At Your Convenience

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editor Chuck Ulie talks to Ryan Blevins, the director of food and beverage innovation at Powell, Tennessee-based Weigel's convenience stores.

Blevins also touches on getting customers to turn a gas trip into a foodservice-shopping trip, Weigel’s eight new sauces and more.

Weigel’s is a family-owned and -operated c-store chain that has been serving East Tennessee since 1931. With 70 locations, Weigel’s is dedicated to providing their customers with quality products and exceptional service.

“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,” David Poulnot, vice president of fuel and c-store at Upside, shares findings from the technology company's C-Store Report released this month.

He talks about how despite sales growth headlines, convenience-store revenue has decreased when inflation is considered, dropping 19% between January 2021 and January 2024.

Shoppers are making fewer c-store trips and buying less because of cost concerns and replacing visits with grocery trips. 

Poulnot said that digital personalization is the most effective way to face this issue because by connecting one-to-one, retailers can collect individual return on investment per transaction.

Upside is a marketplace that connects consumers with brick-and-mortar retailers through personalized offers. It uses artificial intelligence (AI)-driven personalization technology to enhance purchasing power.

“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 Senior Editor Hannah Hammond talks to Patricia Coe, senior director of client leadership, for Advantage Solutions Convenience Division, and Doug Middlebrooks, senior vice president of channel sales, for Advantage Solutions.

The three talked about how convenience-store sales reached a new high in 2023, the time it takes for c-store customers to decide what to buy, how quickly food is consumed after it’s purchased and more.

Advantage Solutions, Clayton, Missouri, helps build brand value for manufacturers and retailers through insight-based sales, marketing and technology solutions.

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” Scott Negley, senior director of product management at Dover Fueling Solutions, and Doug Haugh, chief commercial officer at Vertex Energy, talk about a broad-view perspective on the realities of converting the nation to use electric vehicles (EVs). The pair, who spoke in March at the Dover Fueling Solutions conference in Austin, advocate for “decarbonizing the grid” in order for the transportation industry to successfully reduce carbon emissions with EVs.

They also talk about how other alternative fuels are an important piece of the puzzle, and how their impact is not to be ignored. Negley describes the ideal transformation as “a balanced approach.”

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” NexChapter CEO Art Sebastian talks with Mike Caldwell, manager of loyalty at Yesway, and Jake Kiser, general manager of Stuzo PAR.

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editor Chuck Ulie talks to Farley Kaiser, senior director of culinary of innovation at McLane Fresh.

Kaiser (pictured) discusses the power of limited-time offers, breakfast still holding the title of king, and how lunch remains a strong focus of development—and opportunity.

McLane is one of the largest distributors in America and a partner to retail and restaurant brands nationwide. McLane offers customizable solutions for retail and restaurant customers from ordering and fulfillment to equipment and in-store merchandising.

In August 2023, McLane unveiled McLane Fresh, an expanded foodservice-at-retail program designed for convenience stores and intended to elevate the dining experience in c-stores.

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Senior Editor Hannah Hammond talks to SunStop convenience store’s Michelle Weckstein, director of food and beverage brands, and Constance Rolfson, food and beverage brand manager.

Rolfson shared how Weckstein has helped her launch her career, and the two give advice on how others can be mentors. Weckstein (pictured second from the left with her power team) also gives an update on what her Convenience-Store Women’s event power team group is working on.  

SunStop c-stores are owned by Southwest Georgia Oil Co. The Bainbridge, Georgia-based company has nearly 80 stores.

“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,” Nick Triantafellou, director of marketing at Weigel’s, peels back the curtain on how the convenience-store chain created its name, image and likeness (NIL) partnerships with University of Tennessee athletes.

The Knoxville, Tennessee-based c-store chain partnered with Christian Moore (baseball), Karlyn Pickens (softball), Zakai Zeigler (basketball) and Tess Darby (women’s basketball). Weigel’s customers can redeem a free 24-ounce Coca-Cola when Moore hits a home run or when Pickens strikes out six opposing hitters in a game. And when Zeigler or Darby hit three three-pointers in a game, customers can take 20 cents off a gallon of gas when buying Gatorade.

In this episode of At Your Convenience, Rachel Gignac, associate editor at CSP Daily News, talks with Rovertown's Tyler Cameron, head of strategy and analytics, and Bill Bustin, head of customer success, about their recent research on what kinds of coupons work best for convenience-store retailers.

When Majors Management LLC completed its transaction with Compañía de Petróleos de Chile S.A. (COPEC) for the acquisition of 192 MAPCO-branded convenience stores in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas and Kentucky, at the end of last year, it represented yet another transition from one owner to another. For some, it might have felt like an insurmountable amount of change. But for Damian Wyatt and team, it became another opportunity.