Sushi in the c-store cooler? Burritos in the food warmer? Mediterranean sandwiches on the menu? Exotic foods are here to stay and becoming more mainstream, spicing up the foodservice section and appealing to a wide audience. With the growth of the Internet consumers today are exposed to new foods they may not be used to [...]
McDonald’s has it. Dunkin’ Donuts has it. And if your c-store doesn’t have it, you’re likely losing customers to the QSR down the street. In 2010, featuring a value meal with your foodservice offering is essential to driving new customers through your doors and securing them as regular visitors. C-stores with foodservice programs are facing [...]
With energy costs soaring and customers rewarding sustainable behaviors, many convenience store chains are realizing the need to upgrade stores to be more energy efficient. World marketed energy consumption is projected to increase by 44% from 2006 to 2030, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The increase could hit c-store retailers especially hard [...]
Kwik Trip is adding NCR’s Blockbuster Express kiosks in more than 300 of its locations throughout Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, increasing Blockbuster Express availability in the Midwest in addition to existing presence in markets such as Chicago, Detroit and Indianapolis. Kwik Trip customers will be able to rent their favorite new and classic DVD titles 24 [...]
Speedy Personalized DealsChristianna Frizzell, customer relationship manager for Speedway SuperAmerica, said the best online responses will come from email blasts and text message campaigns if you know your demographic and keep contact timely and relevant. It can also be helpful to look at how customers are contacting you. For example, are they emailing or calling [...]
TOP FIVE U.S. Chicken producers Average Weekly Production (in million pounds) Market Share % Pilgrim’s Pride 146 20.30% Tyson Foods 144 20.00% Perdue Farms 55 7.60% Sanderson Farms 42 5.80% Wayne Farms 34 4.70% Investing in foodservice is a big step for any c-store chain, but if it’s done right, the [...]
TOP PERFORMERS Oscar Mayer (Kraft) Ball Park (Sara Lee) Hillshire Farms (Sara Lee) HONORABLE MENTIONS Ruiz Food Products Johnsonville Sausage Don Miguel Roller grills, the backbone of many convenience store foodservice programs, continue to provide chains with an inexpensive, labor-friendly foodservice concept that allows store operators to expand their fresh food offering at a time [...]
TOP PERFORMERS Tyson Brakebush Broaster HONORABLE MENTIONS Chester’s Chicken Krispy Krunchy Pilgrims Pride Chicken’s economical price and inherent flexibility gives convenience store retailers a myriad of opportunities for growing their foodservice business without sacrificing quality and value. More importantly, chicken offers retailers a host of branded and unbranded options for creating everything from a fresh [...]
From escalating utility costs and credit card fees to labor and looming PCI deadlines, retailers have their hands full with a host of issues that are impacting their businesses. No issue is as complex and timely as PCI compliance. The stakes in the PCI game are high and, as 2010 approaches, c-store operators need to [...]
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 [...]
With many c-stores moving into foodservice to compensate for lagging cigarette and gasoline sales, the roller grill is becoming more important than ever for driving sales. According to industry retailers, among the emerging trends worth noting is the growing popularity of breakfast sausages for the morning daypart, while spicy and ethnic flavors continue to attract [...]
Convenience store operators must stop thinking of Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance as a nuisance to be handled when they have time. It is a serious, costly, complex fact of life—one that can potentially put an operator out of business and one that must be faced head on. It was in September 2006 that the [...]
Convenience store operators need to focus on meeting consumer demand for a quality cup of coffee as McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks and Caribou all announced plans to step up their brew programs to reel in consumers during a tough economy. About 54% of the adult population in the U.S. classify themselves as coffee consumers, according [...]
TOP PERFORMERS Sara Lee Foodservice Bon Appetite Prairie City Bakery HONORABLE MENTIONS Rich Products Mrs. Freshley’s Convenience retailers across the board are rolling out innovative approaches to boost their foodservice sales, and many are looking to the trusted breakfast daypart as a proving grounds for new ideas to lure new customers. This means plenty of [...]
This is what happens: Dad breaks to one side of the store to choose a sandwich from the Hot Spot, which he complements with a cup of hot coffee and a bag of chips. Mom heads for the cappuccino dispenser, then works her way to a fresh salad kept cool in a temperature-controlled center-island [...]