Fourth Quarter - Convenience Store Decisions

M
I
FOURTH Quarter 2015
InfoMarketing
A Convenience Directions® Publication
URN Higher Profits with Teazzers Tea
Programs & Products
Tea is among the most profitable products in those stores who have
implemented a fresh-brewed program. The category has earned the highest
gross profit of the entire beverage category, including ready-to-drink (40%
GP) and fountain (45% GP).
Big Opportunities, Easy-to-Implement Solutions
Tea is one of the most underdeveloped beverage categories in convenience stores and food service establishments. Teazzers® is your total tea-solution
provider with a vast portfolio of flavors--raspberry, mango, black current,
passion fruit, peach, green tea and more--plus the service, quality and freshness you won’t find anywhere else.
Happy Customers, More Profit
Traditional soda is on the decline, and consumers are seeking fresher,
better quality beverages now more than ever. Teazzers Fresh Brewed Tea
Programs provide your customers with the tea they love, while you earn higher profits. Teazzers Fresh Brewed Tea Programs are available in a
brewed, stand-alone solution for a countertop environment that’s easily implemented and will help drive traffic to your stores.
Sweetening the Deal
Teazzers also offers liquid sweeteners in two formats: a Bag-In-Box pumped directly into your iced tea urn with a Bunn ITB brewer, or a 16 oz. bottle to
sweeten your tea without additional equipment. Blend our sweet and unsweetened varieties, and enjoy up to a 93% profit margin!
To set up a demonstration or to place an order, please call
(888) 759-0195 or visit us online at www.teazzers.com.
Republic Tobacco Introduces Art to
Cigarette Paper Merchandising
Republic Tobacco L.P., the nation’s largest RYO/MYO distributor is pleased to present new limited edition art deco style collectible tins.
Visual impact has been taken to a bright new level with the JOB®
and Top® Cigarette Paper Design. Measuring 7 inches wide and
7-1/4 inches high, the tin has a footprint that easily fits on the
counter or a shelf. Tins will stand up unlike other temporary
displays and hold 100 booklets of cigarette papers.
Cigarette papers have the highest markup and generate the
highest profit per square inch in the OTP category. The JOB®
1-1/4 (orange) 24-leaf booklets are being offered as a
99¢ pre-priced consumer offer. The 100 count TOP® booklets are
being offered as a buy one get one free consumer offer.
To add a real POP! to your cigarette paper display space contact
us at (800) 288-8888 or email Mark Lopofsky at
mmlopofsky@rpbtob.com to find out how our JOB® and TOP®
Cigarette Papers can build your OTP business.
www.csdecisions.com
www.csdecisions.com
Bolder is
Better with
Jack Link’s®
Jack Link’s will take bold to a whole
new level with the launch of SQUATCH
Loaded™ with Bacon & Cheddar.
This new snack stick will feature
flavors as bold as the already popular
SQUATCH™ Snack Stick line, but will
guarantee real bacon and real cheese
in every bite.
Jack Link’s launched SQUATCH Snack
Sticks in 2013 and they continue to
grow in sales and popularity. The sticks
are a delicious, convenient snack with
unique, spicy flavor and premium,
category-leading Jack Link’s quality.
With the eye-catching packaging and
graphics – and memorable icon-SQUATCH instantly stands out at retail.
SQUATCH sticks are available in two
sizes, 1 oz. and XXL 2.2 oz. in
Original, Mild and Hot flavors.
SQUATCH Loaded with Bacon &
Cheddar will bring unique innovation
to the category with consumer driven
flavors at a value price. Available in
January, SQUATCH Loaded Sticks’
suggested retail price (SRP) is $1.99
and is available in tower displays
and caddies.
Consumer tests show that the product
over-delivers on flavor expectations.
SQUATCH Loaded is guaranteed to turn
up the bold in the meat snacks category!
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InfoMarketing
XS Foodservice &
Marketing /
DGD Foods
XS Foodservice & Marketing / DGD Foods has offices in Dallas and
Minneapolis. The firm provides our clients holistic solutions to support
foodservice at retail. Our ability to deliver long-term strategic direction
via business and marketing plans based upon our clients’ visions is the
basis of what we do.
We are able to support this direction with industry experts in menu development, innovation, product sourcing, store design, equipment and
product specifications, operational efficiencies and category management. We provide holistic branding solutions, advertising and media
buying, and long-term integrated promotional planning. Our goal is
to provide sustainable solutions from which the retailer can grow for
many years.
Our supplier partners are strong manufacturing organizations with
GFSI accreditations with the ability to customize components in order
to meet our client’s proprietary needs. We pride ourselves on developing retail-based sustainable solutions through product development.
The “functional intent” of the product is where it all starts.
We believe in “Foundation before Differentiation” and encourage our
clients to pay attention to foodservice sales, but to realize that this number is truly a by-product of establishing a strong foundation to build
from. Consumer research and product innovation can be conducted
during this building period, however, without that base, sales more
than likely will be a struggle. Often retailers turn to data and innovation to drive sales or a “me too” approach, only to find disappointment
when it comes to sales. Foundation is the key to success!
Our clients with more established programs rely on us for continuous
improvement methods, product innovation, and market planning and
development.
Our team of professionals has many years of experience from both
sides of the desk. Joe Chiovera has been a foodservice executive as a
retailer and Greg Dornbach has shared the same executive status as a
trusted supplier and manufacturer. Both principals remain committed to
serving convenience store retailers and their foodservice needs.
Contact Joe Chiovera at Joe@XSFoodservice.com or Greg Dornbach at
gdornbach@dgdfoods.com.
Floor Your Customers With
TILE TIME
Team leaders tell us that the ceramic tile floors found in many
convenience stores are just plain tough to clean. They are porous,
grouted and often abrasive so they hold dirt and grime. The last
generation of floor cleaners used two approaches. One approach
used caustic formulations which cleaned certain types of soil, but often
left the floor slippery.
The other approach used a slightly acidic formula which cut down on
slipperiness, but didn’t clean well. TILE TIME with SilaPro cleans better
than the harmful caustic formulas and has a better slip coefficient than
the acids.
Here is a short list of things TILE TIME will do that typical floor cleaners
won’t:
• Remove heavy grease from foodservice equipment.
• Remove petroleum-based soil.
• Deep clean grout.
• Remove road salt stains. Winter is coming!
• Aid in slip control.
• Total tile renovation.
TILE TIME Aids in Slip Control
Floors become slippery for a few simple reasons. When dirt and
soap residue are present on the floor surface, they provide a flow
area between the foot and the floor. As a result, your feet never really
make solid contact with the floor. In addition, dirt penetrates into the
open pores of the floor, clogs them and limits their ability to aid in
slip resistance. TILE TIME corrects both of these potentially dangerous
situations. Its deep cleaning SilaPro emulsifier penetrates and removes
pore blocking soil. Its customized blend of surfactants breaks through
surface dirt and deposits.
TILE TIME Makes Floors New Again
Has your floor lost its natural luster
because of embedded dirt?
With TILE TIME and the simple
“Wake Up Your Floor” process,
total renovation is possible.
The TILE TIME Deal
Try one gallon of TILE TIME for
$20 (includes shipping & handling).
A free “Wake Up Your Floor”
renovation chart is available upon
request (no purchase necessary).
Call (800) 441-7146 or email
Joe DeLuca at
jdeluca@apterindustries.com.
TILE TIME is also available through
your grocery wholesaler.
Boost Profitability With AIR-serv
AIR-serv is the industry leader in tire inflation and vacuum services, providing the most extensive distribution and service networks worldwide.
Our machines provide additional revenue to your bottom line, at zero cost to you. Join more than 70,000
convenience stores, gas stations and car washes that enjoy generous revenue-sharing from our reliable,
hassle-free air programs.
AIR-serv’s AIR for Charity program builds customer loyalty and goodwill as a unique incentive to make
your location a routine destination.
With credit card capabilities, digital and calibrated equipment options and wireless monitoring technology
for fast service, AIR-serv turns air into income for you. No provider in the market today can match AIRserv’s combination of service, technology and design.
For more information from AIR-serv Group LLC contact us at (800) 247-8363 or visit us online at
http://www.air-serv.com.
www.csdecisions.com
Detour Makes Clean Eating
“Simple” With Launch Of
New Gluten-Free, Non GMO
Detour Simple Bar
New Detour Simple breaks the mold with clean
ingredients, delicious candy bar taste.
Protein products company Forward Foods, LLC, the maker of the award-winning Detour® bar, is
making clean eating simple with the introduction of its new line of Detour Simple™ protein bars.
The new line of Detour Simple™ bars breaks the protein bar mold with clean ingredients and 20
grams of protein. Detour Simple bars are certified gluten free, non-GMO and contain zero artificial
ingredients, but have the same great candy bar taste Detour is known for.
“Eating well is a driver of better health, but we know that with today’s active, on-the-go lifestyle,
fueling your body with clean, healthy foods can be difficult,” said Patrick Muldoon, CEO of Forward
Foods, which owns Detour. “With Detour Simple, we took great care to choose the most contemporary, best ingredients, but with equal consideration we picked what to leave out. For Detour Simple
that means no artificial sweeteners or artificial flavors, no sugar alcohols, no trans fats and no
genetically modified ingredients. We believe that if you put the best in, you get the best out.”
Oscar Mayer
Can Pump Up
Your Sales with
Protein
Protein Snacking is a $19 Billion category,
with a projected annual growth rate of 7%,
and 3 out of every 4 adults are adding
more protein to their diet. Oscar Mayer’s
Portable Protein Pack (P3) is a refrigerated
protein snack containing simple, proteinrich foods with no artificial preservatives.
Each serving delivers 13 grams of protein
for those adults who lead an active lifestyle
and are looking for energy to keep going
strong. P3 offers real Oscar Mayer Select
meat, Kraft Natural Cheese and Planters Nuts packed into one PROTEIN-RICH
WHOLESOME snack.
Detour Simple bars come in three flavors: Caramel Peanut, Chocolate Chip Caramel and Salted
Caramel Cookie Dough.
“Clean ingredients deliver better nutrition and cleaner taste. It is really that simple,” said Muldoon.
“There is no other bar on the market like Detour Simple, with its combination of real ingredients in
a delicious chocolate coating.”
Detour Simple™ bars will be available at select retailers beginning in February.
For more information, visit www.detourbar.com/simple.
Be Better at Breakfast Webinar
Now Available
Long touted as the most important meal
of the day, breakfast continues to be top
of mind for on-the-go consumers. The
pressure keeps increasing on operators
to meet consumer needs in this critical
and competitive daypart. With quickservice restaurants leading the breakfast
charge, how can non-commercial
operations and convenience stores
effectively compete for a bigger share
of consumers’ morning dollars?
Since market introduction in 2013, sales
for P3 have been 71% incremental to the
refrigerated case and seen turns 2-3 times
greater than any other product.
P3 is available in a variety of combinations
and has a suggested retail price of $1.99.
New for 2015 are Ham, Monterrey Jack &
Cashews and Chicken, Monterrey Jack
& Cashews.
Find the answer here: Rethink Breakfast on-demand webinar, presented by
Foodservice Director. In just one hour,
you will:
Kraft Heinz is offering a rebate incentive
on new distribution of Oscar Mayer and
Kraft Cheese.
• Discover how to use the grab-and-go
opportunity to boost your morning
sales.
To learn more contact (888) 695-6733,
visit www.kraftinsights.com or email
kraftcscommuni@kraftfoods.com
for more information.
• Learn how to help customers find
portable or nutritious products easily.
• See how to better implement
promotions and programs that make
your operation part of consumers’
morning habits.
• Listen in on relevant Q&A from food
service directors and retailers and
learn from the best.
Visit www.KelloggsConvenience.com/GrowMyStore
to watch this recorded webinar now and get ready to
Rethink Breakfast!
www.csdecisions.com
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InfoMarketing
Three Priorities to Ensure
Success in Beer Innovation
The beer category remains a bright spot for C-Store retailers. Why?
Because beer shoppers appreciate the channel’s strengths -- convenient
locations, fast and friendly shopping experience and the availability of
cold beer.
In fact, beer generated a record $16 billion in revenue for C-Stores in
2013, up about 2 percent. For 2014, we see continued revenue growth
of about 3% to 4%, driven by innovation, premiumization and pricing.
Premium beers, led by Premium Lights, still generate almost 50% of beer
sales in C-Stores. Keeping shoppers engaged in this segment needs to
remain job one.
In addition, retailers need to ensure they lean into innovation to help
drive growth.
At MillerCoors, we’re focused on building brands the right way to ensure
success for retailers:
1. First, we look for unmet consumer needs or white spaces that will help
retailers satisfy more households or more occasions. For example,
look at the recent success of Redd’s Apple Ale and Redd’s
Strawberry Ale.
2. Second, we have a rigorous consumer testing process to ensure our
new items are well positioned to meet those unmet consumer needs.
3. Third, we provide 360-degree integrated marketing support to help
connect with consumers and drive awareness of our new products —
and help retailers capture these new sales.
Add it up, we want to bring retailers new
brands that can scale up quickly. In the first
trimester of 2014, MillerCoors will be investing
big behind two opportunities to capitalize on:
* Miller Fortune: Spirited golden lager in a
jet-black bottle. This is a great opportunity to
capitalize on the growth in above-premium,
higher-alcohol beers. Miller Fortune will be
backed by the strongest launch investment yet
by MillerCoors.
* Smith & Forge: A mainstream, masculine cider
that will broaden cider’s appeal with the male
beer drinker and expand the category. And
given its masculine focus, it’s a great way for cstores to jump into cider and start to get their fair
share of the fast-growing cider segment.
Dulce Pradera: A Bakery
Program for the Growing
Hispanic Market
The demographic landscape of
the U.S. is changing, and it’s
changing rapidly. Retailers are
now facing even more preferences,
tastes and trends to recognize and fulfill. One ethnic group in particular, Hispanics, is driving significant change. According to Pew
Research Center, the Hispanic population reached a high of 55.4
million in 2014 (17.4% of the total U.S. population), an increase of
1.2 million (2.1%) from the year before, and this population continues
to grow. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that the Hispanic population
is projected to increase from about 55 million in 2014 to about 119
million in 2060, an increase of 115%.
The Hispanic population is an attractive target for convenience stores
not only due to its size and growth, but also for their buying behavior.
Overall, Hispanic consumers spend more on total basket than nonHispanics, reaffirming the growth opportunity this group represents
for consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers, reports
Nielsen. Not only are these consumers spending more, but they are
visiting more too. The NPD found that Hispanics make almost two
more visits a month than non-Hispanics to major oil chain convenience stores.
With more visits and more spending, Hispanics are demanding
products that meet their cultural preferences. Twice as many Hispanics (44%) compared to the general population (21%) say they would
pay more for food described as authentic, according to Technomic.
Millennials too identify with their culture; 75% classifying themselves
by country of heritage. Additionally, About Marketing Solutions found
that 96% Hispanic Millennials say their heritage contributes to their
food and beverage choices. It’s no secret that this population demands authentic Mexican products.
Fortunately, Prairie City Bakery has the perfect Mexican bakery program to satisfy this growing demand. Their Dulce Pradera product line
includes seven authentic, hand-made items including: Concha Blanca,
Concha Rosa, Cuernitos, Danes Cuerno, Galleta, Mantecada, and
Puerquito. From sweet breads to cookies, this line has a wide variety
of traditional items that your customers are looking for. Individually
wrapped Dulce Pradera products are baked with the finest ingredients
and have an impressive 21-day shelf life--ideal for your convenience
store. Prairie City Bakery also offers a three-tier merchandising rack to
display the items, making them a simple countertop sell.
Founded in 1994, Prairie City Bakery is headquartered in Vernon
Hills, Ill. They provide premium, fully baked, thaw and sell bakery
solutions to the convenience store, foodservice and drug store channels nationwide. Known for their premium quality and innovation,
Prairie City Bakery offers operators an unmatched assortment of both
individually wrapped and foodservice items.
Contact Prairie City Bakery today at (800) 338-5122 or
www.pcbakery.com for more information.
CBE: From Ideation to Installation
Retailers today are faced with the same challenge many of us face--how
to do more with less. CBE’s Vigil Trends Dashboard, when used with the
deployment of CBE’s industry-leading 3xLogic video recording solutions,
combines real time point-of-sale (POS) data and real-time video analytics
to create a an easy-to-read overview of a site and of the entire retail
enterprise’s performances in many key areas.
The cloud-based data and video storage makes accessibility simple and
eliminates the need for internal network access. Easily monitor:
• Customer Traffic Counts
• Average Wait Times
www.csdecisions.com
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Transaction Counts
Line Queue Reports
Cashier Exceptions
Exception Reporting
Instant Access to Corroborating Video Clips
Retail operations managers and loss prevention teams now have an
“at your fingertips” tool for quickly spotting issues and making actionable decisions based on facts, not assumptions.
Please contact CBE Inc. at (800) 447-7038 to learn how we can help
your Retail Enterprise do more with less.
Swisher Sweets Mini Cigarillos Add
Tastes of the Tropics
New blends debut in newly redesigned
“short & sweet” mini cigarillo packaging.
Swisher Sweets introduces its new Finest Fusion Mini Cigarillos
with two tropical tastes--Tropical Storm and Island Bash. These new
blends debuted in the redesigned 3-cigar pouch that’s both short
and sweet -- just like the mini cigarillos.
Tropical Storm Mini Cigarillos have a refreshing blend of citrus
and raspberry, and Island Bash Mini Cigarillos are a fusion of
fruit punch and watermelon tastes. Both are delicious choices for a
quick smoke break.
These Finest Fusion Mini Cigarillos join the Swisher Sweets Mini Cigarillos line--Original, Blueberry and
Grape--in a redesigned, resealable 3-count foil pouch. All of the Mini Cigarillos are available in “Buy 2,
Get 3.”
For more information or to place an order today, contact your Swisher representative at
(800) 874-9720.
Jacksonville, Fla. -based Swisher International has manufactured quality tobacco products since 1861.
The company ships over one billion cigars a year to more than 70 countries.
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InfoMarketing
This quarterly publication is made available
to convenience store and petroleum
marketing executives on a complimentary
basis, thanks to the sponsorships of a
select group of interested and involved
industry suppliers.
AIR-serv Group
Apter Industries
BIC USA, Inc.
CBE, Inc.
DGD Foods
Detour/Forward Foods
E & J Gallo Winery
GOJO Industries, Inc.
InComm
Building a Pizza Game Plan
The top five annual pizza
category sales days are:
New Year’s Eve, Halloween,
the night before Thanksgiving,
New Year’s Day and football’s
Big Game day!* Customers
are beginning to plan their
Big Game meals now, and
whether they are cheering for
their beloved team, rooting against their hated rival or just simply there to watch a good game with
friends and family, they will all appreciate a great warm meal.
This year, some Americans will order from one of the dominant pizza delivery chains while numerous
others will choose to forgo the potentially-long delivery wait times and select one of the appetizing
frozen pizza options found in their nearest convenience store to satisfy their game-day craving. After
all, who wants to wait for pizza delivery when a great-tasting frozen pizza is conveniently in hand?
Beyond the Big Game, consumers turn to their favorite c-store for frozen pizza throughout the year.
Frozen pizza is a $105 million business annually in the convenience store channel and is growing.*
Nestlé leads the category with a 63% share, and General Mills, Schwan’s and Private Label collectively comprise the rest of the category.**
Nestlé has earned this category leadership due to the popularity of the DIGIORNO® brand, which
revolutionized the frozen pizza category in 1996 with the first rising-crust pizza. The brand now includes several varieties including a Classic Thin Crust, Cheese Stuffed Crust, Garlic Bread Pizza, and
the new Pizzeria™, which offers a flavorful sauce and premium toppings on a crispy crust.
Now is the time to make sure c-store frozen food doors are filled with pizza and that there is signage
throughout the store to provide awareness for this important meal solution. To ensure maximum sales
for all casual entertainment occasions and to provide consumers with a complete party experience,
c-stores should also have other popular frozen items such as HOT POCKETS® sandwiches and ice
cream, such as BREYER’S®/EDY’S ® and HAAGEN DAZ® fully stocked. With all these items available in your stores’ frozen doors, you and your customers will be ready to party from the Big Game,
through the college basketball season and beyond!
For more information, please visit www.nestleusa.com.
*pizza.com/fun-facts
Jack Link’s
Kellogg’s Convenience
Store Team
Kraft
Miller/Coors
Nestlé USA
Nestlé Waters North America
Prairie City Bakery
Republic Tobacco
Swisher International
Teazzers
John Petersen
Publisher
John Lofstock
Editor
InfoMarketing is published quarterly
for convenience store and petroleum
company executives, operators
and marketers.
ADDRESS CHANGES:
Send address changes to:
Convenience Directions®
19111 Detroit Rd, Suite 201
Rocky River, OH 44116
or via e-mail to
info@conveniencedirections.com
Phone: (440) 250-1583
** The Nielsen Company: Total U.S. Convenience Channel, 52 weeks ending 11/30/2013
www.csdecisions.com
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InfoMarketing
Get Ready for Winter-Germ
Season – Help Customers &
Staff Stay Healthy!
Lighting Your Way to
Profitability
Convenience store owners know the front counter is key to growing
impulse sales. BIC is committed to quality products that will help you
drive front-end sales.
BIC® Special Edition® Millennial Series
Millennials, the generation currently in their 20s and
30s, is one of the most highly-coveted consumer
groups. Grab their attention with the BIC® Special
Edition® Millennial Series! The quirky lighters in this
series were selected out of 35 different designs by
our loyal BIC Flickers Facebook fans during the “Pick
Your BIC” promotion. The lighters in the BIC® Special
Edition® Millennial Series are proudly made in the
USA and have a suggested retail price of $1.89
per lighter.
BIC® Special Edition® Gentlemen’s Series Electronic Lighters
Did you know that hand hygiene is one of the most important
preventive measures we can all take to prevent the spread of
illness-causing germs? And with winter-germ season quickly
approaching, you want to make sure practicing good hand
hygiene is as easy as possible.
Having a hand hygiene program, which includes offering an
alcohol-based hand sanitizer, like PURELL® Advanced Hand
Sanitizer, both in your convenience store and at the gas pump,
is one way in which you can show your customers you care about
their health and well-being.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the
use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol
when soap and water are not readily available. Formulation matters
when selecting an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. It is important to
offer your customers one that is effective, gentle on the skin and
aesthetically pleasing.
Winter-Germ Season Recommendations
To help make sure practicing good hand hygiene is as easy as
possible this winter-germ season, GOJO recommends the following:
• Ensure all hand soap dispensers are in good working order with
sealed refills available.
• Make hand sanitizers easily accessible and available in areas
where customers and employees need it most--at the gas pump,
store entrance, food service areas and cash register.
• Place hand sanitizer dispensers near restroom exits to help
prompt the 1 out of 4 people who don’t typically wash their
hands after using the restroom.
• Offer portable alcohol-based hand sanitizer for sale at your
checkout counters for customers on the go.
Make it a point to help customers & staff stay healthy in simple ways
this winter.
For more tips on how to stay healthy
this winter-germ season, go to
www.gojo.com/handhygienehub.
www.csdecisions.com
The new BIC® Gentlemen’s Series Electronic Lighters with push-button ignition features six luxurious,
textured designs with rich gold, black and white
patterns. Ideal for the sophisticated man with discerning taste, the premium lighters in this series are the
perfect accessory for any cigar aficionado. The
lighters in this series have a suggested retail price
of $2.49 per lighter. For more information, contact
BIC USA Inc. at (800) 546-1111 ext. 2461, or visit
biclighter.com.
BIC® Special Edition® The Walking Dead® Series Lighters
AMC’s The Walking Dead® is a pop culture
phenomenon! It’s the number one show on television among adults 18-49. The lighters in this series
appeal to the show’s dedicated fans, featuring iconic
walkers and the show logo. Lighters in this series are
made in the USA and have a suggested retail price
of $2.09 per lighter. For more information, contact
BIC USA Inc. at (800) 546-1111 ext. 2461, or visit
biclighter.com.
BIC® Special Edition® NBA Series
The BIC® Special Edition® NBA Series Lighters
are certain to score points with any loyal NBA fan!
The designs in this series feature iconic basketball
imagery and logos from teams across the country,
including the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, New
York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. Now fans
can represent their favorite NBA team whenever
they flick their BIC! Lighters in this series are made
in the USA and have a suggested retail price of
$2.09 per lighter. For more information, contact
BIC USA Inc. at (800) 546-1111 ext. 2461, or visit
biclighter.com.
BIC® Special Edition® Country Music Series
The new BIC® Special Edition® Country Music
Series Lighters are proudly made in the USA and
celebrate one of America’s favorite musical genres!
These lighters appeal to fans of the top country artists of today and yesterday, featuring photos and
logos of popular artists such as Zac Brown Band,
Brantley Gilbert, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia
Line and Johnny Cash. Lighters in the BIC® Special
Edition Country Music Series have a suggested retail price of $2.09. For more information, contact
BIC USA Inc. at (800) 546-1111 ext. 2461, or
visit biclighter.com.
Republic Tobacco Goes Organic
with OCB® Cigarette Papers
Boosting
Wine Sales
Republic Tobacco L.P., the nation’s largest RYO/MYO distributor
is pleased to introduce OCB® Organic Hemp Cigarette Papers nationwide. OCB® is the best selling premium cigarette paper
brand in Europe. With consumers seeking more organic products,
OCB® Organic Hemp fits the American marketplace.
Did you know, that when it comes to
wine sales despite almost zero promotion, alternative packages are nearly
as large as the two hottest categories:
Luxury and Moscato.
The paper is chlorine free, 100% organic with 100% natural
Arabic gum. A naturally unbleached ultra thin cigarette paper, it
gives smokers a slower burning, full-bodied smoke with minimal
ash. Packaging is printed with vegetable inks on recycled
cardboard. Available in 1-1/4, Single Wide and King Size slim
sizes, 24-leaf booklets will initially be offered as a 99-cent
pre-priced consumer offer. Full revenue product is also being
made available.
Alternative Packages have been a
primary growth driver for the entire
category.
OCB® Organic Hemp Cigarette Papers are packed 24 booklets
per box. An eye catching three-tier wooden counter display is
available for merchandising, as well as pre-packed bowl displays.
Point-of-purchase [P-O-P] support includes door decals, posters
& corrugated signs.
To grow your cigarette paper sales organically
contact us at (800) 288-8888 or email Mark
Lopofsky at mmlopofsky@rpbtob.com.
A Gift Card for All Seasons
During each holiday season, certain shopping trends start to
emerge as consumers flock to their favorite retailers.
Prior to the 2014 holiday shopping season, InComm, a leading
provider of integrated point-of-sale technology solutions, released research that suggested digital
gift cards would be one of those hot trends. According to the survey, 71% of respondents planned
to purchase at least one gift card from a website or mobile app during the holiday season and 74%
said they were likely to purchase at least one digital gift card.
“Retailers can significantly increase sales of gift cards by enabling consumers to easily purchase both
physical and digital gift cards from their desktops and mobile devices,” said Mike Fletcher, General
Manager of InComm Digital Solutions.
The survey also revealed that 85% of respondents between the ages of 18 and 35 said they were
likely to purchase at least one digital gift card during the holiday season.
Once the holiday season was over, those numbers proved prophetic. According to InComm Digital
Solutions data from December of 2014, digital gift card sales through e-commerce sites grew by 10
percent from the previous year.
As shoppers get ready for another holiday season, and as online and mobile shopping become more
and more ubiquitous, digital gift cards will continue to be a popular option for savvy consumers. Not
only do digital gift cards give consumers unique flexibility and convenience, they allow retailers to
continue driving prepaid sales after the holiday shipping deadlines have passed.
This makes them a must-have for retailers who want to take advantage of this growing trend.
“Digital gift cards are an important component to a retailer’s prepaid options,” Fletcher said.
“Consumers have a wealth of choices these days. By offering digital gift cards, retailers are giving
consumers the options they want.”
Why? Consumers are discovering
the versatility of wine and how it
fits into their casual lifestyle. Fun, practical and convenient packaging has been
the catalyst for this trend.
Here’s what consumers are saying...
1. Sustainability “Light weight,
Easy to recycle.”
2. Portion Control “Sometimes I just
want one glass.”
3. Convenience “It goes where we go.”
Here is what convenience store
operators can do to capitalize on
this growing trend:
1) Expand Assortment
Expand your selection of 187ml, tetra,
pouch, zip lids and cans. Whether it be
concerns about waste, portability, “nonwine” occasions or convenience, alternative packages can be the answer.
2) Promote the Category
Like other products, location and communication are key when it comes to
promoting the wine category. Feature
the alternative packages in a perimeter
position since these products answer the
concerns of so many infrequent or nonpurchasers of wine.
Contact your local Gallo
representative for more alternative
strategies for increasing wine sales
or visit www.gallo.com.
www.csdecisions.com
The Nestea Plunge
®
19111 Detroit Road, Suite 201
Rocky River, OH 44116
return service requested
The new Nestea® “Plunge” campaign which debuted last year, will
be brought to life through television and online advertisements. The
campaign pays homage to Nestea’s classic ad spot while reinterpreting it in an energetic and contemporary way, appealing to Millennials
and long-time Nestea® fans alike.
The 15-second spot shows a stranded musician in the desert. After
grabbing a cold Nestea®, he plunges backwards into water and is
quickly transported to a state of crisp, clean Nestea® refreshment with
the tagline “Nothing Refreshes Like Nestea®.”
In 2015 Nestea® is launching a larger, re-sealable 23-ounce PET
bottle and two refreshing new flavors Peach and Half and Half. With
the launch of new packaging and flavors, Nestea® will be supported
in-store with signage and coupon to drive trial.
For more information on Nestea, visit www.nestea-usa.com.
New Formats For Traditional Confections Brands
In recent years, confections category manufacturers have driven category growth by positioning distinguished and trusted brands like
Reese’s, Twix, M&Ms, KitKat, Snickers and Butterfinger® in different
eating formats. Most major brands have embraced the hand-to-mouth
eating experience by creating bite-sized versions of their highly-successful original versions. For example, you will now find KitKat Minis, Milky
Way Bites, Snickers Bites and Butterfinger® Bites on shelves in most convenience stores around the country. These items have collectively helped
drive confections category sales plus-4% during the past year.
To expand on the Butterfinger Cups and capitalize on the growing bitesize category, Nestlé is launching New Butterfinger Cup Mini’s which
will hit stores February 2015. This item will be available in two growing
and popular pack sizes for convenience stores, Share Pack and Stand
Up Bag. These larger packs not only provide a value for the customer,
but bring in a higher dollar ring and larger profits for the retailer.
As we head into 2015, we expect the bite-sized trend to continue as it
provides the convenience store shopper a sharable and affordable indulgence. To continue growth, c-stores will need to embrace new formats
and new items. One of the more popular new items for 2014 was new
Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups by Nestlé.
This item attracted national notice three months before launch with an
October USA Today article, as well as October and December Good
Morning America features. Nestlé plans to heighten the excitement by
featuring Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups in its first ever Super Bowl TV
commercial. Due to the strong publicity this popularly-branded item received it was a “can’t miss” item for 2014 and is expected to continue
to grow in 2015.
InfoMarketing
Overall, customer awareness of new
items and pack sizes will be key for
2015. Take advantage of the high-impulse
nature of this category by supporting 2015 new items with display
vehicles, call outs on-shelf and promotional support where applicable.
After all, who wouldn’t like to give the latest and greatest delicious new
candy items a try?
www.csdecisions.com