The c-store industry has historically benefited a great deal from the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Despite the extremely harmful nature of the products, the profit that they bring is something most c-store owners refuse to pass up. However, the use of Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, causing more than 480,000 deaths every single year. In response, the health care industry and government have continued to tighten their...

C-stores are known for their roller hot dogs and heated pizza, but customers are looking for more when it comes to lunchtime. Now is the time to start thinking about broadening your lunch selection in order to get those extra mid-day profits. Here are some of the lunch items and trends you may not be aware of, and how you can start to implement them in your store.

As a convenience store owner, it’s important to know who your primary customer is and how to best serve them. If your c-store, like so many others, is in an area where most of the consumers are low-income, serving your primary customer has some unique challenges. Serving a low-income demographic doesn’t have to mean your business won’t be successful. In fact, with the right strategy, you can make your c-store a hub in your community and maximize your profits.

1. Flat Pricing for Easy Checkout

Salty snacks are a c-store customer favorite. As shoppers come in to satisfy their salty cravings it is important to continually change-up currently stocked items and keep up-to-date on current savory trends.

As new information on food is released, more and more people are changing their eating habits and adapting to a vegan lifestyle. Vegans have very strict dietary restrictions making them unable to have any animal products including items like milk, hot dogs, and eggs. This can be tricky for those with fast paced lives who often need to stop and pick up snacks and meals on-the-go. This is why it is so important for c-stores to understand what products vegan shoppers want.

The global Gen Z population, anyone born between 1995 and 2012, is set to reach 2.6 billion by 2020. This means that c-store owners need to adapt their businesses so they appeal to their youngest customer demographic. Owners should be adding and upgrading aspects of their c-stores now to ensure profits in the future.

33 percent of consumers frequently eat breakfast away from home. This gives c-stores a huge opportunity to make profits in the morning by stocking and preparing their store with the items that early rising customers want.

The world of convenience is a fast-paced trend following industry where retailers need to stay up-to-date if they want to stay on top. Being a single-store makes some of the most popular trends hard to follow. Here are the top five foodservice trends and how your c-store can join in and make an impact.