A1 Wholesale Distribution

Energy Drinks Wake Up Category

Tish Olivieri — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 21:43:41 +0000

Line extensions and Americans’ unremitting thirst for energy and variety continue to power the energy drink category. Convenience store sales of energy drinks totaled $8.4 billion in 2017 and the segment is expected to register a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.6% during the period 2018-2023, according to market research firm Mordor Intelligence. The […]

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SOI: 5 Great Ideas

Tish Olivieri — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 19:28:11 +0000

Industry leaders were encouraged to be prepared for anything and think big. CHICAGO – Retailers, suppliers and industry experts converged in Chicago for the 2018 NACS State of the Industry Summit from Tues., April 10, through Thurs., April 12. The U.S. economy is doing reasonably well and the convenience petroleum industry continues to see […]

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Forecast 2018: The Outlook on Packaged Beverages

Tish Olivieri — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 22:43:47 +0000

NATIONAL REPORT — Convenience store operators are bullish on the packaged beverage category’s prospects for 2018, citing a variety of factors contributing to a growth atmosphere, according to the 2018 Convenience Store News Forecast Study. One such factor is the expanding variety of products available in the cold vault — new items and category innovation are driving […]

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Energy Drinks Show Vitality

Tish Olivieri — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 22:38:44 +0000

Manufacturers continue to invent various healthier-for-you energy drink offerings for health-conscious consumers. During the last few years, convenience stores have provided a big boost to the energy drink category. Patrons finding their get-up-and-go flagging can quickly locate just the tonic to revive their drive and stamina, and be on their way. During that same time, the […]

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Snacks: Meat Snacks 2016

Tish Olivieri — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 18:42:05 +0000

Meat-snack sales rose nearly 10% in the 52 weeks ending Dec. 27, 2015, to reach $1.5 billion, according to IRI. Units rose just over 4%. According to Nielsen figures, category sales rose more than 7% in the 52 weeks ending Dec. 26, 2015, with units up only 1.4%. The segments showing the greatest growth: meat […]

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Snak Club Snack Mixes

Tish Olivieri — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 17:32:11 +0000

Honey Bliss Nut Mix and Southwestern Snack Mix among new varieties. Century Snacks’ Snak Club brand is launching six new products and showcasing new packaging. Snak Club's new, on-trend snack mix innovations include: Tropical Coco-Mango Nut Mix, Chocolate Coconut Nut Mix, Omega Fruit & Nut Mix, Sweet & Salty Poppin’ Nuts, Honey Bliss Nut Mix, and Southwestern Snack Mix. Its new bag packaging has a resealable zipper and highlights key nutritional purchase criteria, such as protein and fiber content, absence of artificial ingredients, and non-GMO and gluten-free attributes on both the front and back of the package.

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Forecast 2018: The Outlook on Candy

Tish Olivieri — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 16:28:27 +0000

NATIONAL REPORT — The candy category remains a prime source of impulse purchases for the convenience store industry, yet opinions are mixed on whether this will mean more sales or more of the same in 2018, according to the annual Convenience Store News Forecast Study. A slightly higher percentage of c-store operators expect their candy volume per store to stay the same this year compared to the number who expect it to increase, 45.1 percent vs. 43.1 percent, respectively. The same goes for dollar sales per store, as 47.2 percent expect the same and 45.3 percent expect an increase. While a minority of retailers expect candy category performance to decline, they are more pessimistic about volume (11.8 percent) than dollar sales (7.5 percent).

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Court Briefs Challenge FDA’s Marketing Rules for E-Cigarettes

Tish Olivieri — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 17:39:27 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The legal battle over federal regulations for electronic cigarettes continues to heat up. On Feb. 20, NJOY LLC asked a court to reverse a lower court's decision that blocks e-cigarette companies from describing their products to consumers on the grounds that it violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and prevents the public from obtaining important health information. In a separate move, Iowa Attorney General Thomas Miller filed his own brief, asking the court to allow manufacturers to provide information to help consumers make informed decisions about their health.

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Category Snapshot: General Merchandise

Tish Olivieri — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 17:50:14 +0000

NATIONAL REPORT — Convenience stores have the growth advantage over food, drug and mass-merchandise (FDM) retailers when it comes to general merchandise, according to new data and analysis provided to Convenience Store News by Nielsen. Dollar sales of general merchandise rose 3 percent for c-stores in the 52 weeks ended Aug. 29, compared to just 1.1-percent growth for FDM during the same timeframe. Sales increases in the various general merchandise segments are not uniform across the board, with some segments posting particularly strong increases.

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