Love’s, Pilot temporarily close stores in Florida amid Hurricane Ian’s carnage

The Latest

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  Foxtrot launches app-focused membership program

  The urban convenience store’s two-tier program offers discounts, early access to products, free delivery and other perks.

  Foodservice

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  EV charging network plans approved for all 50 states

  The Federal Highway Administration’s approval will allow the build-out of chargers covering about 75,000 miles of highway.

  Updated Sept. 29, 2022

  Fuels

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  BP and Hertz to develop national EV-charging network

  The move sets the foundation for BP and Hertz to “drive the future of mobility and accelerate EV consumer adoption,” the companies said in a statement.

  Fuels

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  Inside the Store: Circle K’s new urban storefront in downtown Chicago

  The small-format c-store is half the size of the chain’s legacy locations, and features grab-and-go foods, private label selections and frictionless checkout.

  Operations

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  Retail cooperative launches new c-store concept

  Developed by the Greater Houston Retailers Cooperative Association, Kudos will focus on social impact, customer experience and foodservice.

  Operations

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  Performance Foodservice to break ground on new facility in Denver

  The 265,000-square-foot facility will more than double the square footage of the food and beverage distributor’s other Colorado location.

  Foodservice

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  4 ways c-stores can lure customers to the pump amid high gas prices

  With consumers spending less time and money filling up on gas, retailers need to strategize new tactics to get them to the pump.

  Fuels

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  TXB to debut private-label food, beverage and apparel products

  The line from Texas Born Stores, previously known as Kwik Chek, are all sourced, manufactured and packaged in Texas. 

  Foodservice

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  Casey’s working to automate pizza call-in orders

  The chain is working on adding a voice-based artificial intelligence system to help field the roughly 10 million annual phone orders it still gets, CEO Darren Rebelez said at Groceryshop.

  Foodservice

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  For c-stores, convenience is no longer the only priority, report says

  Retailers can benefit from offering a wider variety of foodservice options and focusing more on loyalty, Intouch Insight's CEO says.

  Foodservice

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  Kwik Trip taps space planning and supply chain management vendor

  Kwik Trip will use Relex Solutions’ in-store mobile solution to give staff a greater view of store-level order proposals, planograms and floor plans.

  Technology

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  QuikTrip is coming to Chicago as battle for Windy City market share heats up

  The convenience store chain’s expansion plans come just one month after Circle K announced its push into the area long dominated by 7-Eleven.

  Operations

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  Sales of spirits-based RTD drinks top $1.6B in 2021, study finds

  The category’s popularity is eclipsing that of hard seltzers, and states are pushing to change retail laws to capitalize on the opportunity.

  Regulations

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  Paytronix debuts program that lets c-stores design their online ordering systems

  Capabilities include menu uploading, color scheme and typography selection and synchronizing branding across other digital touchpoints.

  Technology

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  Alltown Fresh parent acquires 15 c-stores from Tidewater Convenience

  Global Partner’s third deal of the year grows its footprint in Virginia, a market it first entered in February with its purchase of locations from Miller’s Neighborhood Market.

  Operations

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  Casey’s takes supplier management digital with new procurement tool

  Graphite Connect, which manages supplier data and risk, relieves the convenience store operator of manually tracking information.

  Technology

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  Price increases are weighing on food volumes, IRI finds

  As CPGs pass along higher costs to consumers, a few categories have proven resistant to declines, according to an analysis of August sales data.

  Category Trends

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  Stewart’s Shops to debut ‘hybrid’ EV-charging station

  The c-store chain will offer four Tesla chargers and four New York Power Authority chargers at its newly remodeled store in South Potsdam, New York.

  Fuels

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  Gas stations without gas are coming — and they’re all about the food

  Fuel-less, food-focused c-stores have opened up for the past several years. Here’s a look at what’s behind the trend and how retailers can get in on it.

  Foodservice

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  Opinion

  What gas and convenience brands can learn from restaurant innovations

  Judy Chan, chief marketing officer at Bluedot, says c-stores could improve their strategy by focusing on contactless payments, mobile ordering and pickup, analytics and loyalty programs. 

  Foodservice

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  How Casey’s is growing its loyalty program

  The chain, which counts more than 5.5 million rewards members, is refining the data it gathers to improve its offers to shoppers, Art Sebastian, its VP of digital experiences, said at Groceryshop Monday.

  Technology

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  House bill aims to mitigate credit card swipe fees

  If approved, the Credit Card Competition Act could be a relief for c-store retailers, who report swipe fees can exceed their pre-tax profits and be their second-highest operating costs after labor.

  Regulations

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  Arko CEO discusses M&A strategy, labor and supply chain challenges

  Arko’s c-store arm, GPM Investments, has become one of the largest U.S. chains since 2013. Arie Kotler offers insight into how they’ve grown and where they’re headed.

  Foodservice

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  Biden administration awards $900M to 35 states for EV charging network

  The move comes as NACS and other retail associations have urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to incentivize refueling locations to incorporate EV charging.

  Fuels

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  EG America links with DoorDash to offer nationwide delivery

  As competitive pressure in the digital channel heats up, the c-store provider will list more than 1,300 locations on DoorDash by the end of October.

  Foodservice

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