Reinventing the Neighborhood Market

Reinventing the Neighborhood Market

Kyle’s Kwik Stop Corner Markets in east Texas is testing a new business model by emphasizing the local community. By Megan Wilkinson, Assistant Editor. On the outside, Kyle’s Kwik Stop’s latest store looks like a simple c-store. Yet, step inside the Longview, Texas unit and customers get a taste of the neighborhood from its breakfast [...]

Freezing Out the Competition

Freezing Out the Competition

Establishing an effective frozen beverage offering helps drive customers across all demographics. Megan Wilkinson, Assistant Editor. Frozen beverages have been helping convenience store operators create stronger relationships with younger consumers, but there is an opportunity in this category with all age groups. According to Mintel’s 2012 Convenience Store Foodservice report, frozen beverages ranked as the [...]

Worth The ‘Hassel’

Worth The ‘Hassel’

Cumberland Farms turns a unique theft problem into a marketing campaign on its social media sites. By Megan Wilkinson, Assistant Editor Cumberland Farms stores launched a promotion of its iced coffee featuring David Hasselhoff as its spokesman last month, and it garnered instant attention from its customers…maybe too much attention. The chain decided to place [...]

Customer Service Is Key

Customer Service Is Key

SavOn convenience stores score exceptionally high on mystery shop reviews for its customer service skills. The convenience store industry has changed its customer service standards the past couple years. Customers expect more out of convenience store employees than ever before, and want some sort of “experience” when they stop by their favorite location. More c-stores [...]

Bone Free Ham

Bone Free Ham

Tyson Deli, a subsidiary of Tyson Foods  Inc. introduces both Russer and Wilson Ham Off the Bone meats for convenience store operators to add to their deli sections. The product comes in both regular and honey ham forms. The deli hams can be sold either hot or cold at any time during the day. They [...]

Speedway and Costco Rank High On Services

Speedway and Costco Rank High On Services

American consumers rate Speedway, Costco, Walgreens and Target high in Harris Poll’s latest study. While some retailers have been challenged this year by the U.S. economy, some retail brands managed to keep business steady, partly due to their brand equity. The 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend (EQ) study surveyed American consumers about brands across several retail [...]

Rutter’s Golf Outing Raises Money for Children’s Charities

Rutter’s Golf Outing Raises Money for Children’s Charities

Rutter’s 10th annual golf outing sets records by raising $110,000 to local Pennsylvania charities. Rutter’s raised more than $100,000 in its Rutter’s Children’s Charity golf outing, played May 7-8 at the Out Door Country Club in York, Pa. For the past 10 years, Rutter’s golf outing raised more than $800,000 for organizations whose work is [...]

Fruit Punch in a Box

Fruit Punch in a Box

CRYSTAL LIGHT promotes its new bag-in-box liquid concentrate lineup with CRYSTAL LIGHT Fruit Punch. Convenience store operators can encourage customers who love drinking water to trying CRYSTAL LIGHT’s new offering. The bag-in-box dispensers are easy to set up and save operators from the messes that are caused by self-mixed pouches. Operators can just hook up [...]

Vending Organic Coffee

Vending Organic Coffee

Recent studies from the Harvard School of Public Health find that 54% of American adults consume coffee on a daily basis, and three cups per person is the average. Fresh Healthy Vending Cafe wants to satisfy America’s coffee cravings by releasing a new machine that allows consumers to get fresh-brewed coffee with the push of [...]

Light Summer Teas

Light Summer Teas

The Community Coffee Co. debuts two new iced tea flavors for convenience store operators to sell in their stores. The Community Green Tea with Lemon is light and refreshing with naturally occurring antioxidants. The Community Skinny Sweet iced tea contains fewer calories than traditional sweet tea, and is made of orange pekoe and cut black [...]

Sandwich Cracker Snacks

Sandwich Cracker Snacks

General Mills introduces the Gardetto Sandwich Crackers to retailers in the convenience store industry. The new product is available in two flavors, Cheddar Bacon and Garlic Cream Cheese, and comes in a 1.3 ounce package. The suggested retail price is $1.09. The crackers offer a strong taste that could be popular among adult consumers.   [...]

Nutty Energy Bars

Nutty Energy Bars

LÄRABAR über is now available from General Mills Convenience. The sweet and salty LÄRABAR über is filled with fruits, nuts and spices. The 1.42 ounce bar comes in an Apple Turnover or Roasted Nut Roll flavor for a suggested retail price of $2.05. The new energy bar category is growing in convenience stores. Recent reports [...]

Sweet Rewards Line

Sweet Rewards Line

General Mills Convenience adds variety to its line of Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards bars with the new bites and cookie bars. Betty Crocker Sweet Rewards Bites are mini cake bites that can be sold with a suggested retail price of $1.59. The Sweet Rewards Cookie Bars are soft cookies that can be sold for about [...]

Ayers Oil Teams with Steak ‘n Shake in Canton, Mo.

Ayers Oil Teams with Steak ‘n Shake in Canton, Mo.

Ayers Oil partners with Steak ‘n Shake at its new travel plaza. By: Megan Wilkinson. Ayers Oil is set to open its 16th travel plaza by the end of June. The company has also partnered with Steak ‘n Shake, which will be attached to the new convenience store. Ayers Oil President Steve Ayers said his [...]

Thorntons Joins the Make-A-Wish Foundation

Thorntons Joins the Make-A-Wish Foundation

Matt Thornton says he is proud to be a partner with the Make-A-Wish Foundation for a fifth year. Thorntons announced that for the fifth consecutive year, it would partner with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. On May 1, all Thorntons store locations began to sell “wish stars” for $1. All of the [...]