Category Trends
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Texas-based burger chain opens first c-store-adjacent site
Mooyah expects its Michigan location to be the first of many to run alongside gas stations.
By Jessica Loder • Dec. 5, 2025 -
GLP-1 users to make up 35% of food and beverage sales by 2030: report
As more consumers take weight loss medications like Ozempic or Wegovy, companies will need to act fast if they want to adapt, according to Circana.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Dec. 5, 2025 -
Column
3 Big Numbers: Retailers testing new waters
We look at a Tennessee company taking on a new identity, RaceTrac’s latest expansion and 7-Eleven’s newest and most wanted sandwich.
By Jessica Loder • Dec. 5, 2025 -
Retrieved from pwrmarket.com.
C-stores share top tactics to cut costs, increase profits
Making better use of data can cut waste while foodservice is a key driver of growth for many retailers, according to a survey from Dover Fueling Solutions and NACS.
By Jessica Loder • Dec. 4, 2025 -
Retrieved from TravelCenters of America press release.
TravelCenters of America adds new cardless payment
Fleets can use Relay’s digital platform to buy fuel, diesel exhaust fluid and in-store items.
By Jessica Loder • Dec. 3, 2025 -
Value, comfort will define 2026 menu trends
Operators looking to take advantage of buzzy food items, like protein add-ons or smash burgers, will have to balance operational complexity with demand, says the National Restaurant Association.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Dec. 1, 2025 -
Retrieved from Kwik Trip website.
Kwik Trip debuts in North Dakota
A Kwik Star in Fargo is the first of at least five locations planned for the state through the end of 2026.
By Jessica Loder • Nov. 24, 2025 -
4 c-stores turning up the heat on breakfast
From Kwik Trip’s in-house bakeries to Wawa’s LTOs, convenience stores nationwide are capitalizing on the buoyant breakfast market.
By Michael Brady • Nov. 24, 2025 -
Circle K to anchor series of mini travel centers
The Briad Group, a franchisee in New York, plans to open sites that combine a c-store with various QSR concepts.
By Jessica Loder • Nov. 19, 2025 -
How 3 retailers are upgrading meal bundles
Love’s, EG America and Rutter’s have all developed complex strategies for tying their in-house food with other products. Here are a few of their tips.
By Christine Blank • Nov. 17, 2025 -
US cracks down on hemp-derived THC drinks, upending buzzy beverage market
Lawmakers to close a legal loophole allowing companies to sell the products in a potentially critical blow to the budding industry.
By Sarah Zimmerman • Nov. 13, 2025 -
Column
3 Big Numbers: What’s going on in Iowa?
Two banners are entering the Hawkeye state for the first time as the Kum & Go brand makes way for new owner Maverik.
By Jessica Loder • Nov. 7, 2025 -
Making food in house: The business case for c-store commissaries
Retailers like EG America, Weigel’s and Kwik Trip have built their own facilities to control the quality and consistency of their foodservice programs — and the payoffs are compelling.
By Amanda Baltazar • Oct. 29, 2025 -
Why ‘crossover’ alcoholic beverages could be a hit for c-stores
Products like Monster Beast and Topo Chico Spiked are capitalizing on brand affinity but come with unique merchandising challenges.
By Jeff Wells • Oct. 27, 2025 -
Wawa increases coffee program customization
Customers can use ordering touchscreens in stores to control how much milk, sweeteners and flavors they add to their beverages.
By Jessica Loder • Oct. 23, 2025 -
Retrieved from Couche-Tard.
Couche-Tard bringing new THC beverage to Circle K in Carolinas and Florida
The rollout features Viola’s new cannabis craft soda, Iverson, produced in partnership with wellness company Horticulture.
By Brett Dworski • Oct. 22, 2025 -
Rutter’s debuts in Virginia
This is the first of two new states that are part of the retailer’s ambitious growth plan.
By Jessica Loder • Oct. 22, 2025 -
What we learned from the NACS Show 2025
From bold flavors to improving operations to encroaching competition, retailers discussed the pressures and trends shaping the industry.
By Brett Dworski , Jessica Loder • Oct. 20, 2025 -
Penny shortage poses compliance woes for retailers, industry groups warn
SNAP-authorized stores risk violating federal law when they round to the nearest nickel for cash-paying consumers, industry groups including NACS and NATSO told the USDA.
By Catherine Douglas Moran • Oct. 20, 2025 -
Sponsored by Mars Wrigley
3 big trends from Mars Wrigley: Insights shaping the confectionery and snacking categories in 2026
Mars is reimagining its iconic brands with new innovations featured at the 2025 NACS Show.
Oct. 20, 2025 -
6 takeaways from Day 2 of the 2025 NACS Show
Workshops on crime, foodservice and inventory management dominated the early morning, but it was a free-for-all once the massive expo floor opened for the first time.
By Brett Dworski , Jessica Loder , Jeff Wells • Oct. 16, 2025 -
Column
The Road Ahead: Why super regionals will shape the next decade of convenience
When a competitor like Wawa or QuikTrip comes into a market, competitors will either be forced to innovate or get left behind.
By Frank Beard • Oct. 14, 2025 -
Casey’s names VP of proprietary brands as category undergoes facelift
Eric Long will assume leadership of the segment in which Casey’s has spent the past year implementing a tiered system.
By Brett Dworski • Oct. 9, 2025 -
Winners and losers in c-store alcoholic beverages
Beer remains big, but other subcategories are getting battered by a years-long slump in booze sales, experts say.
By Christine Blank • Oct. 9, 2025 -
Coca-Cola to roll out single-serve minis in c-stores
The 7.5-ounce cans will be available in Coke, Sprite and Fanta varieties, offering consumers a more affordable price point.
By Laurel Deppen • Oct. 9, 2025