Industry News

Customers’ idea of “convenience” is an ever-evolving concept. That means retailers need to consistently be evaluating every part of their businesses, from their branding to their product mix and even the design of their stores. Twenty years ago, many retailers wouldn’t have thought to develop stores with kitchens and dining rooms like a restaurant. Ten years ago, few if any had space set aside for order pickups or deliveries. And there’s no telling what new amenities customers might expect in a decade. Some changes can be made with minimal updates to stores themselves, but others require rethinking the entire space. Here are some of the ways that a variety of convenience retailers have been evolving their stores in the first half of the year.  Drive-thrus are gaining traction The convenience store experience is often focused on driving up to the pumps, but it’s becoming more common these days to drive…

Mark your calendars for the second APCO Foundation Giving Day on the 30th July, 2024. This year, all donations will be matched, doubling the impact and doubling kindness, thanks to generous matching partners and APCO Service Stations. On Giving Day, every APCO Service Station will be buzzing with activity! Customers who fuel up will see 2 cents per litre go directly to the Foundation. Additionally, products like APCO Foundation Lollies, APCO Chill Water, and APCO Oil will include a donation with every purchase. Coffee lovers also have a reason to smile, as 44 cents from every cup sold will support the foundation’s efforts. You can also donate directly at: apcofoundation.com.au. Sharon Gleeson, Chairperson of the APCO Foundation, is excited about the potential for this year’s event. “Every small donation adds up, especially when it’s doubled. This year, with the amazing support of the APCO Service Stations and our partners, we’re…

BP Australia has expanded its partnership with fuel distributor Recharge Petroleum into South Australia, strengthening its focus on regional Australia. The Recharge Petroleum expansion comes after BP announced its intention to acquire South Australian based fuel retailer, X Convenience, in May 2024. Recharge Petroleum’s bp-branded distributor network supports customers in the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and now South Australia. Wei Chi Wong, Vice President, Supply, Midstream and B2B Asia Pacific at BP, welcomed the expansion. “Recharge Petroleum’s exceptional performance and growth in Western Australia and the Northern Territory make it the ideal partner to enhance bp’s brand presence across regional and remote South Australia. “The expansion will leverage the synergies between Recharge Petroleum’s established networks into South Australia, unlocking even more opportunities for our customers to access bp fuel throughout these key markets.” Recharge Petroleum has been a bp distributor for over eight years and has been instrumental in representing…

SYDNEY: The Australian Beverages Council, Australian Association of Convenience Stores andNational Retail Association commend the South Australian Government for its action to remove noncompliant energy drinks from retail shelves across the state. Australia has some of the strictest regulations around energy drinks in the world, regulated byStandard 2.6.4 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Under this Standard, energy drinks can contain no more than 32mg of caffeine per 100mL or 80mg in a 250mL container. This is comparable to the amount of caffeine in a cup of instant coffee made with one teaspoon of powder. Australian Beverages Council CEO, Geoff Parker welcomed today’s news and applauds the SouthAustralian Government and Health officials for their decisive action to remove non-compliant anddangerous products from the shelf. “The regulations for Australian energy drinks are long standing and are some of the strictest for thisproduct category in the world. Consumers can be…

Jose Victor Paterno, founder and CEO of PSC, told Bworldonline that the move is part of the company’s goal to meet the growing demand in these regions.  “It has been our intention to target greater expansion in Visayas and Mindanao because there is high demand and there is still competition,” said Paterno. Lawrence de Leon, head of finance and investor relations for PSC, said that 270 stores of the 450-store target would be franchised, while the remaining 180 stores would be owned by the company. “We’re also allotting a budget out of the US$77 million (PHP$4.5 billion) to remodel older stores as we renew the contracts for existing stores,” said De Leon. Since its establishment in the Philippines in 1984, the convenience store network has expanded to 3829 branches nationwide. 7-Eleven expects to reach its 4000th store milestone by the end of Q4 this year. “People are shopping closer to home and…

Hundreds of potentially harmful energy drinks have been cleared off South Australian shop shelves, as part of a crackdown on highly caffeinated drinks by the Malinauskas Labor Government. More than 100 retailers have been inspected as part of the blitz, with 700 products seized – some almost double the maximum permitted level of caffeine. SA Health officials discovered 18 businesses selling non-complaint energy drink products. Warning letters were issued to 13 businesses and two businesses received expiation notices, totalling $3,000. Under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, it is illegal to sell energy drinks which contain more than 320 mg/L of caffeine. The most caffeinated energy drinks found were labelled GFUEL, Bang, and Raze Energy which contained 300 milligrams of caffeine in each 473ml can. That is almost double the maximum permitted amount – equivalent to nine cans of Coca-Cola orthree shots of coffee. Other energy drinks found which…