The 2023 National Youth Tobacco Study is important for the data it reports and notable for what it leaves out. The study is produced annually by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s straight-up statistical data on tobacco use by 6th through 12th graders. They’ve left it for others to figure out the…
Big Adjustments for Convenience Foodservice in 2024
In March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we all approached our lives. In conjunction with that, consumers adapted their way of life and operators of convenience stores had to adjust with it. Over the last four years, convenience store foodservice has evolved and continued to be tweaked. We are now finally moving…
The Art of Becoming an Effective Leader
Effective leadership involves a myriad of skillsets that when properly combined and executed creates a dynamic leader that can take their teams to levels never thought possible. It involves accountability; communication; mentorship; coaching skills; time management prowess; and the ability to adapt and change course when thrown a curve ball. Such challenges will amplify the…
Nominate Your C-Store for CSD’s Chains to Watch
CStore Decisions will be recognizing Chains to Watch in its July issue. A Chain to Watch is a convenience store chain that is focused on growth both currently and in the year ahead. Examples of growth might include rolling out a new foodservice program, introducing a new mobile app and loyalty program, building, acquiring or…
Leading Categories and Team Members in 2024
2024 might prove to be a better year for c-store sales than many had anticipated. As this month’s Category Management Handbook points out, recession fears have quieted, and inflation appears to finally be on a downward trend. The economy and customer sentiment are looking up, and category dollar sales are flying high, thanks to…
The 16th Annual HR Benchmarking Report
In 2024, staffing issues and inflation both remain top challenges at convenience stores. As retailers look to better recruitment, hiring and retention practices, they’re continuing to raise starting wages and improve benefits to best appeal to employees who are feeling squeezed by the rising cost of living. For the 16th consecutive year, CStore Decisions and…
Nuzum Drives Hot and Cold Foods at Casey’s
As the senior category manager for hot and cold foods at Casey’s, Brian Nuzum has the busy job of driving category performance for the hot and cold prepared food business (excluding pizza) and the refrigerated food business across the chain’s more than 2,600 stores in 17 states. His responsibilities include managing assortment, price, cost negotiation,…
The Emergence Convenience Foodservice Forum Kicks Off
The Emergence Convenience Foodservice Forum kicked off at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, Ill., on April 9, drawing convenience store foodservice executives from across the country. The conference began with a look at the changing c-store foodservice landscape. Tim Hand and Bruce Reinstein, partners with Kinetic12, began the forum with an overview of the…
Improving HR Practices
It’s time again for CStore Decisions’ annual HR issue, where we deep-dive into the trends impacting labor management at convenience stores. As costs rise and the labor market continues to tighten, c-stores are facing steep competition for employees from adjacent industries that are raising the bar on what attractive wages and benefits can look like…
Battling Today’s Staffing Challenges
In 2024, staffing issues and inflation both remain top challenges at convenience stores. As retailers look to better recruitment, hiring and retention practices, they’re continuing to raise starting wages and improve benefits to best appeal to employees who are feeling squeezed by the rising cost of living. For the 16th consecutive year, CStore Decisions and…