CStore Decisions

CStore Decisions Executive Editor Erin Del Conte speaks with Amanda Shymanski, digital marketing & advertising manager for QuickChek. Shymanski shares her experiences as a woman in business and what she wishes she knew when she was first starting out.

Thomas Mulloy, senior editor with CBDRetailTrends.com and CStore Decisions magazine, welcomes Jeff Ragovin, chief commercial officer with Fyllo, a company whose mission is providing compliance-first solutions for highly regulated industries. Ragovin discusses the difficulties for CBD manufacturers and retailers in navigating a continually shifting regulatory landscape.

John Lofstock, editor of CStore Decisions and executive director of the National Advisory Group (NAG), speaks with Horacio Gavilán, of the Hispanic Marketing Council (HMC); and Suzy Silliman, of National Retail Solutions (NRS), about the growing impact Hispanic shoppers are having on the convenience store market.

Erin Del Conte, executive editor with CStore Decisions, speaks with Carly LaBeau, retail accounting administrator for FriendShip Stores and Beck Suppliers. A millennial, LaBeau talks about her experiences in the c-store industry as she celebrates her 11th anniversary with FriendShip, as well as FriendShip’s culture of rewarding employees.

CStore Decisions Executive Editor Erin Del Conte speaks with Polly Flinn, president of GetGo and executive vice president of Giant Eagle. Flinn has seen the convenience store industry evolve over the years. Today, more businesses are becoming more accepting of different styles and working to call in more voices. Flinn shares some of her experiences over her more than 25-year career and offers advi...

CStore Decisions Editor-in-Chief John Lofstock and Executive Editor Erin Del Conte speak with Datassential Trendologist Mike Kostyo about food and delivery trends.

CStore Decisions Executive Editor Erin Del Conte speaks with Sandy Deel, director of HR services and benefits for Thorntons Inc., to learn more about Deel's experiences as a Gen X woman in the convenience store industry. Deel discusses how things have changed since the era of power suits, and how having a mentor helped her navigate her career, as well as advice for the younger generation. This pod...

Candice Clark, CFO of Clipper Petroleum, talks with Erin Del Conte, executive editor of CStore Decisions about her experiences as a women in the convenience store industry, and the importance of creating environments that welcome a more diverse workforce.

Pilot Flying J was recently recognized in CStore Decisions' 2021 Tech Innovation Awards for their work with contactless payments. To learn more, Erin Del Conte and Frank Beard reached out to Tyler Tanaka—the vice president of digital and loyalty marketing at Pilot Flying J. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, including why Pilot Flying J is leaning-in on mobile app strategies, contactless pa...

What's next for convenience retailers now that the outdoor EMV deadline has passed, and what should they consider when thinking about the business case for EV charging? Patrick Raycroft, W. Capra Consulting Group's convenience and energy vertical lead, joins Erin and Frank in this episode of CStore Decisions Live. Topics include: - What the EMV deadline means for retailers - Point-to-point encrypt...

CStore Decisions Executive Editor Erin Del Conte talks with Kelsey Capellino, category manager for United Pacific. Capellino, talks about the challenges of being a millennial woman in the workforce. Kelsey and Erin discuss generational differences in finding one's voice as a woman in business as well as navigating the pressures of social media, balancing family and work, expectations, having diffi...

CStore Decisions Executive Editor Erin Del Conte speaks with Stephanie Doliveria, vice president of human resources for Sheetz, about her experiences as a women in convenience and member of Gen X, the challenges women still face today, as well as how Sheetz is leading the way with a new paid maternity and parental leave policy. She also shares advice for young women starting their careers.

How is labor management adjusting in the age of COVID-19? For the 13th consecutive year, CStore Decisions and Humetrics have collaborated on the annual Human Resources Benchmarking Survey, which polled c-store leaders about HR practices, labor challenges, and headwinds. Erin and Frank unpack the 2021 report. Buc-ee's is also in the news for expanding to Kentucky, and DoorDash is making noise about...

CStore Decisions Executive Editor Erin Del Conte speaks with Lisa Dell'Alba, CEO of Square One Markets, about navigating the unique challenges women face in the workforce. Dell'Alba talks about finding her voice as she stepped into her father's shoes as CEO of the company, coming into your own in the business world, and navigating your own and societal expectations.

Erin and Frank chat with Jon Cox, GetGo's vice president and chief merchandising officer. This episode, sponsored by Apter Industries, dives deep into changing consumer habits, GetGo's use of Grabango's checkout-free technology, delivery trends, and what's on the horizon for fuel and convenience retailers.

What's in store for convenience retailers in 2021, and is eCommerce actually taking over the world? Erin Del Conte and and Frank Beard speak with John Lofstock, the vice president of CStore Decisions and executive director of the National Advisory Group and Young Executives Organization.

CStore Decisions talks with Cliff's Local Market Director of Foodservice Derek Thurston about its foodservice program this past year and its plans for 2021. The Central New York-based-, 19-store chain has experienced sales dips in the breakfast daypart, for example, but some foodservice items, like whole pizzas and local beans, have seen huge success.

For this year's social media awards, CStore Decisions partnered with social media analytics company Rival IQ to track 65 convenience store chains' performance across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter from November 2019 to November 2020.  In this podcast, CStore Decisions Executive Editor Erin Del Conte and Rival IQ Founder Seth Bridges discuss the award winners. Bridges shares insights on the method...

CStore Decisions Executive Editor Erin Del Conte speaks with social media expert Gini Dietrich, founder of Spin Sucks and author of the book “Spin Sucks,” about social media trends as we head into 2021. Dietrich shares insights on how the pandemic has impacted social media trends, which platforms convenience store retailers should be targeting and top tips for success.

CStore Decisions Senior Editor Thomas Mulloy, who also manages companion website CBDRetailTrends.com, talks with Casey Taylor, vice president of client development for market research firm CivicScience about growing opportunities and strategies for brick-and-mortar retailers looking to join the CBD marketplace.

Joe Marelle, the CEO of Tobacco Superstores in Marion, Arkansas, sits down with CStore Decisions Editor John Lofstock to talk about the state of tobacco and nicotine and what to expect over the next year.

CStore Decisions Executive Editor Erin Del Conte speaks with Daniel Burrus, global futurist, speaker and best-selling author to learn more about the tech disruption on the horizon for 2021 and how c-stores can position themselves for success.

WGSN Director of Food & Drink and established trendologist Kara Nielsen spoke with CStore Decisions about the latest food and beverage trends to come out of the pandemic — from oat milk to canned cocktails to hatch chile and more — and what to look for in years to come.

Terry Gallagher, president of Smoker Friendly International, sat down with CStore Decisions Editor John Lofstock to discuss the state of the tobacco industry, pending legislation and how to be a responsible tobacco retailer.

CStore Decisions' Executive Editor Erin Del Conte speaks with Slaton Whatley, director of operations of Whatley Oil Co., and a third-generation member of the family business. The Columbus, Ga.-based company operates Zelmo’s Zip In Convenience Stores. Slaton shares the chain’s growth plans in the months ahead. Among other initiatives, the company is remodeling its fleet of company-owned stores in G...