Industry Insights
Today’s Grocer: Hot & Spicy Snacking on Fire
September 18, 2023
Of the Top 50 fastest growing UPCs across Candy, Sweet Snacks, Cookies and Crackers, and Salty Snacks categories, hot and spicy salty snacks rose to the top based on year over year quantity growth in the National Retail Solutions network of 18,000 ...
NRS Reports Big Growth in Same-Store Sales; Brookshire Grocery Rolls Out NCR POS
May 03, 2023
National Retail Solutions Inc., a provider of point-of-sale technology to independent retailers, reported same-store sales in April among retailers in its network grew 6.5% compared to the same period a year earlier. The increase was a significant ...
Idling Elsewhere — Beer Sales Accelerate in Gas Stations and Convenience Stores
April 12, 2023
While beer sales in most chain retail locations across the country have been stuck in neutral, convenience stores and gas stations offer breweries reason for optimism.
Today’s Grocer: Is the Bodega the Crystal Ball for Mainstream Grocery Trends
March 13, 2023
Throughout our daily existence, there are countless examples of local urban culture or trends going national or even global. Whether that be art, music, fashion, or food – what’s “hot” today across the general population was often birthed ...
Independent Retailers had Strong December
January 6, 2023
Sales for independent, mainly urban retailers grew 9.8 percent over the same period a year ago, reports NRSInsights in a summary of sales data and analytics drawn from retail transactions processed through its National Retail Solutions point-of-sale ...
Understanding the Impact of Hispanic Shoppers. Podcast
November 24, 2021
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 ...
Convenience purchases aren’t exclusively ‘on-the-go’
November 16, 2022
Who says convenience retailers can only offer “on-the-go” merchandise?
Hispanic Snack Brands Are on the Rise
October 25, 2022
Have you noticed the increased presence of a wacky little duck in sunglasses on the shelves at your local convenience store?
Tortillas, cookies gain momentum in c-stores
October 14, 2022
Consumers are utilizing convenience stores as a “gap fill” in between larger grocery shopping trips, according to data from National Retail Solutions (NRS), a Newark, NJ-based point-of-sale company.
NRS C-Store Insider Podcast: NRS Insights
August 26, 2022
Leveraging the NRS scan data is driving operational efficiency and sales growth for both NRS merchants and CPG brands across the NRS network of 17,000+ independent retailers. Hear real-life examples of how this unique dataset is being used to uncover ...
Cigarettes Holding Strong Despite Volatility
June 13, 2022
High gas prices, increased legislation and inflationary pressure will continue to have a negative impact on cigarette sales, but despite these external factors, cigarettes continue to hold strong and remain a key driver of in-store sales.
Meat Snack Sales Trend Upward
November 30, 2021
Meat snacks sales are skyrocketing at convenience stores despite ongoing supply disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. C-store retailers are driving category sales with big bags of jerky, new meat snack styles, tried-and-true flavors…
How Is Bubble Gum Faring at C-Stores?
November 24, 2021
While overall gum sales have struggled at c-stores during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, bubble gum is proving to be a bright spot for gum sales at convenience stores.
Understanding the Impact of Hispanic Shoppers
November 24, 2021
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 ...
Craft Beer Seeks to Rebound to Falt Market
November 1, 2021
“2020 was obviously a challenging year for many small brewers, but also one that proved their resilient and entrepreneurial nature,” said Bart Watson, chief economist of the Brewers Association (BA), in a statement. “In a year where U.S. ...
Connecting With Hispanic Shoppers
October 21, 2021
The Hispanic shopper is a critical buying group for both retailers and brands in the convenience channel.
Alcohol, non-alcohol beverage sales booming at convenience stores
September 9, 2021
From small rural towns to large metropolis, consumers are walking, biking or driving to a common destination: the corner convenience store. In fact, independently owned convenience stores have grown 10.6% during the past 52 weeks versus 8.2% year to ...
Hard seltzers comprise 7% of total beverage alcohol
July 27, 2021
The Calypso-inspired song “Feeling Hot Hot Hot” by Montserratian musician Arrow has people dancing and singing along to “Ole ole – ole ole, hot, hot, hot” as it extols party people to join the celebration. Recognizing a good thing, over the ...
Independent C-Stores Reflect America’s Reopening
June 7, 2021
Memorial Day, commonly considered the unofficial kick-off to summer, was the first US holiday under “post pandemic” return to normal conditions. Restrictions have been lifted, more than half of the adults are fully vaccinated, increase in family ...
Craft sales are increasing in convenience stores, here’s why (pgs 12-13)
June 1, 2021
Craft beers are everywhere these days. There are some places you’d expect to find independently brewed IPAs, Pilsners Ales, and more, from stand-alone and chain liquor stores to the alcohol sections of supermarkets.
Analyzing the Future of Hard Seltzer
April 27, 2021
There is quite a buzz around RTD Cocktails and its boom on the scene in 2021. Some analysts are studying social media conversations to predict the growth potential of the new segment. According to Barron’s, Instagram conversations about prepared ...
A Tale of Two Convenience Channels
April 8, 2021
The 2020 results are in. Whether you are using IRI, Nielsen or NACS SOTI, it was a tough year for many categories in the convenience channel. Optimized to focus on immediate consumption and its namesake “convenience,” grab-and-go eating occasions ...
CAN IT: Kegs lose popularity as the pandemic encourages ‘drinking at home’
April 4, 2021
When the pandemic dried up the demand for beer at customer-limited bars and restaurants, local brewers had to shift focus to sales at grocery stores, pharmacies and packaged liquor stores.
Did independent convenience stores and small grocers do better during the pandemic than traditional wine retailers?
March 25, 2021
One study suggests that the independents and neighborhood retailers saw wine sales grow more than 40 percent…
Wine sales spike at convenience stores
February 09, 2021
You might not think of independent convenience stores as a hot wine market, but in fact these stores — most of them in urban areas — were one of the hottest spots in the country for wine in 2020, according to National Retail Solutions. ...
Urban, Independent C-Stores Out-Perform Total Retail in November Over Prior Year
December 17, 2020
Retail sales have declined 1.1% in November 2020 vs. October 2020, per CNN, while continuing to be up over year ago (YAGO) by 4.1%. These declines, explained by the soft economy, high unemployment rates, and absence of a government stimulus, ...
Hot Summer Months Translate to Increased Sales as NRS Offers Effective, Tangible Data on Urban Shopping Habits:
AUGUST 17, 2020
Inner-city stores saw a 10% sales increase this summer compared to 2019, and liquor and wine both experienced close to a 50% increase in dollar sales in June and July compared to last year.
How Stay-In-Place Orders this Memorial Day Translated into Increased Beer Sales for the Inner-City Merchants
JUNE 4, 2020
Adults found opportunities to enjoy a cold one (or two) over the three-day weekend. And for those living in urban and inner-city neighborhoods, where the COVID-19 pandemic has limited shopping options, a bevy of corner stores, convenience stores and ...
URBAN STORES ARE MEETING THE DEMAND FOR CONVENIENCE AND ESSENTIAL ITEMS AS COVID DISRUPTS CONSUMER BEHAVIORS
APRIL 13, 2020
The large, densely populated inner-cities are among those areas to be hit the hardest by COVID-19. The consequences have already impacted, and in some cases redefined, every single sector of the community, according to exclusive research from ...
TODAY’S CULINARY LANDSCAPE IS EVOLVING, DRIVEN BY DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES AND MILLENNIAL AND GEN Z INFLUENCES. SAVVY C-STORE MARKETERS AND RETAILERS ARE USING DATA TO UNDERSTAND THESE OPPORTUNITIES.
FEBRUARY 5, 2020
The 2020 Foodservice Report As technology continues to evolve, c-stores look to plant-based and international flavors to meet the surging …
