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…

Last month, McDonald’s debuted a limited-time $5 Meal Deal. The day it launched the offer, Placer.ai found that McDonald’s saw an 8% increase in foot traffic compared to the year-to-date Tuesday average. Starbucks ran a 50% Friday discount for app users in the month of May. Placer.ai found that “compared to the year-to-date average, visits to Starbucks on Fridays following the launch experienced a noticeable increase in visits. Where the visits to Starbucks on Friday May 3, before the promotion launched, were 1.1% lower than the year-to-date Friday visit average, visits on May 10—when the promotion launched—jumped by 20.0% above the YTD visit average.” Placer.ai also found that Buffalo Wild Wings brought in customers with a $19.99 for unlimited boneless wings offer on Mondays and Wednesdays. Foot traffic spiked 45.6% on Mondays and 49.3% on Wednesdays. These limited-time deals come as restaurants feel pushback from consumers about the rising cost of menu items. EG America recently…

London: Greater emphasis is being placed on the quality of the overall charging experience, according to new research from the 2024 Shell Recharge Driver Programme. The 2024 Shell Recharge Driver Programme looked at the views of 33,696 drivers across Europe, China, and the USA and, for the first time, non-EV drivers were also surveyed. Around two-thirds (59%) of European EV drivers and more than seven in ten among those in the U.S. (76%) and China (72%) would be willing to travel further to a site that offered superior amenities such as faster charging, retail options and dining facilities. With charging infrastructure exceeding demand in some markets, this emerging trend in EV charging behaviour that could dampen utilisation rates for Charge Point Operators who don’t prioritise experience. David Bunch, Global Executive Vice President of Shell Mobility commented: The willingness to drive further for a better charging experience shows the value consumers place on…

The grocer also announced that the small-store concept’s second location will be in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. Dive Brief: Whole Foods Market is gearing up for a national rollout of its Daily Shop concept, which will begin after the opening of several New York City locations under the small-store format, according to a Monday announcement. The grocer also announced plans to open its second Daily Shop at 301 W. 50th St. in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. A Whole Foods spokesperson confirmed that the grocer has five leases in the New York City area for upcoming Daily Shops. A third New York City Daily Shop will be announced soon, according to the spokesperson, and a national rollout “will follow,” per the press release. The grocer did not specify a timeline or what other cities the national rollout will include. Dive Insight: The first Daily Shop, originally announced in March,…