Global Convenience

It’s no surprise that a trip to New York led to a diet predominated by pizza and bagels, but what other viral food trends did I discover on the streets of the Big Apple? 1. Bakery royalty Venturing to two of the city’s most well-known bakeries did not disappoint. Magnolia’s banana pudding might seem niche to Brit-me, but banana, cream and cake just works - a little luxury in an easily grab-and-go pot. Best enjoyed on a Central Park bench. Levain Bakery’s cookies were exceptional: warm, gooey, and unapologetically massive. Cookies aren’t my go-to bakery treat, but these stand proud alongside the usually-sexier pastries. The seasonal flavour was fun, but the classics win every time - just ask Taylor Swift. 2. Matcha mania As expected, matcha is completely mainstream (Blank Street did start in Brooklyn). From ice cream to pancakes, it’s becoming standard. Cha Cha Matcha appealed to this millennial’s core aesthetic with its pink-and-green décor and witty napkins. You know it’s gone fully viral when there’s merch - and yes, a girl on my flight home was proudly wearing the T-shirt. 3. Markets = the internet IRL Between Time Out Market, Chelsea Market and Bryant Park Winter Village, you can eat your way through every corner of the trending food universe: Asian hand-pulled noodles (a touch too pasta-y for me), deep-fried pickles (a win for the name Pickle Stickle alone), tacos (perhaps overstretched by their own fame?), BBQ, smash burgers, loaded hot chocolate, raclette… You name the food, New York will have it. 4. Health also has its moment Sweetgreen, Oakberry and countless salad and juice bars were scattered around, though they looked quieter - admittedly, I was in tourist hotspots on a weekend. Carrot Express did catch my eye. Sometimes it’s all in the name. Perhaps also why Drugstore reeled me in alongside promises of locally sourced, organic, functional ingredients when I finally needed something non-carb. Okay fine, it was actually the pretty, Hamptons-viral smoothies that got me. Would I pay £19.90 for a smoothie again? Absolutely not. 5. And yes… the pizza and bagels There’s a reason they’re iconic. They really are just that good in NYC.

Thank you Convenience Store News for the shoutout! We're still celebrating our team's amazing achievement in being recognized as the Best Foodvenience Store in the World by Global Convenience! #Rutter's #WhyGoAnywhereElse #Foodvenience https://lnkd.in/dZ8cTHUn

How are you getting your customers from “Couch to Curb to Counter"?? I had the pleasure of diving into a recent Global Convenience podcast featuring Carolyn Schnare and Derek Gaskins, Head of Guest Experience at BP, where Derek articulates his vision for the future of convenience retail underpinned by a guest-obsessed mindset. What strikes me is how BP's “3 Cs” tie back to real strategic levers: 👍 Consistency: Making every touch point, whether digital, in-store or curbside, feel seamless and on-brand. ✅ Choice: Offering guests multiple ways to engage (order-ahead, delivery, store pickup) and the freedom to select how they interact with the brand. 🏆 Customization: Using data insights, loyalty platforms and design to tailor the experience to the guest’s needs and local flavour. In a market where convenience retail is rapidly evolving, Derek’s emphasis on human connection as much as technological enablement offers a refreshing reminder of how to be truly customer-centric. Kudos to Derek and his team at BP for setting a high bar. Check out the podcast here: https://lnkd.in/dqDJze7r #Retail #Convenience #GuestExperience #CustomerObsessed #Leadership #Innovation

🎧 ICYMI: In our latest Future of Convenience episode, Derek Gaskins from bp USA, joined us to talk about redefining the guest experience and how bp is rethinking what “hospitality” means in a connected, data-driven world. Chase Smith from Retail Insight looks ahead to a future where every data point works together, from store operations to vendors, creating one intelligent, AI-powered dashboard that still leaves room for the human touch. 📍 Recorded live at the NACS Show in Chicago 🎧 Full episode: https://lnkd.in/eCEG77xz #FutureOfConvenience #ConvenienceRetail #RetailInnovation #BP #RetailInsight #CustomerExperience #Podcast #ArtificialIntelligence #DataDrivenRetail

Announcing the winner of the ‘Best Foodvenience Store in the World’ 2025 You’ll want to turn up the volume for this! After months of anticipation, over 9,000 votes cast, scores from our global judging panel, and a journey that began with 25 entries from across 14 countries: this year’s search for excellence in Foodvenience has been closer than ever… and now, the moment has arrived. Watch the reveal video below and join us in celebrating the incredible achievements of this year’s finalists. The 2025 Top 5 – 🏅 In 5th place, congratulations go to YPF Alcorta, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 🏅 In 4th, it’s well done to Circle K Athlone, Ireland. 🥉 In 3rd, from Horgen in Switzerland, a great result for avec by Valora Group. 🥈 Coming a close 2nd, a superb achievement for FGC Fuels Marketing Lion Place Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 🏆 And our congratulations to the Winner… Rutter's 106 Milton, Pennsylvania, USA 👏 And a standing ovation to all of the Top 12, each one a standout example of Foodvenience excellence. Our thanks you to everyone who made this possible. 🎉 To the store teams, you are all winners, every day. While this competition crowns one champion, it’s your dedication, your service, and your connection with customers that truly define excellence. 👉 To our sponsors: Invenco by GVR, The Moseley Group, and Liquid Barcodes, thank you for your unwavering support. 👨⚖️ To our judges, thank you for your diligence and insight. 👏 And to every person who voted, followed, and celebrated with us: thank you for being part of this global recognition of Foodvenience at its finest. Dan Munford | Nick Scherzer | Carolyn Schnare | Frank Gleeson | Alan English | Harry Milloff | Mats Danielsen | Ned Lyerly | John Benson-Smith | Matt Harrison | Christian Warning | Giselle Valdevez | George Zheng | Theo Foukkare | Elaine P. Kanak | Mark Morelli | Ganesh Kalpundi | Lara Pagendarm-Winter

In this episode of The Future of Convenience podcast, we sit down with bp’s Head of Guest Experience Derek Gaskins, to explore how brands are reshaping the retail experience through the three C’s: consistency, connection, and convenience. Recorded live at the NACS Show in Chicago, Retail Insight joined the conversation to share how retailers can transform disorganized data into clear, actionable insights - ensuring the right products are in the right place, at the right time. 🎧 Listen in as we unpack How leading retailers are rethinking strategic pillars and foodservice growth The evolving role of AI, data, and personalization in shaping the retail experience How connected operations drive stronger performance and better guest experiences Tune in to the full podcast episode: https://lnkd.in/eCEG77xz #CStore #RetailTech #AI #DataDriven #RetailExecution #ProductivityExperts #BP Carolyn Schnare, Chase Smith

DFI Retail Group, the operator of 7-Eleven in Hong Kong, Macau, South China, and Singapore, is an Asian retail powerhouse with over 7,500 outlets, of which over 3,400 are convenience stores across the region. The business is investing heavily in digital transformation, AI-driven logistics, and foodservice innovation and Dan Munford recently visited Hong Kong to check it out himself. He was kindly hosted by Yoep Man, CEO of 7-Eleven for South China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore at DFI Retail Group and Patrick Lui, Managing Director 7-Eleven Hong Kong & Macau at DFI Retail Group. Desmond Yeung at Invenco by GVR and George Zheng at NACS also joined Dan on his visit. Here's Dans write-up in Global Convenience: https://lnkd.in/eikh7X_P ✅ "I felt that the buzz is back in Hong Kong and that the 7-Eleven brand is positioning itself at the heart of this new energy. The attention to detail that this team has put into its tech, the new format development I saw in Causeway Bay and the increasingly differentiated, Gen Z friendly product development from sweet treats to fish balls was a real credit to this super team. The closest thing we have to this in Europe is the work Reitan Convenience Denmark are doing led by Jesper Østergaard and also of course the masterful team at Marks and Spencer in London. It's all hugely impressive." ➡️ Innovative design: Inspired by Hong Kong icons like the Star Ferry and trams, with a (fashionable - think Blank Street in London) green-themed palette and seating areas for customers to pause and recharge. ➡️ Digital-first technology: Transparent display screens replacing shopfront windows show real-time weather, time, and product suggestions. Inside, dynamic screens update menus and promotions. ➡️ Expanded food experience: Tsat Jai Sik Dong (7仔食檔) hot food counter featuring Hong Kong classics like siu mai, fish balls, and milk tea, plus exclusive new dishes. 7CAFÉ offering freshly brewed coffee and specialty drinks. 7-SELECT ready-to-eat meals, onigiri, salads, and bakery items, many co-created with Japanese brands. ➡️ Convenience upgrades: A larger EasyCollect zone for app-based, queue-free pick-up. ➡️ Sustainability: Tables made from 14,876 recycled chopsticks, reducing carbon emissions by 724 kg CO₂e. This concept reflects Hong Kong’s ongoing economic transformation, blending culture, technology, and lifestyle into a new retail experience. Thanks again to Yoep Man, Patrick Lui and the 7-Eleven Hong Kong team and DFI Retail Group for sharing this vision. #ConvenienceRetail #RetailInnovation #HongKong #7Eleven #CustomerExperience #FutureOfRetail Global Convenience Elaine P. Kanak Frank Gleeson Nick Scherzer

🍽️ How do you tell a story through food? That’s the question driving Global Partners LP as they create menus built around their four guiding pillars: local, hospitality, community, and fresh. As Jac Moskalik, VP of Food Innovation & Strategy, explained in our recent Future of Convenience podcast, “It’s about making a human connection first - and then layering on convenience through technology.” Jac was joined by Karl Hodgson, Managing Director at Adande Refrigeration, who shared insights from the technology and equipment side of the industry. With decades of experience supporting both convenience and QSR sectors, Karl emphasised how customer expectations have evolved: “Consistency is definitely number one - but it also has to do with freshness.” Together, they explore how foodvenience is redefining the future of convenience retail, blending storytelling, innovation, and precision on the sales floor. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/esd3gEgc Carolyn Schnare, Nick Scherzer, Grace - Adande Marketing, #Foodvenience #FutureOfConvenience #ConvenienceRetail #FoodInnovation #Adande #Podcast #RetailTrends #NACSShow