6 big ideas from the first day of the Convenience Retailing University of CSP

Photo by W. Scott Mitchell

CSPS Convenience Retailing University started on Monday in Nashville, Tennessee. The three-day event is full of educational content by experts in the convenience industry.

From the importance of the great taste of food to the return of the company's company guidelines, the fuel demand here influences six highlights of CSP Editor from the first day of the conference.

Great taste of extreme meaning

According to research, which was published by the International Food Information Council in 2024, it is so important that great taste is the most important factor for food and beverage decisions. This comes from Rachel Toner, founder and technical director of Chalfont, flavor strategy in Pennsylvania and talks about sensory science.

The sensory experience needs data to secure it, said Toner. Smell, appearance, sound, touch and texture and try all the data to secure you.

The taste lies above convenience, price, health and sustainability, she said.

“If taste is the most important factor, why do we no longer spend time and effort and no longer invest in understanding how our products taste with our consumers and how it affects what they buy,” she said.

“Would you feel comfortable if you enter into a meeting with your boss and have no information about sales or gross profit?” Asked toner. “I don't think you would do it. So why is it okay for us to deliver products to our consumers without understanding how our products taste, and I am here to argue that it is wrong. Our consumers deserve at least to have information about how their products should taste. You expect this from us. “

What means back to the office for fuel

Since a third of the US companies are pushing the employees to return from the office from the office, more people commute more people who affect the demand for fuel, said Patrick Dehaan, head of petroleum analysis at Gasbuddy, Boston. According to Jones Lang Lasalle, office leasing was back to 92% of the pre-pandemy average in the fourth quarter of 2024 in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Dehaan expects the transition to the office to take five years or more, and “This is a huge game card for petrol,” he said. It could give at least 5% for the US petrol requirement, he said.

Chewing gum, while sweetener battles

Gum continues to do well, while other segments in the category of confectionery have reached an acidic notes, said Paul Grubbs, Vice President of Customer Relations at Management Science Associates Inc., Pittsburgh.

Grubbs shared the category administrators in the confectionery category that the total rubber decreased by 1.2% in 2024. This was a minor slump compared to non-chocolate by 5.5% and total chocolate decreased by 6.6% in 2024.

“Gum may show signs of a rebound,” he said in his presentation about the entire US sweetware trends for 52 weeks, which ended the fourth quarter of 2024.

Grubbs listed an improved socialization of the consumer according to Kovid as the reason for chewing gum with good numbers.

“It's great to see how Gum comes back,” said Grubb.

Consumer needs

Today's consumer has different needs than in the past. More than a third of the purchasing power comes from 16 to 45 years from consumers, and one difference is that these consumers prefer to carry out their own research results online before making a purchase decision, said Art Sebastian, CEO from Nexchapter Inc. Technology, a technology advisory company for convenience stores in the moin, iowa.

Consumers now use e-commerce accessibility to compare prices and find the cheapest option before making a purchase.

Social media is another trend that the current generation uses more than ever to learn something about products. They are connected around the clock on many different platforms. 30-second commercials are no longer as effective, said Sebastian. Today's primary audience is more connected to short videos on social media.

Create a convincing culture

If a company wishes to be unspeakable results and remarkable results, according to Randy Ross (see illustration above) there are two things, the founders and CEO of remarkable.

1. Umgib you with remarkable people.
2. Create a remarkable culture.

In order to create this remarkable culture, companies such as Convenience Store chains should ask these three questions, Ross, author of Remarkable! Maximize the results by adding value: Do you value more than you? Do you leave a positive license plate? Do you solve problems?

“If you ask these questions about yourself and then all around you, you will be well on the way to creating a convincing culture,” said Ross.

Follow the consumer

Ever heard of protein cola?

“Those who don't know are not on Tiktok. That's why they don't know, ”said Nik Modi, Managing Director of the RBC Capital Markets based in New York. “It is just another medium in which you can learn what is going on with the consumer.”

The viral trend is to mix one of Fairlife's core power protein shakes, typically a vanilla taste, with a Coca-Cola. They drink people after training for a caffeine pub and for the protein, said Modi.

Here is the possibility for retailers: Co-Mercchandise The products together in a convenience store.

“These options exist everywhere, you just have to know that they are out there. One of my greatest growth opportunities for everyone in this room is to inform the digital world their physical strategies, ”said Modi.

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