The Latest

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  3 ways c-stores are pushing boundaries with new formats

  Some retailers are building much larger stores while others are testing out modular and prefabricated designs — or going all-in on drive-thrus.

  Category Trends

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  Shell’s new head of c-store operations officially takes over

  David Bunch, executive vice president of Shell Mobility, replaced Istvan Kapitany, who announced his resignation back in April.

  Operations

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  7-Eleven triumphs in franchisee lawsuit stemming from fraudulent transactions

  The court filed a preliminary injunction last week ordering the franchisees to stop using the 7-Eleven trademark and to surrender the stores.

  Operations

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  SQRL expected to switch course on bankruptcy filing

  In May, Gas Hub LLC tried to force SQRL Holdings into Chapter 7. Attorneys have now filed to dismiss that case, with a separate filing on the horizon.

  Operations

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  C-stores see higher loyalty retention than QSRs, data shows

  However, they sign up new members much more slowly than quick- and full-service restaurants, according to data from Paytronix.

  Operations

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  SpartanNash to lay off 141 employees

  The distributor, wholesaler and retailer that owns its own grocery stores and gas stations is shuttering its distribution center in Landover, Maryland.

  Labor

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  Circle K accepting QuikQ’s fuel cards and security platform at 381 stores

  While food deals have stolen the c-store value spotlight this year, operators have quietly offered more ways for customers to also save at the pump.

  Fuels

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  Jiffy Trip launches mobile app 6 years in the making

  The Oklahoma c-store retailer debuted its digital platform in late June with the help of Rovertown after trying to develop one in-house in 2018.

  Technology

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  Deep Dive

  C-store 2.0: How technology is reshaping key design strategies

  Self-checkouts, ordering kiosks and digital screens are changing the ways operators lay out their stores. Here, experts discuss how to incorporate these and other tools.

  Operations

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  The forces shaping Gen Z’s snack and beverage consumption

  Gen Z has a sweet tooth and loves childhood flavors, but they increasingly demand healthy ingredients, major restaurants and suppliers say.

  Foodservice

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  Dollar General’s supply chain shift shows promise

  The retailer is focusing on scaling back some items and restocking stores faster, executives said during an earnings call.

  Technology

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  Applegreen details progress on $450M US travel center remodel project

  The retailer has upgraded 18 of 27 locations along the New York State Thruway as part of a three-year-old renovation program.

  Operations

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  Enmarket adds more burritos to its menu

  The Georgia-based c-store retailer has debuted sausage breakfast, bacon breakfast, taco beef and chicken fajita burritos at its locations.

  Foodservice

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  Couche-Tard names head of M&A

  Large-scale and regional acquisitions are a core part of the c-store retailer’s growth model and the biggest source of its footprint.

  Operations

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  Global Partners taps another Kum & Go foodservice leader

  This marks the second time since February that one of the Iowa retailer’s top food-related decision makers has joined the Massachusetts company.

  Foodservice

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  C-Store Dive’s top category management stories of 2024 (so far)

  Picking the right items to fill precious shelf space is complicated. We regularly interview industry experts on the best ways to do so — and here’s what they’ve said.

  Foodservice

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  Whole Foods readies for national rollout of small-format Daily Shop stores

  The grocer’s foray into smaller, urban locations coincides with the recent difficulties c-store retailers have faced in operating similar concepts.

  Operations

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  United Refining acquires 14-store Pennsylvania chain

  Pump N Pantry is leaving the industry after nearly 50 years, continuing a run of small retailers selling their businesses amid today’s difficult operating environment.

  M&A

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  How 3 key categories will perform during the rest of 2024

  Energy drinks should stay strong, but c-store retailers need to make careful choices about the products they stock in alcohol and candy, experts say.

  Category Trends

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  Love’s bringing gamification restaurant tech to all new c-stores

  The retailer has implemented a new system that tracks performance metrics like greet times, order processing and how long food handoff takes.

  Foodservice

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  Pilot debuts several menu items as c-store food innovation heats up

  The travel center chain has added mac and cheese bowls, hot wings, a spicy pizza and a new salad to its menu.

  Foodservice

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  Casey’s ramps up demand planning efforts

  The c-store chain, which added more than 150 locations in fiscal 2024, has formed multiple technology partnerships to improve procurement in the last few years.

  Operations

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  Delek names new EVP, director of operations

  The Tennessee-based retailer recently promoted its chief supply chain officer and tapped DCP Midstream’s former VP of operations.

  Operations

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  Pennsylvania becomes latest state to expand RTD sales

  The legislature has passed an amendment to the state’s liquor code to allow retailers, including c-stores, to add canned cocktails to their stores.

  Category Trends

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  7-Eleven offering $1 pizza slices

  The retailer’s annual Slurpee Day promotion continues the wave of foodservice value deals seen across the c-store industry this year.

  Foodservice

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