Commerce Corner

In this episode of Commerce Corner, Lula Commerce sits down with Peter Rasmussen, Founder and CEO of Convenience and Energy Advisors, for a candid conversation about what is actually working (and what is quietly breaking) inside c-store loyalty programs in 2026. Peter brings 25 years inside the industry, including 17 years at Wawa, leadership in Sheetz, and the build-and-exit of Neon Marketplace,...

In this episode of Commerce Corner, hosts Adit Gupta and Matt Kopyt sit down with Brian Trout, a convenience retail veteran who has scaled Yesway from concept to 150 stores in just three years via strategic acquisitions. Brian has held leadership roles at Amoco Oil, BP, Thorntons, GPM, and the Greater Houston Retailers Cooperative Association (GHRA). Convenience store operators are facing unpreced...

In this episode of Commerce Corner, Abigail Cerra, Director of Marketing, Loyalty, and Communications at Chestnut Market, joins Adit Gupta and Matt Kopyt to talk about what it really takes to build a loyalty program from the ground up. Abigail shares her journey from part-time cashier to leading loyalty strategy across 80 convenience store locations in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. She br...

In Episode 3 of Season 2 of Commerce Corner, we sit down with Tiffany Fraley, CEO of InConvenience Inc., to hear how she built a convenience store brand from scratch after spending her career in commercial real estate.  Tiffany shares what it was like stepping behind the counter for the first time, forming her own company, and developing a technology roadmap without any prior industry experience....

In Episode 2 of Season 2 of Commerce Corner, we sit down with Matt Van Gilder of NexChapter to continue our series on technology roadmaps and digital execution in convenience retail. Matt shares how retailers can move from reacting to digital issues to building intentional, scalable roadmaps that support long-term growth. The conversation explores how teams should think about prioritization, owner...

In the Season 2 premiere of Commerce Corner , we kick off our series on technology roadmaps with Rick Rigby, Chief Technology Officer at Atlantis Management Group. Rick takes us behind the scenes and shares how his team at Atlantis approaches digital transformation and the process of creating and executing their roadmap. He provides some actionable next steps for retailers looking to build out dig...

In Episode 11, Lula Commerce Co-founder and CEO, Adit Gupta, joins President and CRO, Justin Jackson, to share insights from recent industry events, highlighting retailers' growing concerns around rising operational expenses and shrinking margins. Discover how digital strategies, especially AI-driven automation, can dramatically reduce hidden costs—from managing online orders and tablet uptim...

In this episode of Commerce Corner, Justin Jackson sits down with Kristin Sword from Jacksons to discuss how the company is expanding its digital strategy. Kristin shares insights on launching a new mobile app, rolling out a loyalty program, and scaling third-party delivery with Lula. Looking ahead to 2025, Jacksons is focused on leveraging its new digital tools, expanding first-party ordering, an...

On this week’s episode of Commerce Corner, Justin Jackson and Adit Gupta sit down with private equity executive and investor Bill Kay to discuss the evolving landscape of the convenience store industry. Bill shares insights from over 25 years in private equity, including his perspective on consolidation, enterprise value creation, and the role of digital transformation in driving profitability. As...

In this episode of Commerce Corner, host Justin Jackson sits down with Jim Keyes, former CEO of 7-Eleven and Blockbuster, to explore the transformative power of change, confidence, and clarity in leadership. Jim shares his "Three C's" framework, insights on navigating industry disruptions, and the enduring relevance of convenience retail. From revitalizing 7-Eleven during challengin...

Welcome to Episode 7 of Commerce Corner, featuring Art Sebastian, CEO of NexChapter. Dive into the top trends reshaping the convenience retail industry in 2024, from retail consolidation through acquisitions to the growing prominence of retail media networks. Art and Justin discuss how convenience stores can adapt to the rapidly evolving competitive landscape, leverage their unique strengths, and...

Our CEO Adit and President Justin discuss the increasing use of data from a variety of courses in making key decisions in retail. From actionable customer reviews to some of the newest technology coming on line powered by AI, data has become a pillar in successful retail revenue growth.

Two of our senior leaders, Justin & Graham,  discuss Lula's approach to supporting our customers' success. Digital is far more than just "being" online. Partners choose Lula to tackle the many logistical hurdles of getting retail selection onto major marketplaces like DoorDash and Uber Eats, but the work only begins once you're online. Graham McAden leads our team of c...

Justin and Don discuss Don's history in convenience, the impact of Diversified Management Group (DMG) in helping C-Store operators excel, innovation in the space, and how important a focus on leadership is on overall success.

In this episode of Commerce Corner, host Justin Jackson sits down with Kyle Tooley of Tooley Oil Company to discuss the evolution of their family business and the challenges and successes of rebranding their convenience stores under the new Mixx Market brand. Kyle shares insights into launching a loyalty app, the intricacies of delivery service integration, and the future of convenience retail in...

Lula leadership chats about the state of the convenience store today and how customers might evaluate the level of convenience. Thinking about customer "occasions" - the points in time or situations in which consumers behave one way vs another is a provocative way to think about how retailers serve these customers.  The convenience store was "invented" at a time of technologica...

In the first episode of the Commerce Corner podcast from Lula Commerce, Adit Gupta, Co-founder and CEO at Lula Commerce, and Justin Jackson, CRO at Lula Commerce,  discuss key considerations for convenience chains that are establishing a digital commerce channel. They highlight why convenience store teams are beginning to prioritize local delivery, strategies to ensure digital commerce channels ar...