Barista-style specialty coffee beverages account for 20-30% of total coffee sales and are expected to rise another 6-8% over the next three to five years. Today’s consumers are looking outside the classic coffeehouse for quality, variety and convenience. The Insight Beverages Barista offers just that. With just a push of a button and only 20 [...]
PaySpot Inc., a subsidiary of Euronet Worldwid Inc. and a leading prepaid and payments processor in the U.S., is offering a new worldwide brand under the name epay. Previously one of six brand names operating under the Prepaid Division of Euronet, PaySpot has rebranded with its sister prepaid companies to become the united global brand [...]
YoCream introduces new Tropical Tremor flavors under their Jolly Rancher Frozen Beverage brand: Pomegranate, Wild Berry, Mango, Fruit Punch and Sour Green Apple. The exciting new beverages are boldly flavored, less sweet, a little tart and intensely colored. Available for frozen carbonated and noncarbonated applications, the syrups are packaged in shelf stable bags with a [...]
Health Essist Inc. manufactures and develops a unique line of all-natural, zero-calorie, caffeine-free Edible Strips. The current product line consists of Alcohol Defender to help with the “morning after feeling,” X-Energy-Boost and Apple-A-Day strips that provide a boost to the immune system. The products are FDA approved for food use and are kosher approved. Each [...]
Pine Mountain Firelogs offers a new concentrated formula and greener packaging. By using a proprietary manufacturing process, Pine Mountain products emit up to 80% less carbon monoxide than burning natural oak firewood, reduce up to 66% less creosote buildup in the chimney and release fewer emissions into the atmosphere than natural firewood. The full range [...]
Q Stop convenience stores was honored with the Green Idea Group’s Green Achievement Award for reducing electric power use and costs by 64% after installing a new canopy lighting system at its store in O’Fallon, Mo. Q Stop, which operates six stores in the St. Louis metro area and is owned by Jones Oil Co., [...]
When it comes to packaged beverages, what gets put on the shelves may not be what customers are looking for and, in this economy, that’s a situation retailers must avoid. Making wise, informed buying decisions is the crucial difference between boosting cooler sales and blowing a lot of hot air. From colas to energy drinks, [...]
C-store operators looking to grow their foodservice programs just may be overlooking, or at least underestimating, one of the best tools at their disposal: the humble roller grill. As in-store menus have expanded to include fresh foods and entrees, the time-honored roller grill has quietly continued to please customers and bolster bottom lines thanks to [...]
Confusion Reigns Supreme C-store operators aren’t the only ones left scratching their heads by the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) first foray into tobacco regulation.During the FDA’s teleconference, Catherine Lorraine, a lawyer for the administration, said, “I just want to draw your attention to the portion of the definition of a cigarette, which specifically refers [...]
It’s been a challenging couple of years for convenience store operators, marked by wild fuel price fluctuations and exorbitant credit card fees. Despite the adversity, Chevron stood apart as one of the premier industry leaders. By advancing its Image Refresh program at ExtraMile convenience stores, growing the Texaco brand and introducing a no-fee credit card [...]
When Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. was presented with CSD’s Chain of the Year honors in 2007, the company’s smart, strong growth was cited as the foundation for the honor. A little more than two years later and not much has changed. The company is still regarded as one of the savviest marketers in two countries, and [...]
At a Glance: Valero Energy Corp. Valero operates 16 refineries and seven ethanol plants stretching from California to Canada to the Caribbean. The San Antonio-based operator generated more than $119 billion in revenues in 2008 with total assets of $34.3 billion. Other company highlights include: •Number of Employees: Approximately 22,000 •Refining Throughput Capacity: 3.1 million [...]
7-Eleven Inc., the world’s largest operator, franchisor and licensor of convenience stores, was named Chain of the Year in 2005. The stores got their iconic name in the 1940s because they were open from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m., which was considered extended hours in those days. By the ‘60s, lifestyles were changing, and consumers [...]
In 2004, CSD awarded La Crosse, Wis.-based Kwik Trip Inc. with the Chain of the Year award recognizing a company that values people and forays into new technology, combining business and energy intelligence to save dollars. CSD also was impressed with Kwik Trip’s use of vertical integration to control the products and support functions that [...]
Since winning CSD’s Chain of the Year award in 2003, Exxon Mobil Corp. has been busy, beefing up it’s foodservice program at On the Run stores, then forming a new strategy that moves away from direct-store operations and beating out Wal-Mart for the top spot on the Fortune 500 list. But it’s the changes at [...]