7-Eleven launched a chatbot platform on Nov. 15 that company officials say is poised to propel the convenience retailing industry into a new era of “conversational commerce.” The 7-Eleven Bot on Messenger allows customers to engage with the brand from within Facebook. It is estimated that nearly 1.3 billion people use Messenger each month, and 7-Eleven […]
Category: National
Amazon, Whole Foods Lowering Prices On Customer, Holiday Favorites
Whole Foods Market and Amazon are rolling out lower prices on additional best-selling grocery items and holiday staples at Whole Foods stores, including a new lower price on organic and no-antibiotic turkeys for all customers and a deeper discount for Prime members. According to the company, this offer is a sneak preview of the special […]
HR & Benefits News: Current Employee Handbook: A Must for Grocers
Editor’s note: HR & Benefits News is a monthly column by Chris Cooley, co-founder of MyHRConcierge and SMB Benefits Advisors. Myth: Independent grocers really don’t need employee handbooks…no one reads them anyway. Reality: An employee handbook can help protect grocers who face lawsuits or discrimination charges if it’s up-to-date and well-written. Grocers of all sizes need […]
GMA Panelists Examine ‘The Future Retail Reality’
Louise Keely, global head of retail for Nielsen, Jay Nikolich, divisional VP of e-commerce at Pharmavite LLC and Jonathan Scherr, head of strategic partnerships at CircleUp, came together to discuss “The Future Retail Reality” at the Grocery Manufacturers Association Leadership Forum at The Greenbrier in West Virginia in September. Pharmavite offers vitamins, minerals and herbal […]
Eco-Products Honored For Compostable Foodservice Containers
Eco-Products has earned awards for two of its compostable containers: a snack cup and a take-out container that “make life easier for customers and venues alike.” Eco-Products was the only company to be honored for two separate products in this year’s QSR/FPI Foodservice Packaging Awards competition. The company’s Grip & Dip Snack Cup earned first place […]
NACS Reveals The Best C-Store Concepts In 2017 Ideas 2 Go
The Ideas 2 Go program, an annual presentation at the NACS Show—this year held in October in Chicago—showcased emerging concepts that redefine convenience. Since 1994, Ideas 2 Go has provided a fast-paced video tour of some of the most creative and potentially profitable ideas in the convenience and fuel retailing industry. The eight featured segments as […]
NACS Predicts Strong Thanksgiving Traffic, Shopper Spending
With the holiday shopping season fast approaching, a record 93 percent of Americans say they will be driving the same or more this month, and they anticipate spending more over that same time period, according a recent NACS Consumer Fuels Survey. Nearly three in four consumers (72 percent) say they will spend the same or […]
Acosta Hires Expert To Expand E-Commerce Capabilities
Brian Christensen has joined Acosta as SVP of digital strategy and e-commerce. Acosta hopes to broaden its capabilities in the emerging frontier of CPG e-commerce, where 20-30 percent of CPG sales are expected to take place in the future, according to the firm. Christensen will lead the e-commerce division, including account teams, business analytics and partnerships. […]
