The convenience store industry had record sales of $700.3 billion in 2012, with in-store sales increasing 2.2% to reach a record $199.3 billion, and motor fuels sales increasing 2.9% to a record $501.0 billion, according to figures announced last week by NACS. In-store sales growth was driven by double-digit sales gains in several subcategories: alternative…
DetailsAs the dust settles around the new laws governing estate taxes, gift taxes and generation-skipping transfer taxes, here are five myths you need to know about the new laws: The new laws end uncertainty about estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The new laws are only good for…
DetailsFor the past five years through 2012, sales of fruit and vegetable juices and juice drinks have remained flat, while the volume consumed by households has barely kept pace with population growth, QSR Magazine reports. The data reflects undercurrents of change in this $20 billion market, according to a recently released report from Packaged Facts,…
DetailsIn 2011-2012, nearly 1,900 new consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands hit retail shelves across the U.S. multi-outlet geography, which includes traditional grocery, drug, and mass market retailers, as well as sales from dollar and club channels, Walmart, and military commissaries. Information Resources Inc. (IRI) said that only 11% of those launches met the stringent, industry-recognized…
DetailsLeaders from MillerCoors, Anheuser-Busch, and other major beer marketers met last week to figure out how to boost the reputation of beer among Millennial drinkers, Advertising Age reports. Beer shipment volumes have dropped for three straight years through 2011, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights. For the 52 weeks ending May 26, volumes fell 0.3%, compared…
DetailsBreakfast sandwiches have made it to the top 10 list of foods Americans eat at breakfast. According to The NPD Group, breakfast sandwiches are on the list for the first time since 1985, and they knocked bacon off the list. “The beauty of the breakfast sandwich is that you can get that 1950s breakfast of…
DetailsGovernment edicts relating to renewable fuel has some retailers concerned that pure gasoline will soon be unavailable, the Tulsa World reports. More drivers are seeking out gasoline without ethanol because of concerns about the biofuel. With the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) giving final approval of E15 for vehicles manufactured since 2001, some retailers see that as…
DetailsEven as the economy improves, 94% of Americans indicate they will remain cautious and keep their spending for food, beverage, and household goods at current levels, according to Deloitte’s 2013 American Pantry Study. More than nine in 10 (92%) consumers surveyed indicate they have become more resourceful, and 86% say they are getting more precise…
DetailsThanks to the more than 1.4 billion active users on sites like Facebook and Twitter, social media has become one of the hottest ways to connect with consumers. While compiling its list of the 25 biggest c-store chains, CSP found that the most successful retailers referenced the growing importance of social media. And the numbers…
DetailsA decline in gas prices over the past month has led to a decline in overall consumer pessimism about the economy, according to results from the monthly NACS Consumer Fuels Survey. Though 54% of U.S. consumers surveyed in April say they remain pessimistic about the economy, it is the lowest percentage of consumer pessimism recorded…
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