Posts by theo@aacs.org.au

New partnership makes cult-favourite donuts available across the east coast and beyond. Daniel’s Donuts and 7-Eleven have today announced a new partnership that will see the much-loved Victorian donut brand stocked in 7-Eleven stores across Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, and Western Australia. Rolling out from April, this collaboration marks an exciting new chapter for both businesses. For Daniel’s Donuts, it’s a significant milestone in their journey from a single suburban bakery to a beloved brand with national appeal. For 7-Eleven, the partnership reinforces its commitment to providing customers with quality, convenient food — and securing its position as the go-to P&C destination for donuts and sweet treats. From its origins in Springvale, Daniel’s Donuts has generated a loyal following thanks to its signature flavours and dedication to quality. Now, customers will be able to pick up their favourites at 7-Eleven stores across the country as the…

Hidden cabinets, secret compartments and vacuum cleaners are being used to conceal illicit tobacco and vapes in retail stores. This is all in an effort to evade detection by the state’s centralised compliance team. The team was formed in June last year with a sole focus of ensuring retailers comply with the smoking product supply laws in Queensland. The team supports Public Health Units across Queensland to scale up and increase inspections of smoking product retailers. Dubbed “the Flying Squad”, the team is made up of a diverse group of former police officers, Border Force officials and senior environmental health officers from across Australia. Compliance team leader Kirsty said the team are incredibly skilled in identifying non-compliant business owners and intercepting illegal products. “These illegal operators try to make it a difficult task for us to track them down,” Kirsty said. We are always working to piece together the jigsaw…

Detectives from the VIPER Taskforce executed warrants at 12 tobacco stores across Melbourne last week as part of the ongoing investigation by Taskforce Lunar into organised crime syndicates linked to the illicit tobacco trade. Members of the taskforce were joined at the warrants from 7–11 April by representatives from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), who also executed warrants at the stores. Police attended 12 stores, which they will allege are linked to two of the organised crime syndicates involved, in Altona Meadows, Truganina, Craigieburn, Broadmeadows, Tullamarine, Mill Park, Bundoora, Weir Views, Watsonia, Altona North, Prahran and Hawthorn. As a result, the following was seized: Fourteen people were arrested and interviewed in relation to the offences of possess tobacco and possess proceeds of crime. They are expected to be charged on summons. Detectives from the VIPER Taskforce ran the same operation from 21 November – 2 December, 2024,…

The retailer also expects to roughly double the number of stores that include a QSR, from 1,080 to 2,100, as it gears up for a 2026 IPO. Dive Insight: 7-Eleven’s plan to open 1,300 new stores through 2030 comes about six months after sharing that it would open 600 stores over four years, including 500 between 2025 and 2027. The 2030 target shows that 7-Eleven intends to ramp up annual store openings, and it has already increased the number of store openings planned for the next three years from 500 to 550. The 1,300 goal would represent about 10% of the 12,963 stores 7-Eleven had in North America in February. It’s also more stores than all but four of its c-store competitors have in their entire networks, according to the NACS top 100. It’s unclear if this will increase 7-Eleven’s overall store count, since the company also plans to close some underperforming…

Prepared food powers the 22nd consecutive record year of in-store sales at U.S. convenience stores. Foodservice in U.S. convenience stores continues to set brands apart by offering diverse and exciting menu options. It also drove in-store sales to record levels in 2024, according to newly released data from the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). Foodservice sales, which includes prepared food; commissary; and hot, cold, and frozen dispensed beverages, accounted for 28.7% of in-store sales and 39.6% of in-store gross margin dollars at convenience stores in 2024. Most foodservice sales are from prepared food, and that share has grown over the last five years. In 2024, prepared food accounted for 68.4% of foodservice sales. Foodservice sales have seen remarkable growth over the past 20 years. In 2004, 11.9% of in-store sales came from foodservice. Food-forward strategies at convenience stores are driving trips and enhancing customer experience. Despite sluggish convenience store sales…

Plans for Australia’s first large-scale advanced soft plastics recycling facility are a step closer, after Cleanaway and Viva Energy successfully completed their pre-feasibility study for the project. The collaboration will see the conversion of soft plastics into food-grade recycled plastics using Cleanaway’s collection infrastructure and Viva Energy’s refining and polymerisation capabilities. The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 3 April 2025, which will see the project move to a full feasibility study – the next key step in delivery of the project. The partners will be undertaking a 12-month feasibility and engineering study for both the sorting of the plastic and its transformation into pyrolysis oil. This will involve engaging with technology providers and engineering support to develop an integrated concept design and provide greater clarity around the capital and delivery costs. The front-end engineering and design phase is expected to start in 2026, once details of the…