July/August 2011 - Oser Communications Group

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT:
Safe-T-Fresh Introduces
Tamper Resistant, Sandwich
Wedge Clamshell Container
INDUSTRY
CALENDAR
SEE PAGE 4
SEE PAGE 19
NEW FEATURE:
IN-STORE TECHNOLOGY
AND SUMMER TREATS
OPERATIONS:
Shrinking Packages, Higher Prices
Cause Change in Buying Habits
BUYERS GUIDES
SEE PAGE 11
SEE PAGE 12
ConvenienceRETAILER
Volume 4, Number 4
July/August 2011
Value, Flavor
Combos, Nutrition
Mark 2011 Sweets
& Snacks Trends
C-Stores Roll Out Summer Promotions,
Special Deals, Events
Many C-Stores mark the summer
months with consumer bonanzas in the
form of special partnerships, give-aways
and, for customers and employees of
Quik Chek’s 126 stores in New Jersey
and New York, an annual, three-day hot
air balloon festival.
XIENCE, maker of Xenergy, has
teamed up with retailers to launch a series of
text message-based summer sweepstakes,
BY THERESA GRANT
including one with QuikTrip (QT)
Convenience Stores and a second with
hundreds of independent convenience
stores throughout the U.S. Through
August 31, XYIENCE and QT stores are
offering shoppers in Arizona, Georgia,
Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas the chance
to win prizes, including a grand prize of a
pair of 400cc ATV four wheelers and a
trailer and a second place prize of a new
Continued on Page 6
U.S. Bank’s VITAband
Lets You Leave
Wallet at Home
U.S. Bank, lead bank of U.S. Bancorp
(NYSE: USB), is launching a new innovation in contactless payments with its
MasterCard® PayPass™ VITAband®, a
light-weight and durable wristband that
combines contactless payment technology
with emergency contact and medical information. The band, which works with existing in-store technology, is being tested by
several thousand U.S. Bank employees, and
is expected to become available to consumers by the end of the year.
The VITAband allows customers to
simply “Tap & Go” when making purchases
at merchant locations that accept contactless
payments. It also links to a customizable
Emergency Response Profile (ERP) that
provides medical professionals with fast
access to critical medical information in the
event of an emergency. U.S. Bank employees
Continued on Page 17
Unique flavors, nutritious noshing and
great value lead the sweets and snack
trends for 2011 based on products that
debuted earlier this summer at the National
Confectioners Association (NCA) Sweets
& Snacks Expo in Chicago.
“Trends in confectionery and
snacks for 2011 reflect the larger patterns seen across the food industry—
Americans are more interested in what
they are eating, and are looking for
new flavors to satisfy increasingly complex palates,” said Larry Graham, president of the National Confectioners
Association. “Consumers look for value,
exciting flavors and nutrition when
seeking new sweets and snacks.”
Top Consumer Snack Trends 2011:
• Good Value
Candy and snacks continue to represent
an affordable indulgence for consumers
in a slow economy, demonstrated by
industry sales growth over the past two
years. Non-chocolate chewy items saw
additional gains in 2010 and chocolate
consumption also remained on the rise,
while channel growth for the category in
discounters, club and drug stores reflects
Continued on Page 8
SURE BETS
■
■
Mars Bids Farewell to Space Shuttle
with Personalized M&M’S
QuikTrip Invites Fans to
‘Mix It Up’ This Summer
FEATURES
■
■
SEE PAGE 6
Uniformed Police Issue Slurpee
‘Tickets’ for 7-Eleven’s Operation Chill
TOP TECH
■
SEE PAGE 5
SEE PAGE 15
Own Introduces Tablet-Based
Social Point of Sale System
Marketscope Report Gives AirTight
Networks Top WIPS Rating
Bank Card Swipe Fee
Reform Adopted
The Federal Reserve’s June 29 order directing
banks to slash debit card “swipe fees” nearly in
half is a move that has disappointed both retailers and bankers. The new, 21-cent-per-transaction
cap is close to double the 12-cent limit originally proposed by the Fed in December, but
considerably less than the 44-cent transaction
fee currently charged by banks every time a
retailer swipes a consumer’s debit card.
Bankers can raise fees up to 27 cents per transaction when fraud protection safeguards are in
BY THERESA GRANT
Continued on Page 6
PRODUCT FEATURES
■
■
■
SEE PAGE 18
Nestle Drumsticks Offers Nut-Free Treats
Healthy Bean Chips Now in New
Single-Serve Size
CLIF Kid® Launches New Zbar
Crispy, Zfruit Punch Flavor
www.convenienceretailer.net
NEXT ISSUE:
NACS show coverage
BUYERS GUIDE:
Car Care Products
Armor All Complete Care Care Kit
sure bets
Gulf Distributing and Crescent Crown Mars Bids Farewell to Space
Add Modjo forLIFE, Modjo Hydrate Shuttle with Personalized M&M’S
Elite to Gulf Region C-Stores
Modjo forLIFE™ anti-aging and rejuvenation beverage, and Modjo Hydrate
Elite™, the coconut water and sea salt
based sports drink, have made their debut
throughout the Gulf Region as the result
of new distribution agreements with Gulf
Distributing Company Holdings, LLC
and Crescent Crown, LLC, both distributors in the Miller-Coors Network.
Modjo forLIFE and Modjo Hydrate
Elite are new-age functional drinks from
Cellutions, LLC, which recently forged
distributor and retailer alliances with
Southwest Convenience Stores, the
largest 7-Eleven licensee, On the Run
Stores nationwide and several Circle K
Gulf divisions.
“Gulf
Distributing
Company
Holdings has built a reputation for its
award-winning service and superior products. Because we greatly value our retail
partner relationships, we carefully evaluate the market potential of any new product before including it as a part of our
portfolio. The Modjo brand of products
brings not only innovation and excitement
to the new-age category but are backed by
a company that supports the market and
us,” said Jimmy Marston, Vice President
of Sales for Gulf Distributing.
Modjo forLIFE is available in three
ConvenienceRETAILER
Lee M. Oser
CEO and Editor-in-Chief
Steve Cox
Lyle Sapp
Kate Seymour
Senior Associate Publishers
Kim Forrester
Associate Publisher
Paul Harris
James Martin
Bill Morris
Deborah Yarbrough
Account Managers
Lorrie Baumann
Editorial Director
Theresa Grant
Editor
Keith Cooper
Technology Editor
Rocelle Aragon
Jennifer Miller
Associate Editors
Valerie Wilson
Art Director
Yasmine Brown
Graphic Designer
Selene Pinuelas
Traffic Manager
Enrico Cecchi
European Sales
Convenience Retailer is published by
Oser Communications Group ©2011.
BPA Worldwide Member since June 22, 2009.
All rights reserved. Executive and editorial offices at:
1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715
520-721-1300/Fax: 520-721-6300
www.oser.com
www.convenienceretailer.net
European offices located at
Lungarno Benvenuto
Cellini, 11, 50125 Florence, Italy.
flavors: Grape Pomegranate, Simply
Citrus and Island Punch, and is powered
by the natural ingredient Resveratrol,
which has been shown in some clinical
studies to have anti-aging properties.
Modjo forLIFE is also caffeine free and
loaded with vitamins and antioxidants.
Modjo Hydrate Elite is a hydration
beverage infused with real coconut water
and fortified with sea salt, offering the
balance of electrolytes required in a sports
drink crafted for the both casual and serious athletes. It is available in Lemon
Lime Ice, Orange Rush, Island Punch and
Blue Crush.
“Our mission is to stay at the forefront of consumer trends in order to offer
our retail customers the right mix of hot
new products with mass appeal. The
Modjo brand of products delivers on
every level,” said Christopher T. Bourg,
Vice President, Non-Alcohol Division,
Crescent Crown Distribution, LLC.
“From taste to packaging to function,
these products have it covered and we are
pleased to be among the first to recognize
the potential that these items offer our
customers in Louisiana.”
“We have been fortunate to work with
some of the leading distributors across the
nation and our new relationship with Gulf
Distributing adds substantially to our partnerships and our ability to properly and
effectively reach our retail customers
throughout the Gulf. Simply being associated with Gulf Distributing, a true leader
in the industry, adds a certain level of prestige to and retailer confidence in the
Modjo brand of products,” said Cellutions
founder and President Victor H. Diaz.
Founded in 2002, Cellutions, LLC is
an international lifestyle company dedicated to increasing the well-being and the
quality of life of consumers. Its MODJO
line of premium consumer products
includes PURE4MANCE™, an antiaging matrix, NRGMAX™, a caffeinefree energy matrix, and REVIBE®, a
patented hangover prevention matrix.
“We are proud that the research and
hard work we have put into these products
is being recognized by distributors, retailers and consumers all over the country
and look to continue to deliver real function and value in all of the products we
bring to market,” aid Cellutions founder
and President Victor H. Diaz. ■
Mars Chocolate North America announced
its M&M’S® Brand is commemorating the
July 8 final mission of Space Shuttle
Atlantis by providing personalized
M&M’S for the crew, as well as NASA
personnel at both launch control Kennedy
Space Center in Cape Canaveral and mission control at Johnson Space Center in
Houston. NASA’s space shuttle program,
officially called Space Transportation
System (STS), is scheduled to launch its
final mission this morning.
M&M’S® have been a part of every
space shuttle mission since Columbia first
launched on April 12, 1981. M&M’S are
included in NASA’s space food system, as
well as featured on the International
Space Station (ISS) menu.
“We’ve been honored to fly on more
than 130 missions with hundreds of
American heroes over the last three
decades,” said Debra A. Sandler, chief
consumer officer, Mars Chocolate North
America. “It’s bittersweet to see this program, which has inspired millions to
reach for the stars, come to an end, but
we wish the crew of Atlantis a safe and
successful mission.”
The commemorative M&M’S feature NASA colors (red, silver and blue)
and include the launch date and a space
shuttle graphic. In addition, the four
astronauts scheduled to serve on the final
mission of Space Shuttle Atlantis will
receive personalized M&M’S with their
names on them. ■
Quiktrip Invites Fans to
‘Mix It Up’ This Summer
Rather than tout an endless array of
frozen-drink flavors, this summer
Oklahoma-based QuikTrip invited fans to
mix their own.
Using billboards and the company’s
own website and Facebook group, the
“Mix It Up” campaign is a C-store, alcohol-free version of the cocktail craze.
The page within the website is called
“Cold Mixology,” and contains four
recipes for mixed flavors: Cherryfizzolacreme, Limerberryrazzleroot, Lemonillananachilla and Wildnanacherrychilla. The
same section allows customers to
instantly post their own flavor creations
on Facebook.
QuikTrip operates more than 580
stores in nine major areas. ■
Lil’ Dudes Launches New
Beef & Cheese Snacks
Sparrer Sausage has launched its new
Lil’ Dudes Beef & Cheese and BIG
Bites meat snacks. Beef & Cheese joins
BIG Sticks, and new Sparrer Natural
Sausage quality meat snacks in the Lil’
Dudes family.
New Lil’ Dudes Beef & Cheese
Snack Sticks are available in 18 ct. display
jars for easy merchandising. Lil’ Dudes
Beef & Cheese are made with REAL
Wisconsin Cheese as is Sparrer’s high
quality Original All BEEF Stick. BIG
Bites 3.5 oz to-go snack packs are available in four top flavors. All Lil’ Dudes are
made with Real Hickory Wood Smoke for
an outstanding, sweet flavor. ■
Stride Whitemint Inspired
by Sports Icon Shaun White
Stride, The Ridiculously Long Lasting
Gum, introduces its newest flavor – Stride
Whitemint. This is the brand’s first-ever
custom-designed, custom-created pack
inspired by sports icon Shaun White.
Stride Whitemint—a long lasting
intense mint—was developed to add
an exciting, new flavor to the Stride
Gum portfolio. White helped select
the flavor and was instrumental in creating the package graphics from start
to finish. The packaging offers a simple, cool design with unique and
exclusive graphics that bring White’s
personality to life. Additionally, five
unique comedic scenarios of the sports
icon interacting with the Stride Ram
(the brand’s iconic character) were
created and are randomly featured
inside each pack for some fun and
unexpected humor.
“Shaun White embodies what Stride
Gum is all about,” said Maurice Herrera,
senior director, U.S. Gum, Kraft Foods.
“He’s authentic, unexpected and groundbreaking, and we’re thrilled to have him
representing us and being a part of this
new product.”
The name Shaun White is synonymous with excellence and defying convention. Whether he’s winning gold
medals at the Olympics and X Games
snowboarding/skateboarding or designing
Continued on Page 19
July/August 2011
ConvenienceRETAILER
5
features
multi-family areas to give out the Slurpee
coupons. This is an excellent program and
shows 7-Eleven’s community-minded
support in a very tangible way.”
Since the program’s inception in
1995, more than 10 million Operation
Chill coupons have been distributed to
hundreds of law enforcement agencies
across the country in areas where 7Eleven operates stores. During the
upcoming summer months and back-toschool season, 1 million Slurpee coupons
will be distributed to kids in more than
300 cities, towns and counties.
Operation Chill was developed by 7Eleven to positively reward and encourage good behavior by kids during the
hot summer months when communities
may experience increases in loitering,
shoplifting and graffiti. The coupons also
can be used to support law enforcement
agencies’ community relations projects.
“Operation Chill has always been
one of our most popular community
projects,” said Mark Stinde, 7-Eleven’s
senior asset protection director. “Kids
love it because they love Slurpee
drinks. Police officers love it because it
gives them a reason to approach youngsters in a non-authoritative role and
build positive relationships.”
According to Stinde, police departments begin contacting 7-Eleven earlier
each year to sign up for the annual program. Already participating in this year’s
program are law enforcement agencies
from the greater Los Angeles, San
Diego, Orlando, Tampa, Dallas, Denver
and Las Vegas areas.
More than a half-million Slurpee
drinks are purchased each day during the
summer at 7-Eleven stores across the
country. ■
the Balloons” 5K Run for more than 600
runners, and a Sunday morning Health
and Wellness program featuring Yoga
Ascension, Zumba and Jazzercise. On
Saturday, the Family Fun Center hosted
a meet and greet with Disney Star
Brandon Mychal Smith, who plays Nico
Harris from the show “Sonny with a
Chance” and “So Random.”
New among the 125 balloons
launched this year were The Simpson’s
Spyder Pig, the Shark, Unique Photo
Snobird, Amazing Butterfly, and Super
FMG from Canada, along with the return
of The Quick Chek Fresh FarmHouse and
The PNC Flag balloon.
Quik Chek staffs a fully equipped
Quik Check store at the event, and
employees from its 126 stores in New
York and New Jersey both work the event
and attend with their families. Offerings
in the store include all natural chicken
subs with Bourbon BBQ sauce,
Quesadillas, breakfast burritos, Quick
Freeze, iced coffee and other C-store
foods and beverages.
“I’ve been participating in this
event for 19 years,” said Tencza. “It’s a
family event for our employees and for
our community.”
According to Tencza, many employees
volunteer to launch and, more importantly,
retrieve the balloons. “Those balloons
don’t just come straight back down—you
have to go retrieve them and pack them
up.” He also said watching those balloons
take flight is one of his favorite moments of
an all-around great community event.
Quik Chek offers tickets at up to a 44
percent discount when purchased in the
stores, and for those who purchase early,
a $20 coupon book for Quik Chek beverages and other items is included. Tencza
said that as part of the promotion, the
store’s coffee cups are printed with the
balloon festival graphics. ■
Uniformed Police Issue Slurpee
‘Tickets’ for 7-Eleven’s Operation Chill
To foster friendly relationships with
local law enforcement and encourage
good behavior, 7-Eleven, Inc. is giving
1 million free Slurpee® coupons to
police officers who catch kids doing
something good. Operation Chill, as the
popular community program is called,
has been a summer mainstay of 7Eleven® stores since 1975.
Uniformed police officers can be
intimidating to many children and
teens. Rewarding “good behavior” with
a cool treat helps build positive relationships between local law enforcement agencies and young people.
Through Operation Chill, law
enforcement officers from participating
local police and sheriff’s departments
can “ticket” youngsters who are
“caught” in random acts of kindness,
good deeds or positive community activities with the free beverage coupons.
Appropriate “offenses” might include
helping another person, wearing a bicycle helmet while riding or skateboarding,
deterring crime or participating in a
police athletic league. Each coupon can
be redeemed for a small Slurpee drink at
participating 7-Eleven stores.
“Operation Chill coupons are one of
the most effective ways to reward many
of our young people,” said Office Rob E.
Wood of the Bellevue Police Department
in Washington state. “We have found that
one of the best ways to build good policecitizen relationships in Bellevue is to give
these coupons to our police bike team.
They go into places like parks, malls and
THIS ISSUE’S FOCUS: Keeping it Cool
SUMMER PROMOTIONS / CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Vespa scooter. Three additional winners
will receive a United Fighting
Championship (UFC) Las Vegas prize
package for two, which includes roundtrip
airfare, hotel accommodations and tickets
to a future UFC event in Las Vegas.
Of
course,
summer
means
“Slurpee” to millions of 7Eleven customers, and this
summer you get Cowboys
and Aliens with your icy beverage. Modeled after the
glowing wrist band that
encircles the hero’s wrist in
“Cowboys & Aliens,” the
Wrist Blaster cup has a
switch that turns on a a coolblue backlight. The cup
retails for $6.99 and includes
a Slurpee beverage. In addition, 7Eleven offers six other collectible
“Cowboys & Aliens” cups featuring the
movie’s main characters.
Swipe Fee
place. The new limit, originally slated to
take effect on July 21, has been delayed
until Oct. 1.
In June, the U.S. Senate rejected a
bill that would have imposed a two-year
delay on implementation of the legislation, crafted under the 2010 Dodd-Frank
Wall Street Reform and Consumer
Protection Act, directing the Federal
Reserve to set “reasonable and proportional” bank swipe fees charged by Visa,
Mastercard and issuing banks for debit
card transactions. The vote was considered a win for the retail and restaurant
industries, which have been counter-lobbying against the bankers’ delay tactics
since Dodd-Frank was passed last year.
But the Fed’s final order shocked
retailer associations, such as the National
Retail Federation (NRF) and Food
Marketing Institute (FMI).
“The Federal Reserve very clearly
Continued from Page 1
6
ConvenienceRETAILER
July/August 2011
Circle K is traveling back in time to
the summer of ‘69 and celebrating Flower
Power, a man on the moon, Joe Willie
Namath, Star Trek and Woodstock with a
roster of 69-cent promotions, including
69-cent Thirstbusters and a contest to win
a fully restored ‘69 Volkswagen Bus.
For Quik Chek and its
employees, the sky was the limit
as they hosted the 29th Annual
Quick Chek New Jersey Festival
of Ballooning at New Jersey’s
Solberg Airport July 29 through
31. Quik Chek has served as the
events premiere sponsor for 19
years, according to Bill Tencza,
Senior Category Manager.
Entertainment this year
included performances by Abba,
The Concert, The Barenaked Ladies,
Meatloaf and Mitchel Musso; human
cannonball Jennifer Smith; The Trinitas
Regional Medical Center “Running with
did not follow through on the intent of the
law,” said Mallory Duncan, NRF Senior
Vice President and General Counsel.
“This rule is unacceptable to Main Street
merchants and consumers who were
counting on the Fed to issue a reasonable
and proportional rule. Unfortunately, this
rule does not meet those qualifications.”
According to the NRF’s online swipe
fee
information
center
(http://
swipefees.nrf.com), swipe fees have
tripled over the past decade to nearly $50
billion a year, driving up prices and costing the average U.S. household an
estimated $427 annually.
“Today the voice of big banks
drowned out the cries of consumers and
Main Street merchants in the ears of the
Federal Reserve,” said Leslie G.
Sarasin, President and Chief Executive
officer of FMI. “This ruling is inconsistent with the proposed ruling issued last
December and utterly fails to be true to
the spirit of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street
Reform and Consumer Protection Act
passed more than a
year ago. It will not
provide
sufficient
reform for businesses
that are currently fighting high debit swipe
fees. Merchants and
customers
across
America are the big
losers today.”
The banking industry, asserting that price
controls interfere with
free market principles,
promises
that
the
end result will cost
consumers.
The rule will still take a significant
bite out of banks’ revenue. The limits will
slice the industry’s annual debit-card revenue roughly in half to about $10 billion,
according to consulting firm Oliver
Wyman. That’s less than the $11.8 billion
revenue hit that would have resulted if the
Fed’s initial proposal had stuck. The Fed
estimates large banks will see
their fee revenue decline by
more than 40 percent under
the revised rule.
“The final rule represents a 45 percent loss in
revenue that banks use to
provide low-cost accounts to
our customers, fight fraud
and maintain our efficient
U.S. payments system,” said
Frank Keating, American
Bankers
Association
President and CEO. “This
remains a real concern to
banks everywhere and the
consumers and communities
they serve. Consumers will still feel the
impact of this direct transfer of costs
from big box retailers to everyday
Americans. Consumers will see higher
fees for basic banking services, and
banks—particularly community banks—
will still feel the revenue pressures that
this rule will cause.” ■
features
Trends
consumers’ focus on value.
• Surprising Flavor Combinations
Candy and snacks with dual-layers and
multiple flavor profiles in one bite top the
tasty trends for 2011, with new combinations including unique blends of fruits
and the addition of ingredients like chili
and mint.
• Natural and Added Nutrients
Whether simple and all-natural or fortified with vitamins and a nutrition boost,
“smart” snacks and sweets are here to
stay, including chocolate, and products
with added vitamin C, fiber and other
Continued from Page 1
healthful ingredients.
Despite a lagging economy, the snacking
industry posted significant gains in 2010.
The confectionery industry posted a
3.6 percent gain in 2010—outpacing
overall growth of food sales in leading
channels. Meanwhile, salty snacks
experienced steady growth with a 2 percent gain over previous year sales.
Confectionery and salty snacks rank as
the fourth and sixth largest product categories in overall food sales, respectively, and first and second among snack
foods. The cookie category (ranked
third largest among snack foods) also
held strong, experiencing half a percent
growth last year.
Whether simple and
all-natural or fortified
with vitamins and
a nutrition boost,
“smart” snacks
and sweets are
here to stay
Major sales trends that helped shape the
category in 2010, based on SymphonyIRI
and NCA data, include:
• Chocolate confectionery led sales in
2010, growth that is expected to continue
through 2011 as new product launches
will remain strong and consumer interest
in potential health benefits of dark chocolate grows;
• Multi-count and snack-sized packages
to keep at home grew 8 percent;
• On the go and individual chocolate
sales were up 10 percent;
• Value products such as non-chocolate
chewy items continued to gain momentum
• Gummy and chewy candies were up
nearly 5 percent;
• Licorice products continued to grow,
up by nearly 3 percent;
• Seasonal candy sales increased in
2010; with even more growth expected
for 2011;
• Non-chocolate Easter candy grew an
astonishing 21 percent, and
• Chocolate products for Easter,
Halloween and Christmas grew 5 percent.
Consumers Enjoy a Taste of Happiness
in Their Lives:
According to brand-new research from
NCA expected to debut later this summer, consumers appreciate the unique
role chocolate, candy, gum and other
snacks play in their lives:
• Older Americans have a higher preference for dark chocolate; research indicates that people over 45 consume more
dark chocolate because it’s perceived as
healthier;
• Daily gum chewers are 34 percent
more likely to view sports activity as a
major motivator in maintaining or
improving their health;
• The average American consumes
chocolate confectionery about 107 times
per year;
• Parents claim children who consume
chocolate daily exercise nearly twice as
often as children who eat chocolate
weekly, and
• Gummy candy, driven by Halloween
sales, is 23 percent more likely to be consumed in the fall than licorice or other
chewy candies. Licorice consumption
increases in the warmer, summer months
based on its portability.
Industry Reports on 2010 Product
Announcements:
In 2010, according to Datamonitor’s
Product Launch Analytics Database,
thousands of new confectionery and
snack products debuted to meet consumer demand:
2,655 new confectionery products
debuted:
• Chocolate: 1,480
• Non-chocolate (sugar
confectionery): 1,077
• Gum: 98
3,805 new snack, cookie and cracker
products debuted:
• Cookies: 786
• Crackers: 259
• Potato chips: 526
• Popcorn: 237
• Nuts and seeds: 308
• Cereal bars: 550
• Other snacks (pretzels, tortilla
chips, puffed snacks, fruit snacks,
meat snacks, etc.): 1,139. ■
8
ConvenienceRETAILER
July/August 2011
operations
Shrinking Packages, Higher Prices
Cause Change in Buying Habits
Consumers want healthier foods, alternative brands, front-of-label packaging and
smartphone access
Pay more, get less. This is the scenario
that’s increasingly playing out at grocery
stores across the country—and a majority
of food shoppers are taking note according to Deloitte’s new “2011 Consumer
Food and Product Insight Survey.”
Nearly nine in ten survey respondents (87.7 percent) believe prices in food
stores are escalating and almost threequarters (74 percent) say the size of some
packaged goods is smaller, according to
the survey. Consequently, savvy consumers are purchasing more private-label
and store brand products. More than
three-quarters of respondents (75.3 percent) purchased lower-priced products
and nearly two in five respondents (39.6
percent) added more private label products to their grocery bags.
High gas prices are also having an
impact. Nearly three in four respondents
(72.7 percent) are making fewer trips to
the grocery store to save money and more
than two-fifths (40.8 percent) are purchasing fewer items overall.
“Higher prices, smaller package sizes
and pain at the pump are driving consumers to buy lower-priced grocery
items,” said Pat Conroy, vice-chairman,
Deloitte LLP and the U.S. consumer products practice leader. “That’s why now
more than ever it is important for consumer products companies to strengthen
their customer relationships and distinguish value ahead of the competition.”
Consumers Desire Healthier Food
Options and “Front-of-Package” Nutrition Facts
Consumers are paying more attention to
“front-of-package” nutrition information to
assist them in making healthier decisions
Walmart’s ‘Next Generation
Customer’ Expected to Frequent
Convenience Stores
Pay more, get less. This was the scenario
at the Wal-Mart annual shareholder’s
meeting on June 3, President and CEO
Mike Duke declared that serving the
“Next Generation Customer” required a
“clear and direct path to a stronger business and a better company.” And apparently, the next generation customer will be
BY THERESA GRANT
shopping in convenience stores.
Wal-Mart debuted the first incarnation of its smaller store, dubbed WalMart Express, on June 8 in Gentry, Ark.,
about 20 miles from its corporate headquarters. About one tenth the size of
Wal-Mart Supercenters, the new stores
will carry most of the basics found in
the superversions—at about one tenth
Casey’s General Stores to Acquire
22 Iowa Kum & Go C-Stores
Casey’s General Stores, Inc. (Nasdaq:
CASY) and Kum & Go have announced
that they have signed a definitive purchase
agreement for Casey’s to acquire 22 convenience stores from Kum & Go. All 22
stores are located in Iowa operating under
the Kum & Go banner. The stores will be
immediately rebranded to Casey’s once the
transaction is completed.
According to Kum & Go Owner,
President and Chief Executive Officer Kyle
J. Krause, the proceeds generated by this
sale will be reinvested in Kum & Go’s
400+ remaining stores and used to drive
the company’s long-term business and
growth strategies.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to
our associates and loyal customers in
these communities for the important role
that they have played in Kum & Go’s history and the overall success of these
stores,” stated Mr. Krause.
7-Eleven Moves Behind the Gate
at DFW Airport in 2013
Airline travelers at Dallas/Fort Worth
(DFW) International Airport will be able to
grab some of their favorite products, like
Slurpee® drinks and specialty grill foods,
when 7-Eleven, Inc., the world’s largest convenience retailer, opens its first store inside
an airport secured area. The 1,291-squarefoot outlet is expected to be ready for business in 2013 as part of the airport’s Terminal
Renewal and Improvement Program.
The Dallas-based retailer, along with its
partners for this property, recently won the
bid for a location near Gate 25 in Terminal A.
“Although we have 7-Eleven® stores
on a few airport properties in North
America, this will be our first located inside
security and directly across from departure
and arrival gates,” said Dan Porter, 7Eleven’s development vice president.
“7-Eleven is all about convenience,”
according to the survey. More than three in
four respondents (76.2 percent) say they
more often want healthier food options
when they shop and nearly two-thirds (64.8
percent) agree or somewhat agree that food
retailers are starting to sell more locally
produced fruits and vegetables.
Additionally, nearly one-half of
respondents (49.3 percent) agree that
packaging that displays a row of standardized icons called “Nutrition Keys” on
the front of the package with standard
ingredients listed on the back would be
very helpful for purchasing decisions.
Some companies are currently doing this
on a voluntary basis. The survey also
found that more than half (51.1 percent)
of food shoppers read the ingredients on
unfamiliar food items.
“The front-of-package findings,
coupled with survey results showing that
consumers are trending towards healthier
Continued on Page 19
the volume.
“Small stores are going to be a very
good growth opportunity for us because
they allow us to get access in places we
are not in today,” said William S. Simon,
President and Chief Executive of WalMart’s domestic business.
The chain’s express stores will have
up to 13,000 items, compared with the
more than 100,000 items in a supercenter.
Most of the stores will have a pharmacy
and many will also sell gas. The company
plans to open 20 new Express stores this
year in Arkansas, North Carolina and
Illinois. ■
“These stores are predominantly in
rural Iowa locations,” said Casey’s
President and Chief Executive Officer
Robert J. Myers. “These types of communities have proven to be an excellent fit
for our business model and we are very
excited to implement our proprietary prepared food program.”
Casey’s expects this acquisition to be
immediately accretive to earnings in their
first full year of operation. The acquisition
is subject to certain regulatory approvals
and other customary closing conditions.
The transaction is expected to close in July
2011 and will be funded by existing cash
and cash flow. ■
Porter said, “and our proprietary merchandising and logistics systems are prepared
to serve the daily needs of both busy travelers and terminal employees. Dallas-Fort
Worth is home town for us, so it makes
sense that our first U.S. outlet of this type
is at DFW Airport.”
Plans call for 7-Eleven’s iconic
Slurpee®, Big Gulp® and Big Bite® brands
with an emphasis on fresh foods and bakery items that are delivered daily to be part
of the store’s product mix. Among other
selections for hungry travelers will be hot
foods, including pizza, potato wedges, and
Continued on Page 19
MONEYGRAM
ADDS FRIENDLY
CHECK AND
RITECHECK TO
AGENT NETWORK
MoneyGram International (NYSE: MGI)
has announced that it has added two new
premier financial service center agents—
Friendly Check and RiteCheck—to its
growing agent network to provide international money transfer and bill payment
services under the MoneyGram brand.
“We are extremely pleased that
Friendly and RiteCheck made the decision to move to MoneyGram after working with a competitor for many years.
This change is proof of MoneyGram’s
process and commitment to working
closely with our agents to understand
their business, meet their business needs
and provide them with the best products
and services for their customers,” said
Dan O’Malley, MoneyGram’s executive
vice president of the Americas.
North Carolina-based Friendly Check began offering MoneyGram services
in May. It added 45 customer-centric
locations across North Carolina and
Virginia that offer MoneyGram Express
Payment and Utility Bill Payment products in addition to money transfers.
Friendly has a robust money transfer
business with customers who send
domestically and to Mexico, Central
America and Africa.
“MoneyGram has been an incredibly collaborative partner throughout the
process of adding its product to our suite
of services,” said Vince Andracchio, vice
president of marketing at Friendly
Check. “MoneyGram’s vision of financial services is perfectly aligned with our
own and we are proud to be associated
with a brand so universally respected.
We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship.”
RiteCheck, one of the most innovative
and leading financial service centers on the
east coast, began offering MoneyGram
service on April 26. It added 12 high-volume locations in Harlem and the Bronx to
MoneyGram’s network and will provide
MoneyGram Express Payment and money
transfer services. RiteCheck services customers from western Africa, the
Caribbean, Central America and Mexico.
“MoneyGram is the up-and-coming
money transfer company with a mission
to be number one. It has products that are
as good as or better than the competition
for a lower cost to the consumer. We think
Rite’s great customer service, customer
loyalty, and marketing expertise combined with MoneyGram’s commitment,
products, experience and resources make
us a force to be reckoned with in Harlem
and the Bronx,” said Joe Coleman, president of RiteCheck.
According to O’Malley, New York
has tremendous growth opportunities for
MoneyGram, particularly on sends to
Mexico as it is the fastest-growing immigrant group in the market. ■
July/August 2011
ConvenienceRETAILER
11
buyers guide
BUYERS GUIDES
IN-STORE TECHNOLOGY / SUMMER TREATS
This listing is compiled from a survey of products conducted by Convenience Retailer.
MagTek Launches Dynamag
MagTek®, Inc., a global leader in secure electronic payment
technology, recently launched Dynamag, its latest addition to the
MagneSafe™ family of secure card reader authenticators
(SCRAs). Dynamag delivers powerful transaction security meeting all fourteen points cited in Visa’s recently published global
industry best practices for data field encryption and exceeding
the PCI’s DSS requirements for protecting card data. Its
MagneSafe features can be switched on whenever the merchant
is ready to upgrade its POS application to comply with the latest
in security requirements. Orders for more than 52,000 Dynamag
units have already been processed.
MagTek, Inc.
562-546-6400
www.magtek.com
The more information you have, the more control you have. This
is the ideal register for the convenience store, gas station, gift
shop, and tavern and many other establishments. With 10 departments standard and the ability to expand to 50 departments, it
becomes easy to track your sales and highlight which items are
selling. In addition, the 750 PLU’s allow tracking of specific items
by number (any number from 1-999) with linking to the departments for added report capabilities. With the ability to keep track
of sales for up to six cashiers by sign-on code and the addition of
the optional second cash drawer, it becomes easy at shift
change or store closing to account for all the cash as well as the
checks and charges. Food stamp capability is standard as well as
coupon tracking, percentage calculations and split pricing, making this the ideal register for the C-store or small grocery store.
Sharp
201-529-8200
www.sharpusa.com
SMARTRAC Supplies Full Range of NFC
Transponders
SMARTRAC N.V., a leading developer, manufacturer, and supplier of RFID transponders, announces that the company is ready to
supply a complete collection of near field communication (NFC)
enabled transponders. The SMARTRAC NFC product offering
includes inlays for labels, tickets, and cards as well as complete
tags. Near field communication (NFC) products enable simple
and convenient transactions in application fields such as access
control, NFC-enabled mobile devices, public transport, and contactless payment.
SMARTRAC Technology
+31-20-30-50-150
www.smartrac-group.com
VeriFone Provides Performance that Endures
The VX 820 provides all the bells and whistles retailers ever wanted in a PIN pad, with the stylish design that consumers are drawn
to and familiar with. A brilliant, vibrant 3.5” color display ensures
awesome readability and usability. Plus, retailer promotions and
branding are easy to implement and shine with this device.
Credit, debit and EMV plus integrated contactless and NFC
support can all be handled on this sleek yet powerful device.
Hard ATM function keys have been eliminated, making more
room for the captivating color and touch screen. The VX 820 is
designed to meet the latest PCI PTS 3.0 standards, and even
offers end-to-end encryption capabilities with VeriShield Protect.
Clif Bar & Company
800-254-3227
www.clifbar.com
Blended by the consumer right before purchase using a
consumer-operated blender, F’real milkshakes are homemade quality milkshakes. f’real milkshakes are available
in chocolate, cookies ‘n cream, vanilla, strawberry,
chocolate malt, and for a limited time, mint chip and
Reese’s. They are the perfect blend of dairy-fresh milk
and real ice cream. Also available as smoothies and
frozen cappuccinos.
f’real
877-367-7325
www.freal.com
Intense Lemon Flavor With Real Lemon
Pucker Power!
Lemonheads were named and formulated by Ferrara Pan
Candy Company. The formula was developed in 1962
using the same method as Red Hots, another Ferrara Pan
Candy product. Both of these candies are made using the
cold panned process. This process involves building
candy pieces from candy centers and tossing them into
revolving pans while adding flavor, color and other candy
ingredients. The process continues until the pieces
become the desired size.
Ferrara Pan Candy Company
708-366-0500
www.ferrarapan.com
Double Berry Protein Zone
Naked Juice’s Double Berry Protein Zone is made from
the best bare-naked fruits and boosted with whey and
soy protein for your muscles. Deliciously ripe strawberries and blueberries plus 30 grams of the finest whey and
soy proteins makes it fine dining for muscles! No added
sugar, no preservatives, non-GMO, and gluten free, this
product has been gently pasteurized.
Naked Juice
877-858-4237
www.nakedjuice.com
Yoo-hoo Chocolate
There’s a reason some things reach classic status, and
it’s no surprise that Yoo-hoo Chocolate has tickled the
palates of devoted fans for more than eight decades. Not
only is this drink chock-full of rich, chocolaty goodness,
it’s got five vitamins and two minerals and is 99 percent
fat and caffeine free. Good AND good for you? What
more could a choco-freak ask for?
Yoo-hoo
800-696-5891
www.drinkyoo-hoo.com
VeriFone
408-232-7800
www.verifone.com
ConvenienceRETAILER
It’s a pretty simple equation: put good food in - get good
performance out. The bonus is that organic foods aren’t
just good for your body, they’re also good for the planet.
With a mix of whole grains, protein and fiber, Clif Bars
give you sustained energy to be in it to your limit.
f’real Milkshakes
Sharp ER-A330 Cash Register
12
Clif Bars: Healthy For the Body
And The World
July/August 2011
BOOK YOUR ADVERTISING SPACE
BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE IN
CRSD @ NACS 2011
Call Steve Cox at 520-721-1300 or email [email protected] for details.
top tech
Marketscope Report Gives AirTight
Networks Top WIPS Rating
AirTight Networks, the global leader for
wireless intrusion prevention (WIPS)
products and services, received a ‘Strong
Positive’ rating in Gartner’s 2011
Marketscope Report for Wireless LAN
Intrusion Prevention Systems. A “Strong
Positive” is the highest possible rating in
a Gartner Marketscope, and Gartner, Inc.
is the leading provider of research and
analysis on the global information
technology industry.
Vendors were evaluated on five criteria - customer experience, offering (product) strategy, overall viability (business
unit, financial strategy, organization),
marketing execution and product/service.
The MarketScope report notes that
Payment Card Industry requirements, as
well as increased numbers of consumer
devices in the workplace, put a premium
on new detection capabilities and
increased levels of integration with network infrastructure. It also notes that
because WiFi support is now a standard
extension of corporate networks, enterprises must ensure that vulnerability management and intrusion prevention
processes are extended to cover wireless
and wired networks. Network security
monitoring in the form of WIPSs is
required to ensure that supported wireless
local area network (WLAN) performance
is not impeded by interference or denialof-service attacks, wireless traffic is kept
private and secure, users are prevented
from installing unauthorized networks,
and unsupported/unauthorized technologies are barred from operation.”
“We are proud to have the value of
our services in the WIPS market recognized by this ‘Strong Positive’ rating in
the current Gartner Marketscope, said
David King, Chairman and CEO of
AirTight. “AirTight’s continued explosive growth, even during the recent two
years of economic downturn, underscores
the marketplace recognition of the need
for robust wireless threat protection and
its trust in AirTight’s solutions.
Enterprises should invest their precious
IT security budget wisely and carefully
choose a WIPS solution that gives them
maximum business assurance with
minimum administrative burden.”
The Gartner report also concludes
that, “Just like wired networks, wireless
networks need to be monitored to both
proactively detect vulnerabilities to accelerate mitigation and to quickly detect
security incidents to support rapid incident response.” Also, while the basic
WiFi technology is mature, what Gartner
calls the “Consumerization of IT” is driving demand for increased use of employee owned devices with wireless access,
such as iPhones and iPads. This increases
the need for WLAN monitoring to support Network Access Control functions
for allowing wireless access to users who
are allowed to use unmanaged devices.
All this adds up to a continuing need for
wireless monitoring and intrusion prevent
to mitigate risk.
“The increasing dependency on wireless LANs to run business-critical operations, an ever-growing number of WiFi
devices, and the growing sophistication
of WiFi hack attacks has made wireless
security a top priority for security administrators. It is interesting to note Gartner’s
mention of the challenge posed by the
proliferation of smartphones and other
consumer devices which are flooding
into the enterprise,” continued King.
“AirTight has addressed this by providing
customers with visibility into the usage of
smartphones and other mobile devices in
their airspace and the ability to create
watchlists to monitor their activity and
location. AirTight’s goal has always
been to keep ahead not only of emerging
wireless threats but also the needs of
our customers.”
AirTight’s patented technology protects enterprises from the growing problem of Wi-Fi security threats, while
allowing organizations to better manage
their WLAN environment and comply
with emerging wireless compliance standards (i.e. PCI). AirTight’s pioneering
Cloud Services family of cloud-hosted
subscription services delivers the world’s
first and only “No Capex” multitenant
WIPS, PCI wireless compliance and controller-less WLAN access solutions all in
a single device. ■
ISS Supports POS with License Plate
Recognition Solution
Intelligent Security Systems (ISS), a leader
in video management and image analytic
software, announced today that it has developed Point of Sale (POS) and License Plate
Recognition (LPR) solutions that are
designed to support Loss Prevention in and
outside convenience store chains and other
retail facilities. The combination of Point of
Sale (POS) surveillance and License Plate
Recognition (LPR) technology is ideal for
retailers that must regularly deal with cash
register "shrinkage," merchandise theft, and
gas drive offs. The solution can also be used
very effectively at malls.
SecurOS POS is a software-based system that can link live video from checkout
surveillance cameras with transaction data.
It allows for search of specific transactions,
review of the exact video information applying to this transaction and many other investigation options. SecurOS POS can search
transaction data by a variety of individual or
permutations of multiple search criteria,
including date and time, employee number,
terminal number, item numbers (SKUs),
customer, transaction amount, payment
type, credit card, merchandise returns, and
voided transactions. ■
Own Introduces Tablet-Based
Social Point of Sale System
Own Point of Sale® has introduced Own,
a breakthrough platform for running
quick-service businesses. Own is the
world’s first social point-of-sale system
that runs entirely on a tablet. The Own
platform includes:
• An analytics-backend with real-time
graphs and reporting;
• Employee time-clock for management
of your workforce;
• Built-in social media to connect with
customers;
• Loyalty and gift cards to make customer rewarding simple;
• Remote access through the cloud, and
• Direct data export into third-party programs like QuickBooks.
“Independent businesses want the tools
and analytics of big retailers,” says Verdi
Ergun, President and CEO of Own Point of
Sale, “But those tools are outdated already.
So we went beyond that. It is time every
retailer has data, scheduling, and social
media all at their fingertips. That is why
we built Own, the central hub for your
business. Delivering this point-of-sale
platform on the tablet makes switching to
Own so simple that anyone can do it.”
Point-of-Sale Platform Goes Social
Unlike an iPad, Own’s tablet has two USB
ports. That means it can connect to cashdrawers, printers, and other peripherals outof-the-box. “We wanted a point-of-sale
platform that was plug-and-play from the
beginning. Now we have it,” says Ergun.
Receipts emailed to customers will
save money on paper, help the environment, and get customers hooked on convenience. Further, Own customizes
receipt messages to give business owners
a way to share their social media links.
Emailed receipts through Own become a
loyalty platform: customers will start following on Facebook and Twitter from the
emailed receipts with Own tracking the
effectiveness. Own gives business owners
a way to passively build a social media
following and measure the results.
Menu Creation and Synchronization
Own’s menu creation includes tools to create the perfect menu. Business owners can
write descriptions that are viewable from
the tablet; adjust pricing; customize menus
for each location; mark food allergens; add
customizations; and rename or archive categories and items. All information is synchronized between stores, so every location has up-to-date information.
Chains can manage an entire operation as easily as a single store can manage
one location.
Administrative Management
Employees can be managed and created
with full support for employee-roles and
permissions. Managers, owners, employees,
and friends can log onto the Own system
and see exactly what they need. Archived
records allow worked hours to be tracked
and contact information to be managed.
“We broke convention that a point-ofsale system is an order taking machine. We
view Own as a series of conversations.
Everyone gets an Own account, including
employees, customers, and storeowners.
They can access their information through
Own, such as a customer seeing what he or
she purchased, or an employee viewing his
or her schedule,” says Erol Ahmed, Vice
President at Own Point of Sale.
Administrative controls give business owners access to their business anywhere, anytime. Sales data is streamed
live to the dashboard. See who is clockedin and what items are selling best. Create
customer accounts for the store; make
discounts and coupons to drive sales; connect with customers on Facebook and
Twitter; adjust taxation; and add new
locations—all from one, unified administration. Additional features include:
• Multi-location support makes running
100 stores as easy as one store;
• Email alerts, which notify business
owners of late employees and unusual
transactions, and
• Offline support, which lets business
Continued on Page 17
July/August 2011
ConvenienceRETAILER
15
top tech
PayPass-enabled wristband, further expediting transactions. All transactions for the
initiative are processed by FIS.
PayPass
began testing the VITAband in multiple
states in the second quarter of 2011, making U.S. Bank one of the first major card
issuers in the United States to pilot this
new technology.
U.S. Bank is partnering with
MasterCard Worldwide, Vita Products,
Inc., Oberthur Technologies and FIS™
(NYSE: FIS) to provide this product and
service that combines advanced financial
management and universal health record
technology.
“U.S. Bank MasterCard PayPass
VITAband is great for sports enthusiasts
or people who are on-the-go and don’t
want the hassle of carrying cash and identification. It provides contactless payment
functionality, along with access to emergency contact and medical information,
all in one convenient wristband,” said
Beth Blaisdell, senior vice president for
U.S. Bank Payment Services. “Listening
to and understanding the financial and
personal needs of our customers inspire
us to offer unique and powerful new products like the VITAband.”
Issued by U.S. Bank, the MasterCard
PayPass VITAband contains a Radio
Frequency Identification (RFID) payment
chip, which enables contactless purchases. Customers can load and reload funds
onto the chip as needed via an online user
account. Each band also carries a
VITAnumber, a unique, eight digit
numeric identifier that links the wearer to
a customizable Emergency Response
Profile, which houses the individual’s
identity and critical medical information.
First responders can access the profile in
the event of an emergency. With a
VITAband, customers benefit from both
convenience and peace of mind.
“Combining the speed and convenience of contactless payments technology
with a high-tech medical ID bracelet, the
U.S. Bank MasterCard PayPass
VITAband is the perfect companion for
those with an active lifestyle,” said Mario
Shiliashki, senior vice president, U.S.
Emerging Payments. “Innovations like
Continued from Page 1
Own
owners use Own even when the internet
is off.
Continued from Page 15
Pricing and Availability
The Own platform with analytics, employee
management, and data export became
available for $149 a month on August 1. The
Own tablet is available for $1,399. Own’s
tablet point-of-sale system provides a fullfeatured backend for business owners everywhere. Own has breached the gap between
business owners, employees, and customers
to create a friction-free retail environment
through its revolutionary point-of-sale
devices and online services so that customers can enjoy shopping and owners can
enjoy running a business all over again.
Own is in a store near you.
For additional information visit
http://www.ownpointofsale.com/media or
call Own at (614) LOVE–OWN. ■
July/August 2011
ConvenienceRETAILER
17
this are a natural fit for PayPass technology, which is designed to enable people to
pay and quickly be on their way.”
With the VITAband, customers can
conveniently check their account balances,
reload associated prepaid accounts and customize their Emergency Response Profiles.
Signatures are also not required for purchases under $50 that are made with the
About VITA Products, Inc.
Launched in Spring 2011, Vita Products,
Inc. combines innovative contactless payment technology and the safety of a personal health record in a convenient, wearable
line of accessories known as VITAforms.
Vita Products accessories offer access to
cash with a state-of-the-art contactless payment system, while also housing personal
information through an Emergency
Response Profile (accessed in the event of
an emergency)—all in a sleek, comfortable
accessory that’s perfect for anyone on-the-
go. The company’s debut VITAform, the
VITAband, is a first of its kind bracelet.
About MasterCard PayPass
MasterCard PayPass is ideal for traditional cash-heavy environments where speed
is essential, and has led the way in bringing contactless technology to consumer
categories such as quick serve restaurants,
drug stores, gas stations, vending
machines, convenience stores, sports arenas, movie theaters, transit systems, taxis,
parking garages and more. As of Q1 2011,
more than 92 million PayPass cards and
devices have been issued for use at
approximately 311,000 merchant locations worldwide. ■
product features
Nestle Drumsticks Offers
Nut-Free Treats
Nestle Drumsticks sprinkle in some fun
this summer with new Drumstick
Sprinkled! sundae cones. Available in three
flavors—Vanilla, Chocolate and Vanilla
Cherry—Drumstick lovers can now savor
biting into creamy chocolate, vanilla or
vanilla with a gooey cherry center, all coated in chocolate and crunchy sprinkles.
Topped with sprinkles instead of
nuts, the new cones are safe for children
with peanut allergies as well as being a
new twist to a favorite treat. Drumstick
Sprinkled! sundae cones are available
now nationwide with an SRP of $6.99 for
a box of 8 cones.
Nestle Dreyer’s Ice Cream
800-441-2525
www.drumstick.com
Pepsi Tests Lower Sugar Alternative
PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) announced at the
Beverage Digest Wall Street Smarts conference that the company will test, beginning in July, a new reduced-sugar cola,
Pepsi NEXT, in two markets in Iowa and
Wisconsin. Pepsi NEXT leverages both
the formulation expertise of PepsiCo’s
R&D team, which delivered this greattasting, new cola product, and Pepsi’s
deep understanding of the evolving preferences of U.S. consumers.
Pepsi NEXT was created for consumers who seek the rich taste of fullcalorie cola but have decreased their consumption in order to reduce the sugar in
their diet. While sugar-reduction is a priority for this segment, they have not
adopted the flavor profile of a zero calorie cola. Pepsi NEXT delivers in the
sweet-spot for these consumers with its
real cola flavor and 60 percent less sugar.
“As part of our continued commitment to innovate our carbonated softdrinks portfolio, we developed Pepsi
NEXT, a great tasting, full-flavor cola
with 60 percent less sugar,” said
Massimo d’Amore, CEO, PepsiCo
Beverages America.
PepsiCo, Inc.
www.pepsico.com
VBlast Puts New Lid on
Vitamin-Infused Water
Thirsty consumers who cruise into convenience stores this summer are in for a
refreshing surprise when they twist the
cap of a VBlast and see the liquid vitamins splash into their water. When the
hidden treat under the cap unites with the
crisp mountain spring water, the color
changes and flavor bursts, while fresh
vitamins permeate the water providing
maximum vitamin effectiveness.
Noting the flaw in the old way of
providing consumers with a vitamin
boost in their water, the makers of VBlast
set out to find a way to keep vitamininfused waters fresh and fully effective.
The result is a patented reservoir cap,
which holds liquid vitamins separate
from the water, and out of sunlight, until
the consumer is ready to release them.
With a twist of the cap, the vitamins
flow into the water, creating one of eight
VBlast flavors: Acai & Berry, Grape,
Green Tea, Orange, Peach Tea,
Pomegranate-Cherry, Strawberry Kiwi,
and Wild Berry. VBlast is calorie-free,
carb-free and sugar-free.
Vita Coco Signs A-Rod
Vita Coco, the nation’s best-selling
coconut water and one of the fastest
growing beverage brands in the U.S.,
announced that Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod),
a long time fan of the brand, will be featured in Vita Coco’s advertising campaign that launches in New York this
summer—showcasing to consumers Vita
Coco’s growing popularity as the hydrating drink of choice among athletes.
“The appeal of the Vita Coco brand
continues to astound us,” says Michael
Kirban, co-founder and CEO of Vita Coco,
“and we’re thrilled to have one of baseball’s greatest onboard. A-Rod has a unique
connection to his fans and this campaign is
only going to strengthen consumers’ connection with the Vita Coco brand.”
Vita Coco, which contains the five
essential electrolytes, 15 times the potassium of a traditional sports drink and 100
percent of the daily requirement of citamin C, delivers super-hydrating functionality with every sip. A-Rod prefers allnatural Vita Coco as an alternative to artificial sports drinks—its super-hydrating
effects help him perform at his best on
and off the baseball field.
Healthy Bean Chips Now in
New Single-Serve Size
C-stores can now offer consumers a
healthy choice: Beanitos, chips made of
beans in four flavors, and now in a singleserve 1.25 oz bag. The chips are projected to hit 500 C-stores in coming months.
All four flavors—Black Bean, Pinto
Bean & Flax, Chipotle BBQ and Cheddar
Cheese Pinto Bean—will be available in
the new bags, with a suggested retail
price of $1.29. The small size and price
make it ideal for a healthy snack or as
part of a salad or sandwich meal deal.
Each bag packs six grams each of
complete protein and fiber, compared to
the average single-serve bag of potato
chips that contains only two grams of protein and one gram of fiber. A chart provided by the company puts Beanitos’ nutrition content ahead even of other ‘healthy
snacks’ like SunChips. It also has lower
carbohydrate and glycemic index figures
as a result of being made from beans.
Dave Foreman, Beanitos CoFounder & President commented, “With
our new bags we’re able to deliver a
healthy snack to places like schools,
vending machines, delis and sandwich
shops, hotels and convenience stores.
Snacking should be a healthful bridge of
satiety between meals, and Beanitos provides a long over-due new healthy option
in the grab-and-go, single-serve category,
one that keeps you fuller, longer.”
CLIF Kid® Launches New Zbar Crispy,
Zfruit Punch Flavor
CLIF Kid®, maker of great-tasting organic snacks for active kids, has released
Zbar CrispyTM, an organic rice crispy
snack that is an extension of the original
baked Organic Zbar line. CLIF Kid also
introduces a new Fruit Punch flavor for
Zfruit™, the popular fruit rope twist
made with organic fruit puree.
Zbar Crispy is made with eight
grams of whole grains and a sprinkling of
toasted oats for a lightly textured crunch.
Like the original Zbar, it has a balanced
blend of carbohydrates, protein, fiber and
healthy fat to help curb hunger and stabilize energy levels that keep kids feeling
full longer. CLIF Kid Zfruit (formerly
Organic Twisted Fruit) is a tangy, chewy,
organic fruit snack equivalent to one
serving of organic fruit. It also provides
an excellent source of vitamin C.
Zfruit offers delicious convenience
that makes it easy for kids to get their
two to four recommended daily servings
of fruit. Fruit punch joins Zfruit’s other
flavors in Mixed Berry, Sour Apple,
Strawberry, Tropical Twist and Grape.
Zfruit Ropes retail for .89 each and $4.49
for a six-pack box.
New York Spring Water, Inc.
212-239-7281
www.newyorkspringwater.com
Vita Coco/All Market, Inc.
212-206-0763
www.vitacoco.com
Hefeweizen Loses Haywire Moniker
In response to customer feedback, Pyramid
Hefeweizen will return to its roots and
original name—officially dropping the
name “Haywire” from its packaging.
In 2008, Pyramid Breweries added
the name “Haywire” and changed its
packaging to differentiate from other
Hefeweizen brands and attract new beer
drinkers. The beer remained the same.
Pyramid Hefeweizen packaging also
will get a facelift. “We’ve made some
minor packaging changes right away but
we will be talking with beer drinkers and
unveiling a new design later this year that
is more reminiscent of the tradition and
heritage of the Pyramid brand and the
Pacific Northwest,” said Ryan Daley,
brand manager for Pyramid.
Pyramid Hefeweizen is available in
six, 12 and 24-pack bottles, and 12-pack
cans at grocery, convenience and drug
stores throughout the country. In addition, it is also available in 22 ounce bottles, on draft and 12 ounce cans that hit
store shelves this summer.
Beanitos
512-609-8017
www.beanitos.com.
Cliff Bar & Company
800-254-3227
www.clifbar.com
Pyramid Breweries
206-682-8322
www.pyramidbrew.com
Genesis Today Unveils Nutrient-Packed
Wake Me, Relax Me Beverages
Superfruit pioneer Genesis Today has
introduced Wake Me™ and Relax Me™,
two new all-natural functional beverages
that leverage superfoods to support
healthy energy and relaxation.
Wake Me offers a natural energy lift
with a blend of essential vitamins and
nutrients in a tangerine-orange juice. The
get-up-and-go power comes from the 500
percent daily value of vitamin B12, theanine for focus, and pure guarana seed and
green tea leaf extract for energy. The
guarana seed grows deep within the rainforests of Brazil, and has been used for
centuries as a natural source of caffeine
to boost alertness, focus and overall energy levels. The caffeine from guarana is
unique because it also contains the compound theobromine, which is the active
“feel good” compound in chocolate that
balances out the possibility of any overstimulating effects of caffeine. Since
Wake Me contains no added sugar there
are no jitters or sugar crashes like those
that come with many other energy drinks.
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ConvenienceRETAILER
July/August 2011
Genesis Today
www.genesistoday.com
calendar
UPCOMINGEVENTS
WHEN
WHAT
WHERE
WEBSITE
Western New York Gift Show
Dome Center, Henrietta NY
www.westernnewyorkgiftshow.com
September 11 - 13
Philadelphia National Candy, Gift and Gourmet Show
Atlantic City Convention Center
www.phillycandyshow.com
September 11 - 13
ASD/AMD Variety Merchandise Show - East
Javits Convention Center, NYC
www.asdonline.com/september
September 12 - 13
People in Consumer Goods & Services Summit
Hotel 71, Chicago
http://the-tma.org/retail
October 1 - 4
National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show
McCormick Place, Chicago
www.nacsonline.com/NACSShow
October 15 - 16
The National Franchise & Business Opportunites Show
Dallas Market Center
www.franchiseshowinfo.com
October 17 - 19
Mobile Shopping Summit
Bridgewaters, NYC
www.wbresearch.com/mobileshopping
October 17 - 19
In-Store Marketing Expo
Navy Pier, Chicago
www.shoppermarketexpo.com
AUGUST
August 7 - 9
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
Stride Whitemint
the next collection for his clothing lines,
White is all about finding new ways to
challenge himself and excel. Continuing
his long-lasting streak, he took home his
Continued from Page 5
Buying Habits
food purchases, presents a tremendous
opportunity for consumer products companies that are willing to enhance their
nutritional transparency,” said Conroy.
“Consumer products companies that use
healthy ingredients and are willing to
share nutritional information on the front
of the packaging can strengthen their
customer base amongst a growing faction of consumers.”
Continued from Page 11
Smartphones are Playing a Role in
Entire Shopping Process
The proliferation of smartphones and a
much savvier base of shoppers have
7-Eleven
chicken tenders.
7-Eleven also boasts healthier offerings, such as several sizes of pre-made salads, fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, sandwiches and low-calorie beverages.
To provide travelers with value
options, 7-Eleven will offer value-priced
grocery, packaged snacks and bakery items
under its 7-Select private brand. 7-Select is
Continued from Page 11
fourth straight superpipe gold at the 2011
Winter X Games.
“Choosing the Whitemint flavor
and working with Stride on the creative
process has been fun,” said White.
“When Stride approached me about
partnering with the brand, I knew it
spurred consumers to use mobile
devices to assist with several aspects of
their shopping routines according to the
survey. More than one-third (34 percent)
of smartphone users research food
prices or product information while in a
store. More than two-fifths (43 percent)
of smartphone users have managed a
food shopping list on their device while
not in a store.
Overall, more than one-half (53 percent) of shoppers surveyed are increasingly using technology to obtain information about food products and more
than one-quarter (28 percent) of respondents interacted with a food retailer via
their mobile application or website.
Furthermore, more than one-fifth (23.5
the company’s exclusive line of food and
other products developed to compete on
taste and quality with name brands, but at
prices 10 to 20 percent less.
For travelers’ convenience, the 7-Eleven
store will have refills that meet travel restrictions in addition to emergency, health and
beauty items and popular magazines.
While this store won’t be operating 24
hours, the 7-Eleven will be available to
serve late-night customers when flights
are delayed.
would be a great fit and I’m looking
forward to working with them on more
exciting things.”
As part of his relationship with the
brand, White will engage in a variety of
promotional activities throughout the
year, including a Whitemint TV spot set
percent) of survey respondents expect
their smartphone-related grocery shopping activity to increase next year.
“Smarter phones and smarter
shoppers are transforming today’s
shopping experience,” said Conroy.
“Moving forward, consumer product
companies must make themselves
more accessible to consumers who are
using 21st century technologies to look
for coupons, store specials and to even
shop for groceries.”
Food Shoppers Attracted to Supermarkets and Supercenters
Nearly four in five respondents (79.7 percent) purchased food from a traditional
supermarket during the past year.
Operating the store will be Dallas-based
Ray Quintanilla, who will become a 7Eleven franchisee under 7-Eleven, Inc.’s
business conversion program, and LS Travel
Retail North America, a subsidiary of the
world’s largest magazine publisher and operator of nearly 4,000 “transit-oriented” stores
worldwide. Quintanilla already owns a number of concessions at DFW Airport and has
been serving customers there for 22 years.
They will lend their expertise to ensure
customers have books and publications that
to air in the fall.
Stride Whitemint will be rolling out
now through September 2011 at convenience stores, mass merchandise stores,
drug stores, grocery stores and other
retail outlets for a suggested retail price
of $1.49. ■
Deloitte’s survey also shows that large
supercenters —those that sell food, clothing, etc.—are the second most sought
after food buying destinations with more
than three in five respondents (61 percent) purchasing groceries at these venues in the past year.
Outside of shopping at supermarkets
and one-stop shop supercenters, nearly
one-third of consumers (32.6 percent)
met their grocery needs by visiting a dollar store over the past year. The survey
also found that more than two in five
respondents (22 percent) bought food at
a drug store and slightly less than one in
20 shoppers (4.9 percent) visited an
online retailer or food manufacturer to
purchase food. ■
reflect the interests of customers passing
through Terminal A.
“7-Eleven already serves 40 million
customers a day and is well known in many
countries,” said Ken Buchanan, executive
vice president for revenue management at
DFW Airport. “The company’s commitment to quality and customer service along
with LS Travel Retail North America’s
know-how and Ray’s experience should
make this a successful operation and popular with travelers and airport personnel.” ■
July/August 2011
ConvenienceRETAILER
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