Deep Dive

Industry insights from our journalists


  • Stinker
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Stinker Stores
    Image attribution tooltip

    9 trends that will shape the c-store industry in 2024

    As convenience retailers consider new layouts, flavors and technology, the ability to be efficient with operations will be key, experts say.

    C-Store Dive Staff • Jan. 9, 2024
  • Image attribution tooltip
    LeoPatrizi via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Restaurant loyalty programs will be ruled by personalization in 2024

    Major chains are using real-time consumer data and artificial intelligence to provide more personalized perks, which may grow engagement even as diners’ emotional attachment to brands dips. 

    Danielle McLean • Jan. 5, 2024
  • A group of people in suits standing behind a sign that reads "Fighting retail crime." The U.S. Capitol is in the background.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of the National Retail Federation
    Image attribution tooltip

    Retailers have a crime problem. It’s in the numbers.

    The issue is complex and often clouded by imprecise data. Sometimes from the industry itself.

    Daphne Howland • Nov. 30, 2023
  • A tech-driven salad bar in a grocery store.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Schnuck Markets
    Image attribution tooltip

    Foodservice ‘renaissance’: How grocers are spicing up their deli and premade meals

    As competition grows from restaurant chains and c-stores like Foxtrot, supermarkets are getting creative with offerings, deals, labor models and shopping experiences to differentiate beyond price.

    Catherine Douglas Moran • Nov. 6, 2023
  • Shopper carries purchases
    Image attribution tooltip
    Sean Gallup / Staff via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Retail media’s standardization race is heating up — what’s at stake?

    Calls for unity are growing as marketers stamp their feet about the industry’s fragmentary state, but the push for shared best practices faces an uphill battle.

    Peter Adams • Aug. 22, 2023
  • Casey's
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from Casey's.
    Image attribution tooltip

    C-store chains like Casey’s, QuikTrip and RaceTrac are all-in on travel centers. Here’s why.

    Traditional c-store players have begun testing the truck stop market for reasons including higher margins and EV charging, among others, experts say.

    Brett Dworski • July 26, 2023
  • EG Group
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from Cumberland Farms website.
    Image attribution tooltip

    How a sale of EG America could impact the c-store industry

    If the U.K. retailer offloads its U.S. assets, as reports indicate, the result could be a further shift of power to the industry’s the top players, among other effects, experts say.

    Brett Dworski • Jan. 31, 2023
  • c-store
    Image attribution tooltip
    Halfpoint via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Here’s how c-stores are attempting to cure the labor bug in 2023

    While increased pay continues to be a priority for employees, so are flexible scheduling and career growth opportunities, say representatives from chains like Weigel's and Pilot Co.

    Brett Dworski • Jan. 24, 2023
  • Casey's
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Casey's General Stores
    Image attribution tooltip

    C-store chains are betting on retail media in 2023. But at what cost?

    On the heels of Casey’s and 7-Eleven announcing their first ventures into the space, retail media promises to bring new growth and opportunities — as well as challenges — for c-stores, experts say.

    Brett Dworski • Jan. 11, 2023
  • 7-Eleven
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from 7-Eleven press release.
    Image attribution tooltip

    9 trends that will shape the c-store industry in 2023

    Experts foresee plenty of opportunities for retailers to separate themselves this year, driven by consumer demands for quality and an evolving digital landscape.

    C-Store Dive Staff • Jan. 4, 2023
  • DoorDash and 2,000 grocery partners will waive delivery fees
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by DoorDash
    Image attribution tooltip

    How new verticals boost DoorDash’s momentum

    The delivery giant’s expansion into convenience, grocery and other retail has helped it reach new customers and increase loyalty on its platforms.

    Julie Littman • Nov. 30, 2022
  • 7-Eleven
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from 7-Eleven media kit.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Behind the making of 7-Eleven’s retail media network — and what c-store operators can learn from it

    The chain’s Gulp Media is the first of what will likely be many retail media enterprises in the industry as companies wrestle with higher costs and an evolving digital landscape.

    Brett Dworski • Nov. 28, 2022
  • Gas station crime
    Image attribution tooltip
    Scott Olson via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    ‘It’s so easy to go in and steal from them’: Why c-stores attract so much crime — and what retailers can do about it

    About 5% of U.S. violent crimes in 2021 happened at c-stores. How can operators keep their staff and customers safe?

    Brett Dworski • Oct. 11, 2022