Convenience stores have evolved from being a destination for cigarettes to a destination for tobacco products as a whole. By Joe Bush, Contributing Editor. It was inevitable that the conversation on convenience store cigar sales would shift eventually from rapid growth to supplier relations, category management and marketing. As cigarette regulations and prices and taxes…
Royal Buying Group Receives 2011 Best of Business Award
“We are honored to receive recognition for the hard work and dedication of all of our staff here at RBG,” says RBG CEO. Royal Buying Group Inc. (RBG) has been selected for the 2011 Best of Business Awards by the Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA Community). The Royal Buying Group was also privileged to have…
Sweetening Cigar Sales
Small filtered cigarellos represent a real albeit temporary opportunity for convenience stores to rack up sales, so get going before the window of opportunity slams shut. These diminutive cigars have gained strong appeal among smokers laboring to afford cigarettes in the wake of multiple tobacco tax hikes. The price differential between filtered cigars and cigarettes…
RBG, Haskel Thompson & Associates Join Forces
Ft. Myers, Fla.-based Haskel Thompson & Associates LLC has welcomed Royal Buying Group Inc. (RBG) into its Strategic Alliance Program. RBG, headquartered in Lisle, Ill., represents 6,000 convenience locations nationwide. “Our two companies share a joint vision dedicated to maximizing sales and profitability of convenience store and petroleum locations,” said Haskel Thompson. “We are proud…
Independent C-store Retailers To Convene At Expo
The annual Independent C-Store Expo (I-C-Expo), hosted by Royal Buying Group Inc., is coming to Illinois this spring. This year’s expo will feature a trade show floor and meeting space, networking and educational seminars on various topics intended to help all convenience store operators. Speakers will include nationally recognized industry experts, supplier representatives, and a very…
Managing the Crowded Cold Vault
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,…
NAG: Back by Popular Demand
When we purchased CONVENIENCE STORE DECISIONS nearly two years ago, we heard a constantly recurring question: “When are you going to revitalize the National Advisory Group (NAG)?” With the acquisition we had a lot on our plate, but we were always looking at NAG. We examined carefully why NAG withered, and what was the proper…
Concerns Abound for Cigars
The war over tobacco taxes to pay for an expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) ended on February 4 when Congress passed the Senate’s version of the bill and new President Barack Obama signed it into law. What that means for c-store operators who sell cigars in an era of a rough…