The5For

Hey there, C-Store Owners and Operators!

Welcome back to The 5 For, your quick hit of the most interesting news and trends impacting your business. It’s Wednesday, May 7th, and we’re taking a look back at the headlines that dropped on Tuesday, May 6th. From strategic leadership moves to major market shifts and insights into what your customers will be looking for this summer, there’s plenty to unpack that can inform your own operations and planning.

Here’s what you need to know from May 6th:

1. Dash In’s Strategy: Elevating Foodservice with Value and Operational Excellence

Dash In is making waves by focusing on delivering restaurant-quality food with the speed and convenience customers expect from a c-store. Their strategy, as highlighted by CSP Daily News, emphasizes value over just being cheap, using fresh, high-quality ingredients. They offer items like hand-pressed burgers made in-house and breakfast sandwiches with fresh cracked eggs.

But their focus this year is less about adding extensive new items and more about nailing their core menu and implementing processes to execute at a high level as they grow, including plans to expand into North Carolina. They invest in quarterly training sessions, use recipe adherence technology, and rely on area managers for quality checks to ensure consistency across locations.

They are also leveraging technology for ordering efficiency, primarily using self-service kiosks in the majority of their stores and encouraging guests to use their loyalty app for online ordering and delivery partnerships.

The Takeaway for You: Dash In shows that elevating your foodservice offering with quality, operational excellence, and leveraging technology for convenience can be a significant differentiator, suggesting that customers will seek out value and quality even in a quick-service setting. Consider starting with one or two ‘hero’ items where you can focus on quality ingredients and consistent preparation, or explore affordable technology solutions like a simple online ordering integration to boost efficiency.

2. Love’s Welcomes First Chief Marketing Officer, Signaling Focus on Brand and Customer Experience

Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores has appointed Patrick McLean as their first chief marketing officer. According to C-Store Dive, McLean brings extensive experience from various industries and major retail brands like Walgreens, TD Bank, Capital One, Verizon, and Bell Canada.

This move signals a strong focus on sophisticated marketing and customer experience for Love’s, underscoring the growing importance of these areas in the competitive convenience store landscape. McLean will be responsible for aligning marketing efforts with Love’s strategic priorities and values, leading a team of nearly 300 in the marketing and customer experience departments. He is succeeding Dave Frankenfield, who is retiring after 28 years with the company.

The Takeaway for You: As the industry evolves, investing in marketing and understanding your customer experience are becoming increasingly vital for growth, even for established brands. This move by a major player highlights that effective marketing isn’t just for the big guys. Think about how you can better connect with your local community, promote your unique offerings (like that great foodservice you’re working on!), and ensure every customer interaction leaves a positive impression. Even small, consistent marketing efforts can build loyalty.

3. Parkland’s Sale to Sunoco Raises Questions About the Future of its Extensive C-Store Network

The convenience store industry saw a bombshell announcement Monday when Parkland Corp. agreed to sell its business to fuel company Sunoco for over $9 billion. This deal, unanimously approved by both boards, would result in a combined company with an enterprise value of about $25.5 billion, potentially becoming the largest independent fuel distributor in the Americas.

However, the sale has raised several concerns over Parkland’s future, particularly regarding its extensive convenience store network. As of March, Parkland had 645 convenience retail sites in the U.S. (about 200 operated directly) and over 2,300 sites in Canada (nearly 800 operated). Sunoco, in contrast, had sold many of its c-store assets previously (to 7-Eleven in 2024) and only had about 76 company-operated c-stores as of February.

With fuel being the primary driver of this acquisition, questions remain about the future of Parkland’s retail sites. When asked about potentially offloading parts of the business, Sunoco’s CEO stated they will “continually look at our existing assets” to “optimize for stability, optimize for upside or eliminate downside,” calling it part of their “playbook”.

The deal also comes amidst a shareholder battle for Parkland, with a disgruntled shareholder firm, Simpson Oil, calling the deal an “eleventh-hour maneuver”. The original May 6th shareholder meeting was cancelled and replaced with a June 24th meeting to approve the deal. Adding a “weird wrinkle” is the potential impact of President Trump’s ongoing trade war with Canada, which could “delay or derail” the deal.

The Takeaway for You: This major market consolidation highlights how strategic acquisitions, often driven by fuel assets, can create uncertainty for retail networks. Staying informed about who owns the sites around you is always important. This significant deal is a reminder of how quickly the competitive landscape can shift due to large-scale acquisitions, often focused on fuel. Keeping an eye on major transactions like this, especially concerning sites near you, is crucial for understanding potential changes in your local market dynamics.

4. Summer 2025 Trends: Prepare for Price Sensitivity, Deals, and Health-Focused Shoppers

Looking ahead to Summer 2025, insights from an Ibotta outlook provide key trends relevant to convenience stores. The economic climate means consumers are feeling the pinch; a significant majority (74%) view the economy as poor or fair, and 82% expect grocery prices to rise. This is driving a high need for savings, with 92% of consumers stating it’s important to save money this summer, and 75% saying it’s more critical than last year.

Here are some trends to be mindful of for your store this summer:

• Health and Wellness: Expect a seasonal increase in demand for health and wellness products, linked to summer activities and fitness goals. Diet, nutrition, and sports/energy drinks are seeing growth.
• Barbecue Essentials: Grilling season means increased demand for meat (poultry, beef) and outdoor grilling items. Consumers show a strong preference for branded ice and beer.
• Private Label vs. Branded: The competition is heating up, especially in seasonal categories like frozen treats, where private labels are gaining ground.
• Breakfast Opportunity: Higher egg prices are creating a significant opportunity for breakfast alternatives like egg substitutes and yogurt to capitalize.
• Deals and Online Shopping: Shoppers will be actively seeking deals, particularly cash back offers. Online grocery sales are predicted to increase faster than in-store sales over the next five years, and our data shows a year-over-year increase in online units and spend. Utilizing digital channels for promotions is key.
• Prioritizing Essentials and Home Cooking: Consumers plan to cook more meals at home (59%), focus on necessities (41%), and spend less on ready-to-eat meals (-8%). They expect to spend more on fresh produce and healthier meal options. Brands can leverage this by providing recipe ideas or value promotions.

The Takeaway for You: Be mindful of pricing and promotions this summer, stock items aligning with cost-conscious and health-aware trends, consider how you can participate in the home cooking/grilling trend, and explore leveraging digital platforms for deals and ordering. Being nimble and adapting quickly is critical.

5. 7-Eleven Updates Gold Pass Program, Enhancing Loyalty for In-Store, Online, and Fuel

Major players continue to invest in loyalty, and 7-Eleven is enhancing its Gold Pass program to offer more value across various customer touchpoints. The updated program, reported by Convenience.org, builds on the success of the original delivery-focused program.

For a monthly fee of $9.95 ($95 annually) or a student rate of $5.95/month ($55/year), members now receive benefits that include:

• Seven free drinks per month (any size coffee, Big Gulp, or Slurpee).
• An extra 5 cents off per gallon at participating 7-Eleven branded fuel stations.
• Exclusive in-store deals.
• Plus, members continue to receive free delivery on eligible orders and 10% cashback on delivery and pickup.

The program is managed through the 7-Eleven and 7NOW apps.

The Takeaway for You: This move by a major retailer like 7-Eleven underscores the critical importance of having a robust loyalty program to drive customer engagement, provide value, and encourage repeat business in the competitive c-store market. Think about how your loyalty program can offer tiered benefits or unique perks that appeal to your specific customer base. Even independent operators can build loyalty through simple punch cards, exclusive email offers, or a points system integrated with your POS. Focus on rewarding your best customers and collecting data to understand their preferences.

The Bottom Line

And that wraps up our look at the news from Tuesday, May 6th that impacts our world. From strategic decisions at the corporate level to shifts in consumer behavior, staying informed helps us navigate the road ahead.

What are your thoughts on these developments? Are you seeing the summer consumer trends already? Let us know in the comments below!

Keep thriving!