Loop Neighborhood Markets, owned by Vintners Distributors, Matthew Makarem is well-versed in what it takes to run safe and efficient convenience store operations — and AI plays an integral role.

Loop, which operates more than 50 stores across California, has invested in key applications that are delivering measurable value, such as AI-powered inventory management, dynamic fuel pricing and advanced, frictionless customer experiences. “The investment in AI tools for convenience stores and gas stations is fundamentally transforming the industry from a reactive, manual business into a predictive, high-efficiency operation,” Makarem explained. His responsibilities at Loop center on driving business intelligence, operational execution, advanced loss prevention, and employee training. Among his recent accomplishments, he directed the deployment and performance monitoring of operational platforms across Loop’s 50-plus regional sites, and spearheaded the integration of Zebra to track, evaluate and scale field execution metrics. He also worked with Tote to launch Genie, a store

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Additionally, he established structured audits that pinpoint and log performance adjustments, covering strict compliance vectors such as cash security, POS verification and age-restricted ID checks. To showcase Loop’s commitment to safety and efficiency, Makarem recently highlighted some of these technologies at the NACS Loss Prevention & Safety Symposium. Among the tools he has had a hand in implementing across the business are: • AI alerts notifying of any camera movements, going offline, etc. • AI-powered human detection cameras • Panic button and strobe sirens built into the surveillance platform, which auto records and auto dispatches management • Smart sensors that capture distressed calls, smoke/vapor, etc. • Incident management software within the surveillance platform to track all incidents “With the technology we are using, we can safely say that — directly or indirectly and based on quantified data — the technology that we use and invested in has proven an increase in sales and reduction in costs, and we have seen less incidents and accidents,” Makarem said. “We see an increase in customer service, our shrink percentage has been under 1% of the cost of sales — one of the lowest shrink-to-sales percentages in the industry — and we observed gains in productivity and, most importantly, an increase to our bottom line.”

Small Chain Award, Silver Medal:

FriendShip Kitchen Fremont, Ohio

WITH ROUGHLY 30 convenience stores in its

portfolio, FriendShip Kitchen, the c-store arm of Beck Suppliers Inc., falls on the smaller side of the industry spectrum, but you wouldn’t know it when it comes to technology utilization. The convenience retailer uses customerfacing and operational technology — including its mobile app, digital menuboards, self-checkout, and integrated point-of-sale and inventory systems — to operate with the speed and precision of much larger chains.

From a customer perspective, the tools make guest visits faster and more rewarding. They can choose quickly from digital menus, skip the line with digital checkout, apply offers from the mobile app, and earn loyalty rewards in minutes. FriendShip Rewards members save 25 cents per fuel gallon during their first visit, earn discounts on gas by earning points on qualifying purchases, receive memberonly pricing, and can take advantage of specially marked bonus offers in-store to rack up additional points.

Pulling Back the Curtain

Behind the scenes, FriendShip Kitchen focuses on practical technology tools

that work across all its stores, rather than layering on complex systems. Case in point: real-time data and tools can be accessed through the chain’s point-of-sale system, employee mobile devices, and PDI Technologies Inc. systems. This information enables team members to maintain in-stock positions, reduce shrinkage, improve promotion strategies, optimize labor efficiency, and respond quickly to demand. “Data is a priority and drives our daily decisions. For example, analyzing milk waste allowed us to adjust ordering, reduce spoilage and improve margins without impacting availability,” the retailer noted. “Technology enables smarter decisions and a stronger, more disciplined business at our scale.” Using data to adjust ordering has reduced product waste while maintaining strong in-stock positions and improving responsiveness to sales trends, according to the company. “As a small operator, FriendShip Kitchen is setting the tone for how emerging chains can operate like large enterprises. We prioritize innovation through disciplined, integrated use of technology to deliver the precision, speed and insight of bigger chains,” the retailer explained. This approach works, and it’s reshaped how FriendShip Kitchen’s teams and its vendors partners operate. Store teams rely on data over instinct, vendors align more closely with demand, and teams collaborate with greater clarity and accountability. “We demonstrate that advancing the industry is not about scale, but execution — proving that small retailers can lead and compete through smart, disciplined use of technology,” the retailer stated. CSN

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LOYALTY GETS PERSONAL

Move over mass mailings, c-store retailers are increasing visits and boosting basket size with personalized loyalty program offers and rewards By Tammy Mastroberte LOYALTY PROGRAMS are still the gold stan-

dard when it comes to collecting data on customers, influencing customer purchases — with the hope of increasing visits and overall sales — and keeping customers satisfied and loyal. But gone are the days of punch cards or blanket marketing where every member receives the same promotion or reward. Thanks to advancing technology, such as artificial intelligence, personalized loyalty is taking over. “Anything you can do with a loyalty program is a good thing,” Jeff Keune, founder and principal consultant of Boston-based 4910 Consulting, told Convenience Store News. “In the past, it was punch cards or rewarding people for how many times

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they visited, but today there are so many options that are data- and behavior-driven.” Personalization in loyalty enables retailers to drive specific behaviors using customer segments or true one-to-one individual customer marketing, rather than sending mass promotions or offers to an entire loyalty list regardless of their previous purchases or preferences. “It’s what transforms the customer relationship with a brand from transactional to meaningful because they are getting value,” said Meghan Wang, a strategist at Newton, Mass.-based Paytronix Systems Inc., a digital guest engagement platform. “Working with segmentation and looking at what customers are buying can allow for customized offers because the morning coffee shopper should be treated differently than an evening energy drink buyer.” When a retailer knows the categories a person buys

“It’s what transforms the customer relationship with a brand from transactional to meaningful because they are getting value.” — Meghan Wang, Paytronix Systems Inc.

frequently and looks at the data to see what products are often purchased together, they can use this information to help customers trial new products based on what they are purchasing, according to Wang. “For the morning coffee drinker, you can entice them with a deal on a breakfast sandwich or pastry to increase the sale and get them to try something new, which you wouldn’t do for the 11 p.m. energy drink customer,” she said. Kwik Trip Inc., the La Crosse, Wis.-based

operator of more than 900 Midwest convenience stores, is taking it even further by working with Eagle Eye, a SaaS and AI technology company, to individually target and gamify promotions that incentivize incremental spending. Challenges are personalized for each customer. “Kwik Trip is using AI to create offers that reflect purchase behavior, preferences and sensitivity to promotions,” explained Jeff Baskin, Eagle Eye’s chief revenue officer. “The predictive AI processes each customer’s purchase history, visit frequency, category preferences and sensitivity to offers. Then based on that, it will create individual offers. It makes 100s of AI-driven decisions per customer and with this, two people may buy the same thing but never see the same offer.” Convenience store customers are not only more satisfied with personalized offers, but they’re also more responsive to them because they are finding value and feel the brand is valuing them overall. This strengthens the relationship, Wang noted. “Personalization creates a personal relationship because it is giving customers relevant offers, so they will take the time to look at what you send. They will come into the store, spend more time there, talk about it on social media, and you are building a relationship,” echoed Heather Webb, director of marketing for Patron Points, a Woodbury, Minn.-based provider of loyalty and customer engagement technology solutions for the convenience industry.

How to Get Personal

Data is a must to get to the level of personalized loyalty. But more than data, there needs to be a way to sort through and analyze the data to make it actionable. The ability to scan through transactional and loyalty data to

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the outcome they wish to achieve and then build and monitor the system to make sure it is accomplishing that goal. “If you don’t know the behavior you are trying to drive, then you don’t know what to measure to see if it’s working or not,” she explained. Personalization strategies can include: • Discounts on new items applicable to past purchases • Offers based on shopping behavior to increase a customer’s number of store visits per week or month • Offers dedicated to customers by daypart

reveal what is happening will inform decisions around promotions, offers and incentives.

“The morning shopper should get the message or email early enough, so they see it before they make their next visit,” Paytronix’s Wang advised, “and if a customer lapses in visits, you can send something to try and win them back.”

“With a mobile app or email, the engagement seen with tapping on deals or opening notifications can help understand the customer, so this data is really important as well,” said Webb. “Having a platform to pull all the pieces of data together to identify and segment your customers is needed.”

Patron Points offers a Personalization Plus (P+) program to its customers and works with Altria to target tobacco products. This program uses a tiered system based on visits, in addition to offering discounts. The goal is to increase customer visits to the store, which increases sales and basket size for the retailer, according to Webb.

Once the data is available and there is a platform to sort it and identify opportunities, the next step in personalizing loyalty is creating customer segments based on a number of options, such as past purchases, behavior, categories shopped, time of day they visit, and price sensitivity.

Even though some offers are only 25 cents off, by targeting customers to come back with a specific discount, retailers often see a larger basket because they don’t just buy tobacco.

Retailers also need to get clear on what behavior they want to influence and the outcome they desire.

“Altria’s Personalization Plus targets offers to consumers to have them return to the same chain to purchase a specific product, and we see in our data that return to the same store is up over customers who do not receive the offers,” Webb cited.

“There is a difference between the customer who is at the pump but doesn’t come in the store, and the one that comes in but you want to get their basket size up,” Webb said, reiterating that operators must be clear on

“If you don’t know the behavior you are trying to drive, then you don’t know what to measure to see if it’s working or not.” — Heather Webb, Patron Points

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At Eagle Stop Stores, a 50-store chain owned and operated by Springfield, Mo.-based Gier Oil Co., the P+ program has delivered more than $85,000 in one-to-one personalized offers over the past 12 months, reaching more than 50% of the Eagle Stop Rewards adult nicotine members, according to Nicholas Lepper, director of retail operations for the chain. “Since activating Personalization Plus through Altria and Patron Points, we've nearly doubled overall loyalty transaction engagement,” he said. “Today, loyalty transactions account for more than 25% of our inside transactions, and

Personalization Pitfalls to Avoid While personalization is becoming essential for convenience store loyalty programs, experts say there are a few things to be aware of when using this tactic to market to customers. The first is frequency of contact. Even if the customer is getting more relevant offers delivered to them, they can still get overwhelmed by too many messages.

“Make sure your best customers are receiving additional value compared to someone who only visits occasionally.” — Nicholas Lepper, Eagle Stop Stores

more than 20% of our fuel gallons are tied to loyalty transactions.” Customers engaging with personalized offers spend more, visit more frequently and purchase more volume than unengaged customers. In fact, personalized offer redeemers “spend more than five times as much annually, make nearly five times as many visits, and purchase more than four times the product volume compared to non-personalized offer redeemers,” Lepper shared. In addition to segmentation, Eagle Eye’s Baskin pointed out that some convenience retailers are finding ways to target individual customers rather than a group thanks to AI, which can identify a customer and make decisions on what to offer them based on data and “twinning.” “There are 190 different AI decisions our data science makes to come up with this, so if someone comes in for coffee three times a week and one time bought something with chocolate, they might get a promotion on a chocolate muffin that they would have the propensity to buy based on the twinning process,” Baskin explained. “The AI is looking up what other purchases are happening together, such as these two people are not buying the same thing but they are similar enough that they might have similar behaviors.” CSN

“Over-communication or over-saturation with messages, whether personalized or not, will tend to lead people to be less responsive to them,” warned Meghan Wang, a strategist at Paytronix Systems Inc. Additionally, some retailers might be making the mistake of offering customers discounts on what they are already buying, rather than encouraging them to try a new item or category. This is “giving away margin to customers who are purchasing these things anyway,” said Jeff Baskin, chief revenue officer for Eagle Eye. No matter what type of loyalty program a c-store is running — but especially for those with larger personalized programs — having someone dedicated to loyalty can make a big difference, especially when growing the program and partnering with suppliers. C-store retailers should not treat loyalty like an IT project alone because it touches many other departments, especially when getting to the personalized level, according to Baskin. “Even with AI, you still need a human element involved to manage it and set criteria and be able to scale as it grows,” he noted. Another thing to avoid is copying other people in the industry, said Nicholas Lepper, director of retail operations for Eagle Stop Stores. He believes it is important to have a loyalty program unique to the brand and to provide offers the competition isn’t. He also cautioned his fellow retailers not to forget to reward their most loyal customers. “Too many programs reward everyone equally — make sure your best customers are receiving additional value compared to someone who only visits occasionally,” he said.

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WINNING THE FUEL TRIP

Personalized promotions and cashback offers draw in motorists, regardless of gas prices By Melissa Kress FUEL PRICES are always top of mind for consumers, but

with the recent conflict in the Middle East having a significant impact at the pump — and on drivers’ wallets — those prices have become a deciding factor in where consumers stop and fill up their tanks. This dynamic is certainly not lost on convenience and fuel retailers, which have rolled out a variety of promotions to put their brand in front of the motoring public. For instance: • Circle K, the global brand of Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., kicked off its summer savings early this year, holding Circle K Fuel Day on May 7. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., all customers saved up to 40 cents per gallon at more than 5,000 locations nationwide. Its Inner Circle members received exclusive access to the discount from 12:01 a.m. until 3 p.m. • Salt Lake City-based Maverik — Adventure’s First Stop increased fuel savings through its Maverik Adventure Club from 10 cents off per gallon to 15 cents off from May 12 through Labor Day, Sept. 7. • Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based QuickChek, a subsidiary of Murphy USA Inc., partnered with digital marketplace Upside to bring cashback fuel offers to 70 locations in the Garden State. The convenience and fuel retailer was the first within the state to go live with Upside’s new fuel offer model.

Getting ‘Em Onto the Lot

Just about every convenience store operator with fuel will acknowledge that converting the fueling customer into an in-store customer is key to success. However, step one is attracting that motorist in the first place — and that may be where the missteps happen. 94 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

According to Nick Wignall, director of enterprise accounts at Washington, D.C.-based Upside, fuel retailers have traditionally over-indexed their resources toward bottom-of-the-funnel tactics such as store cleanliness, lighting, street sign price and loyalty programs. “Don’t get me wrong, those are extremely important and they absolutely matter, but they mostly influence customers who either already know the brand, are on property, or are physically driving by that station and happen to see one of those things. They tend to be defensive tactics in nature,” he told Convenience Store News. The bigger opportunity, Wignall said, is focusing on the top of the funnel, building awareness and preference before the driver ever chooses where to stop. An outdated view of the forecourt is partly to blame. “Retailers need to realize that the modern forecourt isn’t just physical anymore, it’s absolutely digital,” he said. “Consumers are deciding where they’re going to fuel up while they’re sitting in their driveway looking at their phones. If you aren’t tapping into location-based promotions, targeted, personalized value through those mobile channels to get in front of those consumers, you’re missing out on a pretty significant segment of the consumer market and one that continues to grow.”

What’s in Your Digital Toolbox?

Fuel retailers want to respond quickly to changing market conditions. Technology can support informed pricing decisions by using a retailer’s own data and publicly observable information, noted Mark Evans, vice president, fuel pricing and logistics at PDI Technologies Inc., headquartered in Alpharetta, Ga. “The ability to execute pricing strategies efficiently helps fuel retailers react to shifts in demand and local conditions,” Evans explained. Well-known digital tactics include dynamic pricing, cashback offers, or a combination of both. As Wignall noted, the right tactic creates genuine value for both sides of the transaction — the retailer and the consumer. “To me, that distinction actually separates what I would consider a short-term pricing tactic vs. a long-term growth strategy,” he said. “If we look at dynamic pricing on paper, it’s incredibly intuitive. But in the forecourt context, it can get very tricky fast. Fuel customers are arguably some of the most price-sensitive consumers on the planet,” he pointed out. “We all know someone who will

drive right past a location to go save 2 cents down the road. And that’s where the catch with dynamic pricing is; actually in the word itself ‘dynamic’ because yes, it means prices can go down but it actually means they can go up just as easily. “In the mind of the consumer, the perception destroys trust almost immediately if they think that it can go up,” Wignall continued. “In fact, we have data that shows 62% of consumers have a neutral to negative reaction to dynamic pricing.” Once the consumer feels like the pricing model is working against them, it’s hard to win back their trust. Cashback offers, to some degree, sidestep that challenge. As he explained, in theory, cashback offers only have the price going down. The customer feels like they’re always winning or getting something in return. That being said, generic cashback offers have drawbacks as well. “It really limits you to a one-size-fits-all discount. And what do you do? You inevitably end up rewarding people who are going to stop at your location anyway, give away margin you didn’t need to,” Wignall said. “I think that’s where the power of personalization layered over that becomes really powerful.” If retailers treat their loyal customers and their hyperinfrequent customers the same, they either over-subsidize and over-discount, leaving margin on the table with the

FEATURE

“The right promotion, the right reward and the right offer at the right moment all matter.” — Kat Duque, PDI Technologies

When the pain at the pump begins to ease, however, is when personalized offers “really come into their own,” according to Wignall. “Fuel prices will inevitably drop and what we’ll see is a more level playing field. Almost overnight, the price stops being the major differentiator. That’s when the relationship you have with the customer becomes your competitive advantage,” he said. So, now is the time for retailers to act, Wignall emphasized. Personalized cashback offers, like those delivered through Upside, can target each customer's unique value point.

regular customer, or they under-incentivize the hyper-infrequent customer, missing out on an extra trip.

Getting Personal for the Win

Driving repeat trips to the pump is good, but driving repeat trips inside the store is better. That’s where personalization needs to be a key component of any c-store retailer’s game plan. “True personalization finds that kind of exact individual value point for each customer,” Wignall said. “It’s nothing more and nothing less, but I think it’s especially critical when you take a step back and look at the whole picture because the forecourt is actually just the front door. The real profitability is inside the store.” As he pointed out, the goal should be to convert that fill-up into a full store visit. Personalized cashback offers can create a specific reason to come inside, grow the basket size, and ultimately start to build habits that turn a one-time fuel stop into a preferred daily destination. Brian Lind, vice president of product strategy and partnerships at PDI Technologies, noted that collaboration between convenience retailers and brands becomes even more important as gas prices rise. “Targeted promotions and offers can deliver value at key moments, which helps drive store traffic, boost brand visibility and give consumers relevant, timely savings,” he said. 96 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

“We’re in this really unique time where with these high fuel prices, everyone is paying very close attention to where they fill up, but the smart retailers either are already — or they should be — using this specific window to build loyalty before fuel prices normalize because the customers you win today by offering the right personalized experience and value are the same ones who will stick around when that price urgency starts to fade back,” he explained. “I think the biggest mistake a retailer can make right now is to wait for fuel prices to drop to start building those relationships,” Wignall added. Kat Duque, vice president of product management at PDI Technologies, agrees. When gas becomes less of a deciding factor, personalization and relevancy become the differentiator. “Retention isn’t won solely at the pump. Convenience retailers can win inside the store and with your digital marketing,” she said. “The right promotion, the right reward and the right offer at the right moment all matter. Modern loyalty programs give retailers the loyalty mechanics to deliver personalization at scale, turning onetime fill-ups into repeat visits and higher basket sizes.” CSN

FEATURE

A PRIVATE LABEL PLAYBOOK

Tri Star Energy leverages bold flavors and impulse-driven merchandising to propel its Daily Favorites proprietary products By Danielle Romano WHEN TRI STAR ENERGY made the executive decision to

enter the private label arena, it wasn't looking to deliver "more of the same." The idea had been discussed casually for some time, according to Vice President of Marketing Dawn Boulanger, but once the Nashville, Tenn.-based convenience retailer committed, its Daily Favorites lineup came together in less than a year. Unlike national brands that control their own recipes and packaging, private label gives retailers ownership over both product and presentation. For Tri Star Energy — which owns Twice Daily, Sudden Service and Little General convenience stores, as well as premium coffee brand White Bison Coffee — that meant building a portfolio that aligns with its focus on quality, speed and a strong in-store food experience. "Daily Favorites lets us put our name on products we

"Daily Favorites lets us put our name on products we want guests to feel good about buying again and again." — Dawn Boulanger, Tri Star Energy

want guests to feel good about buying again and again," Boulanger told Convenience Store News. "We built this line for real life on the road, with bold flavors and easy options you can grab fast." The timing was right as the company looked to advance several long-term strategic goals. Among them: improving margins while delivering value, strengthening brand loyalty, and introducing exclusive products tailored to regional tastes. Consumer demand also played a key role. "Private label helps us meet the demand by providing high-quality products at competitive prices," Boulanger said, noting that working directly with manufacturers further supports profitability by reducing costs, enabling Tri Star Energy to balance value for the customer with margin improvement.

Building a Focused Assortment

With Daily Favorites spanning the retailer's Twice Daily, White Bison Coffee, Sudden Service and Little General banners, Tri Star Energy prioritized a product mix that could resonate across all its store formats operating in middle Tennessee and northern and southern Alabama. The brand name itself pays homage to Twice Daily, the company's flagship banner, while reinforcing the idea of everyday,

S E P T E MB E R

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Convenience Store News

FEATURE

repeat purchases, according to Boulanger. To shape the initial assortment, the retailer took a measured approach. "We spent time looking at others in the industry with strong private label programs. We didn't want to go too deep to begin, so we narrowed down to the best-selling items within categories," she explained. The launch lineup reflects that strategy, featuring graband-go staples such as: • Potato chips in flavors like jalapeño cheddar, black pepper bacon and crispy dill pickle • Beef jerky in varieties such as steakhouse, roasted garlic and Nashville hot • Chocolate bars including Milk Churro Crisp, Sea Salt Caramel and Raspberry Crunch • A 16-ounce bottled water case • Gourmet popcorn • Snack cups "When it came to product development, we weren't looking to match top-selling items, but rather provide unique or trending flavors," Boulanger noted. "Again, we weren't looking to replicate a Snickers or Milky Way bar, so we went with a rectangular breakaway bar. We have three flavors — two milk chocolate and one dark chocolate, all with inclusions. It presents itself as great value to the guest."

Using Private Label as a Strategic Lever

Beyond product differentiation, Daily Favorites gives Tri Star Energy greater control over key elements of its

Tri Star Energy’s private label portfolio aligns with its focus on quality, speed and a strong in-store food experience. 98 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

offer — from ingredients and pricing to packaging and supplier relationships. The retailer is leveraging partnerships to bring the line to life. "Two of our partners are small local companies out of East Tennessee — one who wanted to get into private label (we are their first customer) and the other who wanted to grow their existing business outside of their current market," Boulanger explained. While still in its early days, the program is already showing signs of traction. "Initial results have been good, and there are clear winners within each product line," she reported. Tri Star Energy plans to continue refining and expanding the proprietary lineup with a more strategic approach to product development. "We continue to work on product development but will probably work with a third-party moving forward — helping us be more strategic in developing products that fill a need, help to better differentiate us or that provide more financial opportunity," Boulanger said. In-store execution is another critical piece of the strategy. Daily Favorites products are currently merchandised in custom displays near the store entrance to drive visibility and trial, with plans to transition them to inline placement over time. "Placement within the store (in front of checkout), colorful packaging and signage help with impulse purchasing," she said. "Great taste and perceived value drive repeat purchases." CSN

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Stalling Out

Interest in electric vehicle ownership wanes among convenience store shoppers While the potential cost savings associated with electric vehicles (EVs) are still attractive to convenience store shoppers, serious interest in EV ownership has fallen. The 2026 Convenience Store News Realities of the Aisle Study, which surveyed 1,500 consumers who shop a c-store at least once a month, found that 73% of those who don’t currently own an EV say there’s very little likelihood of them purchasing one in the near future. The study also uncovered that:

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122 Convenience Store News C S N E W S . c o m

40% 40% 37% 36% 35% 35%

Among the current electric vehicle owners surveyed, 52% said it is extremely/very important that a convenience store has an EV charging station, and 39% said they charge their vehicle every time or almost every time when making a stop at a c-store.

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