Category Trends

  • A photo of beer labels on a production line. The labels say "Stewart's Shops Mountain Brew lager. Proudly brewed in the Adirondaks by Paradox Brewery."
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Paradox Brewery
    Image attribution tooltip

    Stewart’s Shops revives private label craft beer

    The retailer tapped a local brewery to bring back Mountain Brew, a custom craft creation it last offered five years ago.

    By • Jan. 29, 2025
  • 7-Eleven
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of 7-Eleven
    Image attribution tooltip

    What’s ahead for c-stores in 2025?

    With economic conditions still tight and the political landscape uncertain, retailers will be focused on improving amenities to get people into their stores.

    By • Jan. 29, 2025
  • A photo of the exterior of a Buc-ee's location.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Buc-ee's
    Image attribution tooltip

    Buc-ee’s eyes site near Milwaukee

    While Oak Creek is the second location the retailer has targeted in Wisconsin, it may end up being the first to open.

    By • Jan. 27, 2025
  • A photo of a pack of Marlboro menthol cigarettes, with several cigarettes loose on a black surface around it.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Mario Tama via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    FDA withdraws proposed menthol rule

    The ban would have outlawed menthol-flavored cigarettes nationwide.

    By • Jan. 27, 2025
  • A photo of self checkout kiosks inside a convenience store. Each machine says "self checkout."
    Image attribution tooltip
    Jessica Loder/C-Store Dive
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    3 Big Numbers: Building a better c-store customer experience

    Shoppers at convenience retailers told NCR Voyix they love their favorite banners, want more self checkout and are moving past the stigma of gas station food.

    By • Jan. 24, 2025
  • A photo showing the exterior of a convenience store. The fuel canopies, gs pumps and a sign on the store all say "The Store."
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by The Store
    Image attribution tooltip

    How small c-stores can survive

    As consolidation drives more independents out of business, smaller retailers need to stand out and connect with their communities, experts say.

    By • Jan. 22, 2025
  • Bottles of Pepsi soda are seen on display at a Target store on February 09, 2024 in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn borough New York City.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Michael M. Santiago / Staff via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    PepsiCo sued by FTC for allegedly ‘rigging’ soft drink prices

    The agency claims the soda giant gave “unfair” pricing advantages to a larger retailer, forcing consumers to pay more at competing stores. Pepsi “strongly disputes” the allegations.

    By Christopher Doering • Jan. 21, 2025
  • An image of a factory, processing hockey puck sized canisters that read "Zyn chill."
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Philip Morris International
    Image attribution tooltip

    FDA authorizes marketing of nicotine pouches for the first time

    These items have become popular in c-stores as traditional tobacco sales plunge, and their approval sets the stage for continued growth.

    By • Jan. 17, 2025
  • A photo of the exterior of a travel stop. Signs on the front wall of the gray and red building say "Pilot," Welcome," "Subway" and "Cinnabon."
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Pilot Co.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Pilot opens its largest store yet

    The travel stop company plans to use the Tennessee location as “a blueprint for store designs in the future,” said VP of Operations Jim Rose.

    By • Jan. 17, 2025
  • Two prescription drug cartons are seen stacked on top of each other, bearing the word Wegovy.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Scott Olson via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    GLP-1 weight loss medications pose challenges for c-stores. Here’s how retailers can respond.

    Users of Ozempic and other drugs are shunning items like energy drinks and salty snacks, research shows. But there are upselling opportunities in categories like beverage and foodservice.

    By • Jan. 15, 2025
  • Shell
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from Shell.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Shell Rotella adds fuel card

    The new offering helps professional drivers save money at almost 9,000 fueling locations in the U.S. and Canada.

    By • Jan. 14, 2025
  • A photo of a smartphone on a table with pizza on a plate next to it on the left and a cup of soda on the right. The mobile app says "7Now Gold Pass. First 14 days free. Renews automatically. Cancel anytime. Free delivery on every order and extra perks for orders over $10. No small basket fees, 2x rewards points, FREE product on every order. Additional member perks"
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of 7-Eleven
    Image attribution tooltip

    7-Eleven targets $1B in 7Now sales

    The company’s delivery business is expected to hit more than $700 million in sales by the end of fiscal 2024.

    By • Jan. 13, 2025
  • Snacking brands made by PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division on a grocery store shelf in Washington, D.C.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Christopher Doering/C-Store Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    5 c-store snack trends to watch in 2025

    Pricing pressures will impact consumer spending in the first half, but familiar flavors and protein pushes could change the landscape, experts say.

    By Christine Blank • Jan. 13, 2025
  • A promotional image showing three drinks against a red background. There is a cup of coffee over the words "$1 hot coffee," an iced coffee over the words "$2 iced coffee" and a can of Monster Energy over the words "$3 monster Energy." Text to the right says "Wawa Rewards member exclusive" and "join today" over a QR code while text along the bottom sayd "Get one, two or all three."
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Wawa
    Image attribution tooltip

    C-stores start 2025 with a value push

    EG America, Wawa and QuickChek all announced discounts and deals for the start of the year.

    By • Jan. 7, 2025
  • Enmarket
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from Enmarket.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Deep Dive

    9 trends for c-stores to watch in 2025

    This year will see c-stores refining strategies across the business, from loyalty to foodservice to technology and beyond.

    By , • Jan. 7, 2025
  • A photo of the interior of a convenience store, showing shelves full of snacks and a beer cave set in the back wall. Signs over the beer gave say "the beer barn. enter for cold beer." while a sign over a hallway to the right of the beer cave says "restrooms."
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Paragon Solutions
    Image attribution tooltip

    How to build a better beer cave

    These spaces can become destinations for high-value beer lovers, but experts say they can easily get overlooked if c-stores don’t carefully consider design and assortment.

    By Amanda Baltazar • Jan. 6, 2025
  • A photo showing the exterior of a convenience store. The fuel canopies, gs pumps and a sign on the store all say "The Store."
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by The Store
    Image attribution tooltip

    Reliance Fuel enters Wisconsin by acquiring The Store

    The Pennsylvania retailer bought the sites in December and plans to rebrand all locations to Fuel On.

    By • Jan. 2, 2025
  • close up of a worker holding up a tablet
    Image attribution tooltip
    Dragos Condrea via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Employers with strong employee value proposition innovate better, McLean says

    Having a strong EVP can boost results in an increasingly competitive labor landscape, the firm said in a new report.

    By Carolyn Crist • Jan. 2, 2025
  • 7-Eleven
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of 7-Eleven
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    3 Big Numbers: The figures that stood out in 2024

    We close out this year with a closer look at three massive stories — 7-Eleven’s store closings, Buc-ee’s continuing expansion and Couche-Tard’s purchase of GetGo.

    By • Dec. 20, 2024
  • A screenshot of a delivery ordering interface. The name at the top of the page is Rebel DElivery. A sign below that reads Alcohol delivery now available within city limits."
    Image attribution tooltip

    Screenshot from rebelstores.com/delivery.

    Image attribution tooltip

    Rebel adds alcohol delivery

    The convenience retailer has added the option to four stores in Las Vegas, with nine more coming online soon.

    By • Dec. 20, 2024
  • A rendering of the interior of a convenience store, showing the center of the store. signs hanging from the ceiling say Chilled, Fresh to Go, chilled to Go and Yatco.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Yatco
    Image attribution tooltip

    How well did we predict the c-store industry’s biggest trends in 2024? Here are our honest grades.

    Our forecast included growth in small-scale M&A, food and beverage innovation and loyalty efforts, as well as EV momentum slowing down. We were right about some, and wrong about others.

    By , • Dec. 19, 2024
  • mergers M&A acquisitions law legal
    Image attribution tooltip
    Bevan Goldswain via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    W. Capra adds M&A services

    The new offering will be led by Lisa Briggs, partner with the company and former president and CEO of Impact 21.

    By • Dec. 18, 2024
  • 7-Eleven
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from 7-Eleven.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    3 Big Numbers: Food and the future

    7-Eleven, Arko and Applegreen all shared plans this year to build more dining-focused convenience stores.

    By • Dec. 6, 2024
  • Several herbs, seasonings and spices in bowls and piles, grouped together on an old wooden table.
    Image attribution tooltip
    fcafotodigital via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    5 foodservice trends c-stores should watch in 2025

    Customers are still guarding their wallets, but may be tempted by spicy offerings, Southeast Asian fare and a shift from chicken to eggs, experts say.

    By Christine Blank • Dec. 4, 2024
  • A photo of a hand holding a lit cigarette.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Value is vital for tobacco sales

    Consumers have not only been cutting back on tobacco purchases, but have also been turning to lower-priced options, recent data shows.

    By • Dec. 2, 2024