Energy North’s Haffner’s chain added a new flagship store in Lawrence, Massachusetts in May, featuring convenience items, gasoline, a car wash and a unique take on foodservice . In this "At Your Convenience" podcast, CSP Editor-in-Chief Steve Holtz talks with CEO Jeff Black about how the chain embraced community history and relationships to create a unique c-store model. “At Your Convenience” brings industry experts and analysts together with CSP editors to discuss the latest in c-store news and...
Jul 25, 2023•17 min
In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Senior Editor Hannah Hammond interviews Amanda Buehner, senior vice president of retail events and media for Winsight LLC, on the company’s new C-Store Women’s Event . The two talk about what attendees can expect in November, why this event is being held and the challenges women face at work. For more information on the event, visit cstorewomen.com or contact Buehner at abuehner@winsightmedia.com . “At Your Convenience” brings industry experts and an...
Jul 11, 2023•10 min
In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Senior Editor Hannah Hammond talks to Melissa Vonder Haar, freelance journalist and speaker who has worked on CSP magazine’s The Future of Behind the Counter issue for several years. The two discuss pending Food and Drug Administration regulations , what challenges are top of mind for tobacco category managers, alternative products and more. Click here to read The Future of Behind the Counter 2023 issue. “At Your Convenience” brings industry experts ...
Jun 27, 2023•25 min
As the convenience-stores industry goes through a remarkable period of mergers and acquisitions, private label is having a moment—two issues creating opportunities for retailers. In this "At Your Convenience" podcast, CSP Editor-in-Chief Steve Holtz talks with branding expert Todd Maute, a partner at CBX , about building a retail brand and expanding it to private-label products. “At Your Convenience” brings industry experts and analysts together with CSP editors to discuss the latest in c-store ...
Jun 13, 2023•27 min
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 disc...
May 22, 2023•11 min
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 acquisiti...
May 09, 2023•14 min
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,...
May 02, 2023•18 min
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”...
Apr 25, 2023•20 min
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 imp...
Apr 11, 2023•11 min
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 be...
Mar 28, 2023•17 min
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....
Mar 14, 2023•20 min
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...
Feb 28, 2023•18 min
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 encou...
Feb 14, 2023•23 min
“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 Ho...
Jan 31, 2023•23 min
Deb Moore calls them “sticky tools,” the hiring and retention policies and programs that allow Nouria Energy to “really hook [applicants] in and talk to them about our opportunities here, [to] think of our company as somewhere where they can grow.” In this episode of At Your Convenience, CSP Editor in Chief Steve Holtz talks through how Moore, part of CSP’s 2023 Power 20, rebuilt the human-resource department with the Worcester, Massachusetts-based retailer and addressed store staffing . Nouria ...
Jan 10, 2023•16 min
LAS VEGAS — In October, CSP honored Ken Parent as its 2022 Retail Leader of the Year (RLOY). Here, Parent, senior advisor and former president of Pilot Co., accepts his award and thanks the people who made it possible. Click here to read more about the award and Parent’s accomplishments. “ 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 d...
Dec 13, 2022•7 min
CHICAGO — In this episode of “ At Your Convenience ,” CSP Editor-in-Chief Steve Holtz talks through the results of the 2022 Outlook Survey and the future of convenience stores with Editor Chuck Ulie. How are business conditions? What do retailers expect in 2023? Is the labor market improving? Retailers reveal talk through the best and the worst of the market. “ At Your Convenience ” brings industry experts and analysts together with CSP editors to discuss the latest in c-store news and trends. F...
Nov 22, 2022•12 min
CHICAGO — In this episode of “ At Your Convenience ,” CSP Editor Jackson Lewis covers the state of c-store distribution with Sharan Kalva, president of Huntsville, Ala.-based C-Store Master. What are the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic? What are today’s biggest challenges for distributors and what new disruption will tomorrow bring? CSP asks Kalva this and more. “ At Your Convenience ” brings industry experts and analysts together with CSP editors to discuss the latest in c-store news...
Nov 08, 2022•11 min
CSP Senior Editor Hannah Hammond caught up with Cameron Watt, president and CEO of evaluation firm Intouch Insight, in August at the Outlook Leadership Conference , where Rutter's was presented Customer Experience Award for its success. Watt spoke about the York, Pa.-based chain’s strengths, as well as what other convenience stores did well in 2022 and what needs to improve. Rutter’s is No. 84 on CSP’s 2022 Top 202 ranking of c-store chains by store count. “At Your Convenience” brings industry e...
Oct 19, 2022•12 min
Mike Lawshe, president of Paragon Solutions, Fort Worth, Texas, talks with CSP Editor, Rachel Gignac about how to design a store for an easy customer flow and experience in this episode of "At Your Convenience." It's about peaking the customers interest in features they didn't even know they wanted, according to Lawshe. He also explains ways that design can benefit customers from the moment they enter the parking lot. “At Your Convenience” brings industry experts and analysts together with CSP e...
Oct 11, 2022•22 min
In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editors Hannah Hammond and Greg Lindenberg talk to bp leaders about the oil company’s transition into convenience and its Reimagining Energy strategy . Debi Boffa, vice president of convenience for the Americas at bp and president of Thorntons, and Greg Franks, senior vice president of mobility and convenience for the Americas with bp, spoke about the Houston-based company’s initiatives from the Thornton’s headquarters in Louisville, Ky....
Sep 20, 2022•11 min
CHICAGO — In this episode of "At Your Convenience," Carly Schildhaus, senior manager of public affairs at the National Confectioners Association (NCA), Washington, D.C., discusses trends in snacks and candy with CSP Editor Rachel Gignac. Schildhaus talks about the intensity factor that is popular in snacks and candy as well as growth in shareable options. Additionally, Schildhaus sheds light on rumors regarding Halloween candy shortages . She also discusses the benefits of participating in Natio...
Aug 23, 2022•13 min
CHICAGO — James Pogue, president and CEO of Dallas-based JP Enterprises , talks with CSP Editor Chuck Ulie about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) best practices retailers should keep in mind to broaden their pool of job candidates in this episode of “At Your Convenience.” Pogue’s consulting firm specializes in DE&I solutions for companies and organizations. In addition, Pogue offers suggestions on how to improve the odds of hiring staff, where to look to find the necessary talent a...
Aug 09, 2022•22 min
DENVER — What better source for some of the biggest trends in mobile technology than a retail concept centered around the mobile experience? In this episode of At Your Convenience, CSP technology and fuels editor Jackson Lewis checks in with Mike Fogarty, CEO and founder of Choice Market, whose Denver-based c-stores have been focused on mobile technology since well before the pandemic. Tune in for an exclusive chat with Fogarty, covering Choice’s upcoming national expansion, what’s next for mobi...
Jul 26, 2022•21 min
When independent retailer Numan Dharani opened Abbott’s Travel Center in Abbott, Texas, in September, he purposely aimed to offer “items not typically offered at convenience.” The result is a large store that takes advantage of its location and a collection of products intended to keep customers engaged and interested in coming back. In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Content Director Steve Holtz talks to Dharani , one of CSP’s 2022 Indie Influencers , about how he was drawn into conv...
Jul 12, 2022•13 min
Young workers are moving to smaller, more affordable urban centers in the South and West where potential jobs are in abundance, and retailers should take notice. That’s according to Steve Dwyer, a CSP contributor and author of the 2022 “Where to Build Now” article in the 2022 Top 202 June issue of CSP magazine. Join Dwyer and Editor Jackson Lewis as they discuss which markets present development opportunities for retailers and how times have changed for brands looking to grow. “At Your Convenien...
Jun 28, 2022•15 min
How will the rise of electric vehicles, the war in Ukraine and the rising cost of oil affect mergers and acquisitions in the year ahead? In this episode of “ At Your Convenience ,” CSP Editor Jackson Lewis chats with Senior Editor Hannah Hammond, who spearheaded this year’s Top 202 list and cover story in the June issue of CSP magazine. Hammond reflects on influential deals in 2021 and how buying and selling stores has changed for chains of different sizes and in various parts of the country. “A...
Jun 14, 2022•9 min
In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Senior Editor Hannah Hammond talks to Tom Briant, executive director of the National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO), Minneapolis. Briant discussed the latest in tobacco regulation, from where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is at in its review of premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) to advice for tobacco category managers at c-stores to what to know about the FDA’s recently published proposed rules that could ban menthol ...
May 24, 2022•18 min
CHICAGO — How do convenience-store retailers feel about foodservice in 2022 and beyond and where are they investing? CSP Content Director Steve Holtz talks with Chuck Ulie, CSP’s foodservice editor, about data from the annual State of the Foodservice retailer survey, in this episode of “At Your Convenience.” The podcast also touches on segments where retailers expect growth, areas that might be losing their luster and the labor crisis. “At Your Convenience” brings industry experts and analysts t...
May 10, 2022•13 min
Billy Colemire, director of marketing at Boise, Idaho-based Stinker Stores, talks with CSP Editor Chuck Ulie about trends in dispensed beverages, including supply-chain challenges and making contingency plans, in this episode of “At Your Convenience.” Colemire, a finalist this year in CSP’s Category Manager of the Year Awards, also discusses how Stinker Stores has taken a more proactive approach to change instead of simply reacting when a new competitor comes along. He also discusses limited-tim...
Apr 25, 2022•16 min
