In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editor Rachel Gignac talks to Carly Schildhaus, senior manager of public affairs at the National Confectioners Association, about bold flavor and brand combinations, social media influence, pack sizes and more in snacks and candy. 

The Sweets & Snacks Expo showcased these trends with innovative products. Schildhaus talks about what to expect going forward.

“At Your Convenience” brings industry experts and analysts together with CSP editors to discuss the latest in c-store news and trends. From mergers and acquisitions to foodservice and technology, the podcast delivers the story straight to listeners in short-format episodes, perfect for the morning commute or a quick break at the office.

Retailers are remarkably optimistic about the opportunities for foodservice growth in convenience stores. CSP’s annual State of Foodservice survey shows 73% of retailers expect improvement this year.

In this At Your Convenience podcast, CSP Editor-in-Chief Steve Holtz talks through the survey results with Foodservice Editor Chuck Ulie.

“At Your Convenience” brings industry experts and analysts together with CSP editors to discuss the latest in c-store news and trends. From mergers and acquisitions to foodservice and technology, the podcast delivers the story straight to listeners in short-format episodes, perfect for the morning commute or a quick break at the office.

Beverage brand SunnyD recently announced it is introducing a new drink that contains 4.5% alcohol geared toward adult consumers. This is the latest example of traditional non-alcohol beverage brands introducing new pre-packaged alcohol drinks.

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editor Chuck Ulie talks to Marbet Lewis, founding attorney and team manager at Miami-based Spiritus Law, about this trend. Lewis represents alcohol manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers such as bars, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and pharmacy chains. Lewis discusses the effects COVID-19 had on this trend and how the retail market, flooded with a variety of products, has traditional brands innovating to reach new customers.

The April issue of CSP magazine serves as the convenience-store industry’s Category Management Handbook, providing year-end sales data from IRI/Circana, Technomic, McLane Co. and others to paint a picture of what’s selling in c-stores today, and where the industry’s biggest product segments are heading.

In this At Your Convenience podcast, CSP Editor-in-Chief Steve Holtz talks through data collected for the issue with editors Hannah Hammond, Rachel Gignac and Chuck Ulie.

“At Your Convenience” brings industry experts and analysts together with CSP editors to discuss the latest in c-store news and trends. From mergers and acquisitions to foodservice and technology, the podcast delivers the story straight to listeners in short-format episodes, perfect for the morning commute or a quick break at the office.

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editor Chuck Ulie talks to Savannah Johnson, manager of the food category, at Knoxville, Tennessee-based Pilot Co., on trends she’s seeing, new products Pilot is offering, and more.

The discussion includes Johnson talking about a new product playing off Pilot’s large pizza business: cheesy breadsticks debuting in June that customers can customize with toppings. She also discusses the company’s New Horizons project, which include the strategy of improving the display of food and beverage products.

“At Your Convenience” brings industry experts and analysts together with CSP editors to discuss the latest in c-store news and trends. From mergers and acquisitions to foodservice and technology, the podcast delivers the story straight to listeners in short-format episodes, perfect for the morning commute or a quick break at the office.

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editor Chuck Ulie talk to Gary Hemphill, managing director and COO of research at New York-based Beverage Marketing Corp., on trends he’s seeing in ⁠⁠packaged beverages⁠⁠.

The discussion covers bottled water, energy, sports drinks, carbonated soft drinks, milk, juice, ⁠⁠alcohol⁠⁠—even CBD.

Hemphill says he’s seen nothing short of remarkable pricing increases recently, often in double digits depending on the category. It’s a historical high for ⁠⁠beverage ⁠⁠prices, both alcohol and particularly nonalcohol, in all categories, he says.

The future of fuels is far from certain, and each company contemplating which lane to choose--which new fuel or fuels to focus on to best serve their customers--will have its own answer based on demographics and geography.

In this episode of At Your Convenience, CSP Editor Greg Lindenberg speaks with Nathaniel Doddridge, vice president of fuels for Casey’s General Stores, Ankeny, Iowa, about the Midwestern chain's strategy for navigating which new fuels it is betting on and why.

It’s no secret driving customers from the gasoline pump into the store is one of the most studied challenges in operating a convenience store with fuel island. For 18 years, Gas Station TV (GSTV) has put brand stories on the pump to aid retailers in driving customers into the store and consumer brands in sharing a message where their products are readily available.

In this episode of At Your Convenience, CSP Editor-in-Chief Steve Holtz talks to GSTV CEO Sean McCaffrey about getting customers in the door and recent product promotions.

“At Your Convenience” brings industry experts and analysts together with CSP editors to discuss the latest in c-store news and trends. From mergers and acquisitions to foodservice and technology, the podcast delivers the story straight to listeners in short-format episodes, perfect for the morning commute or a quick break at the office.

It was 45 years ago that Tom Hart was robbed at gunpoint while he manned the checkout at a convenience store. The experience, while frightening, set Hart on a career in convenience stores that, today, has him leading online training for convenience retailers and other businesses through a variety of skills, including dealing with armed robbery and store security, with Ready Training Online (RTO).

In this episode of "At Your Convenience," CSP Editor Greg Lindenberg talks with Hart about the encounter and how he hopes others can learn from it and his other experiences in the c-store industry.

“Please don’t call me a bean counter.”

With that statement, Don Bassell is ready to exit the convenience-store industry with plans to retire at the end of this year. After 42 years mostly on the financial side of the business and with companies as varied as Tenneco Oil, Amoco, Mid-Atlantic Convenience Stores and GPM Investments, Bassell has seen the industry evolve from a gasoline marketer to the food-focused retailer of today.

In this episode of At Your Convenience, CSP Editor-in-Chief Steve Holtz reviews career highlights and industry insights with Bassell.