Competition is percolating for gourmet sales, forcing c-store owners to elevate their offerings. By John Lofstock, Associate Editor. When people get more, they expect more—and that, as much as anything, helps to explain the challenge facing convenience store operators who emphasize coffee. Coffee quality at the retail level has improved to a point where what [...]
New Starbucks Petites, a line of eight sweets is rolling out at stores now. Starbucks is celebrating its 40th birthday this month, having opened its first store in Seattle on March 30, 1971. The world’s largest coffee chain with 17,000 locations in 55 countries drew in close to $11 billion last year, just posted its [...]
The Starbucks Card Mobile App now offers customers with BlackBerry smartphones, iPhone and iPod touch the fastest way to pay at nearly 6,800 U.S. company-operated Starbucks stores. Starbucks has announced the launch of mobile payments in all of its U.S. company-operated stores, allowing customers to pay for in-store purchases with select smartphones. Building on the [...]
Seattle-based Starbucks is rolling out a new drink size called Trenta—the chain’s biggest drink size yet, Reuters reported. At 31 ounces, the Trenta is just seven ounces larger than its Venti cups, which currently are the largest size on the Starbucks menu. The Trenta size is debuting in 14 states, including Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Texas, [...]
Tips for protecting sales and profits in today’s climate. Intensifying competition for the morning daypart and escalating commodity costs for coffee drinks have forced convenience retailers to make trade-offs between pricing and profits. This is no small issue as hot dispensed beverages are strategically vital to a retailer’s morning business segment and fresh foods program. [...]
Swiss Farms, America’s Drive-Thru Grocer, opened its first franchise store on Dec. 17, with veteran Starbucks and Auntie Anne’s franchisee and a 2010 IFA Franchisee of the Year, John Betz. The store, which is located at 6 South White Horse Pike, Somerdale, N.J., is also Swiss Farms’ first expansion into New Jersey. “I am excited [...]
Dunkin’ Donuts is using social media platform Foursquare to secure loyal customers in the Florida market, Nation’s Restaurant News reported. It recently launched its first Foursquare regional promotion in two markets in Florida. The promotion offers users of the location-based game the chance to win a free donut after they “check in” at the same [...]
The thirsty teenager steps up to a bright red vending machine and takes out her mobile phone. She places the phone near a reader attached to the machine and a cold can of cola is immediately dispensed. This scene is repeated thousands of times each day for thirsty consumers—in Japan. For almost six years, Japanese [...]
Starbucks Corp. flavored coffee is headed to U.S. grocery stores this June, BusinessWeek reported. Customers will have the chance to buy vanilla, caramel and cinnamon flavored varieties from Starbuck’s new Natural Fusions line to brew at home. The 11-ounce packages will be available for a suggested retail price of $8.99. About 60% of Starbucks customers [...]
Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc. is ready to expand in Las Vegas, with 15-20 more stores in the next three years. Starbucks, meanwhile has closed 12 locations in the area, Las Vegas Review Journal reported. The c-store chain already runs 160 convenience stores in Clark County, Las Vegas, but recently hired a commercial real estate firm to [...]
Mac’s Convenience Stores, a subsidiary of Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., and Seattle’s Best Coffee LLC, part of Starbucks Corporation, have entered an agreement for Mac’s to exclusively brew Seattle’s Best Coffee in Ontario in the convenience store channel. This agreement expands the more than 14-year relationship between the brands and leverages each company’s world-class capabilities with [...]
As the coffee war continues between QSRs, coffee franchises and c-stores may be feeling the pinch more than the local Dunkin’ Donuts, Reuters reported. Although McDonald’s has tried to undercut competitors on price, Dunkin’s market share in coffee is steady and growing, Mark Nunnelly, managing director at Bain Capital, said at the Reuters Private Equity [...]
At first look, boosting business with breakfast sales may seem like a strange idea in these tough economic times as today’s high unemployment means fewer workers stopping for breakfast en route to work. The fact that teenagers and men between the ages of 18-35, who are some of the c-store industry’s most frequent visitors, have [...]
Tips for Preparing the Perfect Cup • Always use fresh, filtered water. • Always use fresh, whole bean coffee. Coffee is perishable: use within two weeks of roast date. • Store coffee beans in an air-tight container away from heat, light and moisture. No freezer or refrigerator. • Grind just before brewing—a timer will help [...]
Since its invention about half a century ago, the frozen dispensed beverage has become a convenience store tradition, with three out of every four U.S. convenience outlets housing a frozen beverage bar. While frozen dispensed beverages are not a huge portion of the typical store’s overall sales, the product is profitable, thanks to a gross [...]