Independent stores fend competition with innovation – Get to know drivers demographic with Ticon

According to the NACS State of the Industry Report, independent owners now account for nearly 63 percent...

Westward expansion, Wawa style

Since the beginning of 2024, Wawa has been expanding at a rapid pace, with CEO Chris Gheysens noting that the company is undergoing “the most aggressive growth”...

What does private equity ownership of convenience stores mean for the industry?

Alimentation Couche-Tard (ACT) and Seven & I, two of the largest convenience operators in North America...

Close enough is not good enough for your c-store

The latest industry analysis by National Retail Federation (NRF) indicates that retail sales in 2025 are expected to grow between 2.7% and 3.7%...

Going Dutch on coffee

A little over a month after unveiling its 1,000th retail location, drive-thru coffee chain Dutch Bros Inc. is expanding its operations with goals to reach...

Keeping it cold should not freeze your business

The convenience store industry’s interests are well represented by NACS! The House of Representatives recently voted in favor of two Congressional Review Act ..

Cold is the new hot – at least for Gen Z

Gen Z has different coffee preferences than previous generations, and according to news outlet Fast Company, they “like it cold, sweet and loaded with creamer...

Consumer confidence is down, convenience store sales are up

Consumer confidence declined again in March as Americans’ outlook about future conditions darkened amid worries about inflation and tariffs...

The future of EV – is there one?

The Electric Vehicles Vision Group (evVG) released its second Vision Report which explores the evolving U.S. policy and regulatory landscape, market demand, infrastructure and development...

QSRs sell fast food, but c-stores sell faster food!

As if the competition between multiple QSR brands were not hot enough, they are getting a shove from their neighbors across the street – convenience stores...

Does AI care about you as much as a store clerk?

A lot has been said about AI. A lot has also been said about the demise of customer service—whether true or greatly exaggerated. And a lot has been said about AI’s potential to...

Thy shalt not steal – especially from a convenience store

Traditionally speaking, when it comes to shrink, convenience stores worry mostly about retail crime, such as break-ins and criminals pocketing items or performing...

Convenience refocuses on what’s good for your health

It used to be that convenience stores were the places to buy smokes, chips and coffee – but this is changing rapidly. Forty-five percent of respondents in NACS’ latest...

The fuel that fuels your business is fuel, experts say

We covered in this column a wide variety of issues that the convenience store industry considers important – technology, food service, product mix, etc...

Private labels go public

We all are quite familiar with private labels in big-box stores and grocery supermarkets: Costco has Kirkland, Walmart has Great Value, and Trader Joe’s has a bunch...

Walmart c-stores get blue light special

Walmart has big plans for its convenience store operations in 2025. The retailer, which currently operates more than 400 gas and convenience stores nationwide...

To sue or not to sue? Buc-ee’s knows the answer

Buc-ee’s is a unique convenience store chain. It has only 50 stores but its reputation makes it feel much bigger. The brand is very popular and has a following...

Store closures happen for a reason

Mega! Consumers Cooperative, a Midwestern convenience retailer, has closed all of its remaining c-stores less than two years after declaring...

Hiring challenges are on the horizon

Headquartered in Altoona, PA, Sheetz is one of America's fastest-growing family-owned and -operated convenience store chains with more than 26,000 employees...

Laws of nature cannot be legislated out of existence

There are many laws of nature that control our lives, with various effects. One of these laws is the Law of Unintended Consequences...

Pennsylvania c-store giants expand into Midwest

Convenience store industry insiders, as well as many East Coast residents, are well familiar with the c-store chains from Pennsylvania, ever-competing for the...

Drug stores are about pharmacy, after all

For many decades, if not for centuries, American drugstores surprised foreigners by offering a multitude of various goods for sale throughout the store...

Robots move from warehouses into storefronts

As cutting-edge technologies, like AI and robotics, advance across the spectrum of industries, a new application for them opens up in the retail space...

Delivering convenience with precision

The convenience industry publications call for our attention to the growing necessity for convenience stores to adopt delivery services amid rising...

Aldi’s AI Revolution

The recent move by Aldi to automate digital product descriptions with AI, as reported by Chain Store Age, highlights the growing role of technology...

12 gallons of regular gas, and pizza to go

As the popular saying goes, “Come for the food, stay for the pie”. In the convenience store industry, though, customers come for the gas...

Now all restaurants are Taco Bell

In the 1993 cult movie Demolition Man, a fictional futuristic society of the year 2032 is distinguished by having Taco Bell positioned as a winner of...

Is modular construction the way of the future?

In a press release submitted to NACS, Family Express c-store chain reports that it is building its first modular convenience store in Ligonier, Indiana...

Royal Hawaiian Center is as royal as it can be

There are shopping centers, there are luxury shopping centers, and then there is a royal shopping center – Royal Hawaiian Center (RHC)...

EV charging network keeps growing – but will it pay for itself? | EV charging data analytics by Ticon

Berkshire Hathaway, owner of Pilot Co., announced in its recent earnings report that it plans to develop a nationwide EV fast charger...

Where the big birds fly

Wawa is a Canada goose known for its size and stamina, allowing the birds to migrate over vast distances...

Vape as you may, disposables are taboo in California

California was born amidst an 1849 gold rush, and became a poster child of Liberty. It enjoyed this image for over a century, celebrated free speech in the 1960s...

Unequal impact of high grocery prices

We all see and feel the rise of grocery prices, in comparison with per-2019 era. But the data gathered through all 50 states analyzed the prices of 26 common...

The battle for your coffee mug continues

A couple of months ago we discussed the ever-increasing proliferation of coffee establishments. It is an international phenomenon, but let’s for now...

ALDI giveth and ALDI taketh away

The news channels these days have been full of stories about ALDI, America’s fastest-growing grocery store chain. This should not be...

Minimum wage, employee retention, and pursuit of happiness

Money can’t buy happiness, said Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Money can’t buy you love, said the Beatles. But it can pay rent, get you fed and dressed, and...

The Greatest Fast-Food Restaurant On Earth

If there is one thing about all the different QSR chains, it is that they all like to grow, and when I say grow, I mean GROW!...

Let’s Drink To This News!

Who would’ve thought? Here we are, telling each other that customers visit convenience stores to buy good, fresh, hot food – and the statistical data laughs at us and says “Alcohol, baby!”...

Walmart, the king of shopping malls

Guess what Walmart bought itself for Valentine’s day? A shopping mall. Yes, Walmart is the buyer of Monroeville Mall...

The End Of The Beginning – Or A Roller-Coaster?

“In the vast expanse of the American highway, a beacon of Buc-ee's bright orange roof cuts through the monotony. But Buc-ee's is more than...

How swag fuels Buc-ee’s gas station empire

“In the vast expanse of the American highway, a beacon of Buc-ee's bright orange roof cuts through the monotony. But Buc-ee's is more than...

Dinner And a Movie Takes a Whole New Meaning

You know Netflix: you log in and stream a movie or a show. They provide entertainment. You provide your own food. Right?...

Is US Retail Getting Great Again, Or Are You Happy To See Me?

It’s only mid-February, but already we hear from every source that retailers and restaurants are into store expansions, in a big way...

Everything Grows Best In The South, Even Franchises

The International Franchise Association recently published its annual Franchising Economic Outlook, which for 2025 expects growth...

The Lone Star State Gets Three More Donatos

Yep. We get it. Texas is big. It likes to get most of all the good stuff. And now it’s getting more of the Donatos Pizza restaurants – three this year, and up to 100 total sometime soon...

Amazon No Go?

Amazon is great at changing the paradigm. It revolutionized book buying, with a side effect of virtually eradicating the brick-and-mortar...

Hip Boomers Choose University Campus Over Shady Pines

There’s a new kind of retirement community, and it is very different from the traditional image of one...

When The Going Gets Tough

Sometimes, when the going gets tough, the tough – or rather, closely involved – pretend that everything is peachy...

When Only The Best Will Suffice

We hear about the renaissance of the shopping malls a lot lately. In another new bit, mall owner Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG)...

Iconic Consumer Brands Provide a Lesson To Commercial Real Estate

In a recent LinkedIn post, Rod Santomassimo, a CRE Broker coach, makes an interesting observation...

A Ban To End All Bans

An effort to ban future generations from buying tobacco products in Massachusetts gets powerful pushback from the advocacy group...

Small Store Operators Are More Optimistic in 2025

The small convenience store owners and operators constitute the majority of the industry, over 60% - amounting to over 90,000 stores. This “small” sounds pretty big to us, and to the industry analysts...

It Didn’t Take a Constitutional Amendment This Time Around

This was reported in a NACS publication: “The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has withdrawn...

Cutting Workforce Saves On Expenses, But Does It Increase Revenue?

Last week BP (also known as “Beyond Petroleum”) announced that it plans to fire about 4,700 of its employees as a part of its cost-savings plan that...

“All we want are the facts, ma'am” | EV analytics for EV charging business

In the sea of news there are continents of opinions and small islands of facts. And facts, as our second president stated, are stubborn things. We may...

Would You Like C-Store Sushi?

Customer service in Japan is a stuff of legends. Even so, if you crave for sushi, would you think of going to a convenience store to get some? As we learned, yes...

Success Means Giving The Customers What They Need, Consistently

When 7-Eleven’s former CEO James Keys was asked how the company will perform in 2025 after its last year’s difficulties, he referred to the time when...

What is Your Place a Destination For?

Most often heard advice on how to attract customers to your c-store or QSR, states “Make it a Destination Place” (always capitalized)...

In Commercial Real Estate, Time Is of The Essence

Oscar winning actor Robert Montgomery added distinguished service in the US Navy during World War Two to his Hollywood...

Second Coming of Drug Stores?

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”...

Surprise, Surprise – Bans Don’t Work

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”...

CRE Rebound, And How To Make The Best Of It

As the French like to say, plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose - the more things change, the more they stay the same. This observation...

The News of Shopping Mall Demise - Part Two

Shopping mall revitalization seems to be a hot topic lately, so much so we decided to revisit this issue, recently covered here...

The News of Shopping Mall Demise Were Exaggerated

For quite some time, the shopping mall was on a death bed. Its demise was expected to happen no later than next year. Every year...

Sometimes, Small is Big, Even In Texas

Everything is bigger in Texas – we heard this a lot. And generally, we agree. Not only Texas is the largest of the contiguous 48 states...

I, Robot, Will Be Your Server Today – Or Tomorrow

About half of the US states raised minimum wage levels in 2024, with some, like California, going as high as $20/hour...

Midsize Chains Keep Growing, In Number And In size

We all heard that everything is bigger in Texas. But, in case this fact needs additional support, Yesway wrapped up the closing months...

When a C-Store is More Than Just a Convenience

The demand for the housing is growing just as much as the population of our great country. It never gets less. It is just...

Built To Rent – A Novel Approach To Satisfying Housing Demand

The demand for the housing is growing just as much as the population of our great country. It never gets less. It is just...

Traditional C-Store Players Bank on Travel Center Format

Americans like it big. We don’t want to be crowded. Give us plenty of space and we’re happy...

New Year 2025 in Numbers

Some Mathematical Facts About 2025:‍ 1. 2025 itself is a perfect square: 2025 = 45²...

Solving Operational Challenges Before They Happen

The shrinking footprint of the major drug store chains is having a major impact on both shoppers and the real estate market...

What’s Changing Under The Canopy

In 2024, 16.6 million new vehicles rolled off showroom floors. Just under 8% of them are EVs. GM and Tesla EVs are being joined by Hyundai, Kia...

Merrily We Roll Along, Especially During Holidays | Professional Site Analysis for Retail

AAA expects that 119.3 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home over the year-end holiday period running from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, an increase of 3 million compared to last year...

Northern Real Estate Keeps Well – Is it the Cold Climate?

With all the uncertainties of this year, retail real estate markets in the Northeast held remarkably strong. It’s not like they don’t have any problems. For example...

CRE, meet AI. AI, meet CRE | Real estate site selection

In an introduction like this, the parties will have to be told: “AI, this is CRE. Its full name is Commercial Real Estate. I’ll explain what it means in a moment...

Dashing Through The Snow, Delivering Your Coffee

Tri Star Energy, parent company of Twice Daily convenience stores and White Bison Coffee, now offers 24/7 delivery through the mobile app and DoorDash...

Is 30 Seconds a New 30 Minutes? | Retail News

There are winds of change blowing over Starbucks, and one of the newest changes these winds brought is the promise to deliver a full mug of...

Eat More Chicken - Just Not at the Table | Optimizing ROI with Ticon’s Store Location Analysis

Yet another chicken-serving restaurant is set to open in my neighborhood. It took them a year to get the county approval...

How Many Donuts It Takes To Fill a Donut Hole?

Americans’ appetite for all things sweet and sugary just does not see to have a limit. Health considerations aside...

They Come For the Food, They Stay For the Pizza Pie

The convenience store industry is changing along with its customers. And their choices. For quite some time now, the leading c-store...

The Battle for Your Coffee Mug

The term “Black Gold” traditionally is associated with crude oil. But there is another contender for this title – coffee...

Would You Confuse Coca Cola with Cola Loca?

At the age when some companies willingly destroy their brands and some others cling to the brand as their only differentiator, it seems like a good time to talk about the true differentiators...

Retailers Are Positive About Economic Health | Retail Site Selection Services

Despite an uncertain economic landscape, the overwhelming majority of retailers...

Tobacco Bans Require Strategy Pivots for C-Stores – Demographic analysis reports for optimal product mix

Recent changes in tobacco product legislation are reshaping the landscape...

Retail site analysis – Abiding by the Laws of Nature Real Estate

Marketing people have their own view of the world. This view is built on the...

How to Win the Game by the Big Players’ Rules – Affordable Retail Store Location Traffic Flow Analysis

"Couche Tard" is a French phrase that...

The Way to EV Owners’ Heart is Through Their Stomach | Demographic Analysis Report for EV Charger Operators

When it comes to lessons to be learned...

Commuters Gotta Be Appreciated | Demographic Report By Address

Every day in America, millions of them get up much earlier than they would like to, hastily put on their clothes...

There’s More Than One Way to Grow Big – Retail site selection checklist

Growing bigger is a natural desire of any business. The old adage is, when you stop growing, you start dying...

Store Performance Management – When to blame a manager | Pocket guide for owners

Being profitable in retail business is not easy. And the c-store business is...

Know Your Customers, Near and Far

Fact #1: the Americans aged 60 and above now make 17.3% of the population, and this number will increase...

Find Target Audience with Ticon Innovative Tool

In the dynamic market of severe competition and continuously changing demographic and behavioral patterns of American consumers, pinpointing the presence of an ideal audience for a new business location...

Impact Analysis

Conducting traffic analysis for years, we observed how traffic patterns can change under external conditions not depending on the behavior of drivers. Road construction projects, special events, fairs, festivals...

The Importance of Data Accuracy

As retail businesses increasingly leverage the use of big data in decision-making processes, the importance of data quality could sometimes be - erroneously - placed on the back burner. According to a recent...

Changes in traffic demand during the recovery from pandemic

A recent report on Traffic Volume Trends released by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) stated that total vehicle miles traveled (VMT) slightly increased, gradually reaching the pre-pandemic...

Pharma-Site Insight: Leveraging Health and Traffic Big Data

The US drugstore industry is undergoing revolutionary changes that force the major players to explore innovative tools for network restructuring, which is necessary to remain viable and competitive in the...

Can AI help find optimal locations for EV chargers?

More robots join the ranks of Shop Rite employees

C-store customer visits increased over 60% nationwide: a data stream change or genuine customer surge registered by mobile providers?

Battle for a Slice: c-stores rival traditional pizzerias

Convenience stores take a bold step into the urgent care market

Traffic Flow Demographics - an Innovative Tool for Enhancing Accuracy in Business Site Evaluation and Customer Visit Projections

Traffic Monitoring As a Tool For Operation ExcellenceControl

Ticon average transaction value estimations

How to read traffic count data – A practical guide for retail site selection