Industry News

Previous owner Mike LaVitola and Further Point Enterprises plan to ‘return to its roots, highlight local brands and bring back the original concept’. The original owners of bankrupt urban convenience-store chain Foxtrot are opening the chain’s doors again, according to an Instagram post and a spokesperson from the company. “Three months after the unexpected closing of all the Foxtrot stores, a group of us former Foxtrot team members are banding together to bring back the original concept. The decision to shut down Foxtrot, and to do it so abruptly, was not ours. We believe the old Foxtrot lost its way,” the July 30th post said, in part. “In the unnecessary race to be the biggest, it lost sight of why it started in the first place.” Mike LaVitola, Foxtrot’s founder, started a new company in June after Outfox Hospitality, the chain’s parent company, declared bankruptcy and sold its assets for…

The global chocolate confectionery market is growing, driven by evolving consumer preferences and new product launches. Innova’s latest trends and insights release delves into how brands are responding to the demand for healthier options, sustainable practices, and exciting new flavours. The global chocolate confectionery market has shown steady growth, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3 percent in sales and 2 percent in product launches over the past five years. Innova’s research supports these growth projections. The United States leads in sales, more than doubling the market size of the next largest country, Germany. Pakistan, Ukraine, and the USA are expected to experience the fastest growth in chocolate sales overthe next five years. Europe boasts the highest per capita consumption of chocolate, with Switzerland leading thepack, followed by Estonia, Ireland, Finland, Austria, Singapore, and Germany. Top Companies and Brands Key players like Mondelēz, Nestlé, and Lindt & Sprüngli…

INDUSTRY super-owned global fund manager IFM Investors, GrainCorp and Ampol have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the establishment of an integrated renewable fuels industry in Australia. As the initial priority under the MOU, Ampol and IFM will progress the feasibility assessment of a renewable fuels facility at Ampol’s Lytton Refinery in Brisbane and work with GrainCorp to explore the supply of homegrown feedstocks. GrainCorp is already Australia’s largest oilseed crusher, and this MOU includes looking at adding further canola-crushing capacity to supply oil to the future plant. The announcement builds on the existing feasibility work conducted by each of the parties to develop feedstock supply and production capacity of renewable fuels, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel (RD) in Australia. There is growing recognition globally that renewable fuels can materially reduce transport sector emissions, but Australia currently has no material production capacity to support the…

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…