Category Trends
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Sheetz says Hershey price hike coming
The Reese’s, Kisses and Kit-Kat maker announced a 26% price increase on some candies due to supply issues.
By Jessica Loder • Sept. 15, 2025 -
7-Eleven agrees to $1.2M fine over banned vape sales
Washington, D.C., law prohibits e-cigarette sales within a quarter mile of middle and high schools, but 16 stores near schools kept selling the devices.
By Jessica Loder • Sept. 11, 2025 -
Retrieved from Circle K press release.Column
3 Big Numbers: Couche-Tard and the art of value
Circle K’s parent company shared several ways it’s appealing to cash-strapped customers across North America.
By Jessica Loder • Sept. 5, 2025 -
PepsiCo ups stake in Celsius to 11% with $585M deal
Celsius also will acquire the beverage giant’s Rockstar Energy drink brand and add Alani Nu to PepsiCo’s distribution system in the U.S. and Canada.
By Christopher Doering • Sept. 3, 2025 -
Wawa opens first travel center, promises 2 more
The 8,000-square-foot store adds another new format to the East Coast retailer’s growing store lineup.
By Jessica Loder • Aug. 28, 2025 -
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3 Big Numbers: Retailers open eye-catching new stores
Sheetz hit a milestone, Wawa debuted a travel center and Buc-ee’s partnered with Texas A&M University for a unique merch deal.
By Jessica Loder • Aug. 28, 2025 -
Spindrift discontinues alcohol offering amid decline in hard seltzers
The beverage maker will end production of its Spiked line after four years, noting it took “substantial resources and time.”
By Christopher Doering • Aug. 28, 2025 -
Retrieved from Villanova University on September 02, 2025
Wawa opens c-store on Villanova campus
The new location near the center of the main campus is the retailer’s latest push to reach college students.
By Jessica Loder • Aug. 27, 2025 -
Retrieved from MAPCO.
6 major c-store players entering new states
Whether through buying stores or building their own, companies like Wawa, Alimentation Couche-Tard and QuikTrip are testing new markets this year.
By Jessica Loder • Aug. 27, 2025 -
Buc-ee’s strikes first deal to sell merchandise outside its stores
An agreement with Texas A&M University makes 45 items available for sale at three locations on the school’s campus.
By Jessica Loder • Aug. 26, 2025 -
Keurig Dr Pepper to buy JDE Peet’s for $18B to boost struggling coffee business
Once the deal closes, the company plans to separate its coffee and beverage units into two independent, publicly listed operations.
By Christopher Doering • Aug. 25, 2025 -
FDA denies marketing for Blu vape
While a few e-cigarette products can be advertised in the U.S., the agency said in its denial that “not all e-cigarettes are equal.”
By Jessica Loder • Aug. 22, 2025 -
Wawa begins construction in middle Tennessee
The retailer’s first stores in the state are expected to open in 2026, with up to 50 locations planned by 2035.
By Jessica Loder • Aug. 15, 2025 -
Column
3 Big Numbers: How EG Group is reshaping its global footprint
Ahead of a potential IPO, the retailer is selling off several business units and focusing on its strongest markets.
By Jessica Loder • Aug. 15, 2025 -
Cary Oil adds 110 dealer locations to Upside platform
The retailer has now grown its agreement with the digital marketplace to more than 300 stores across the U.S.
By Jessica Loder • Aug. 14, 2025 -
Retrieved from IWS.
General merchandise distributor IWS acquires Midwest rival’s delivery division
IWS handles full-service merchandising and direct-ship programs for several convenience categories, including e-cigarettes, hemp derivatives and cell phone accessories.
By Brett Dworski • Aug. 5, 2025 -
Optimism rising for beverage category
Retailers surveyed by Goldman Sachs expect 1.3% traffic gains for the full year, led by strength in energy drinks.
By Jessica Loder • Aug. 4, 2025 -
RaceTrac nears North Carolina debut
The expansion, first revealed in early 2024, will start with a more than 6,000-square-foot location in Monroe, about 25 miles from Charlotte.
By Jessica Loder • July 29, 2025 -
Hershey to raise candy prices by double digits amid elevated cocoa costs
The Reese’s maker said the “unprecedented cost” of the commodity is impacting many of its top sweet brands.
By Christopher Doering • July 28, 2025 -
Juul granted FDA marketing approval
After initially being denied in 2022, the vaping products have been waiting in limbo while the government reconsidered the case.
By Jessica Loder • July 21, 2025 -
Trump’s megabill boosts M&A outlook after slump
The new law could provide greater tax certainty for dealmaking in an otherwise risky economic and policy environment, analysts say.
By Alexei Alexis • July 15, 2025 -
5 big c-store industry questions for the rest of 2025
From big acquisitions and proposals to longer-term trends that touch all parts of the industry, here are the storylines to watch.
By Brett Dworski , Jessica Loder • July 14, 2025 -
7-Eleven facing shrinking foot traffic
Store visits have been declining for several quarters, but Seven & i is banking on more QSRs on-site to help turn things around.
By Jessica Loder • July 14, 2025 -
Retrieved from Newco Construction.
Circle K debuts sweeping alcohol discount program
The initiative, which the company says is the largest in U.S. convenience retail, offers shoppers digital cashback rebates on beer, wine and spirits almost immediately after purchase.
By Brett Dworski • July 14, 2025 -
How c-stores can profit from proprietary sweet treat offerings
Owning their own baked goods or ice cream program gives retailers a world of innovation to play with, but comes with significant challenges, experts say.
By Christine Blank • July 9, 2025