A podcast about the essential role convenience stores play in the busy lives of consumers. Our hope is to equip innovative c-store leaders as they seek to anticipate evolving consumer needs and earn lasting shopper loyalty. Each week we will briefly share an update on c-store sales trends and what we are learning from billions of in-store purchase transactions!
Delivering age-restricted insights at your convenience, Greg Crow returns to How Convenient with category expert Ryan Griffin. From product innovations to Koupon's unique solutions for emerging age-restricted brands, this episode will have you buzzin'! Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
On this week's episode, Jason Lipsitz of Label Insight joins Koupon's Allison Berti to explore the emerging better-for-you trend in c-store and its influence on purchase behavior. Learn from the industry's most trusted health and wellness product data source how CPG brands and convenience retailers can create effective activations in this category. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon Get in touch: Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
As convenience retail takes the CBD craze to an all-time high, CEO of Bodlt Runners Corporation-Cannadips CBD Pete Diatelevi joins Gregg Augustine to share actionable category insights for brands and retailers. From profiling the broad spectrum of CBD consumers to dissecting the state and federal regulatory environments, this week's episode breaks down all the buzz on this emerging age-restricted category. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
Loyalty programs have become a major focus amongst convenience retailers and CPG manufacturers as tools for communication and drivers for engagement. In this week's episode, Greg Crow and James Meara break down the benefits of offering loyalty programs, as well as how to use these opportunities to make a compelling consumer experience. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
Community is central to convenience retail—if you don't believe us, here's your chance to hear it from a leading c-store chain. In this week's episode, Sarah Prorok and Alex Kupper of Thorntons join Greg Crow to share their post-pandemic playbook, category management strategy and exciting community initiatives. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
Shoppers are hungry for normalcy, and c-stores have just the right products to satisfy their cravings. Brian Lind returns for this week's episode to milestone the convenience industry's post-pandemic recovery and provide updated category forecasts for the second half of 2021. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
It’s all fun and games in this week’s episode as Brian Reinhart joins Brad Van Otterloo to share some gamification opportunities for brands and retailers. Learn how games can help engage consumers, drive store trips and boost sales. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
Shaken and stirred by changing consumer tastes and tech innovations, alcohol is the c-store category on everyone’s lips. Sara Herrity joins guest host Allison Berti on this week’s episode to forecast opportunities for retailers to capitalize on alcohol promotions during the remainder of 2021. Hosted by: Allison Berti, Manager of Data and Analytics at Koupon Get in touch: Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
With summer quickly approaching, we’re cooling off with our favorite bottled beverages and the latest category news! In this week’s episode, we highlight trends that brands are capitalizing on to win consumers in the packaged beverage category, as well as how unique positioning is vital for high performance within subcategories. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
Today’s tobacco flavor preferences are trending back to the basics with more and more menthol sales. In this week’s episode of How Convenient, Bokai Zhuang joins Greg Crow to provide important insight as to what’s happening in menthol in the tobacco category including recent purchase behaviors and potential FDA limitations. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
With significant digital innovations and legislation changes, tobacco has become an increasingly impactful category for c-stores. As a result, the marketing opportunities for convenience and CPG brands are tremendous. In this week's episode, Greg Crow and Koupon's Vice President of Product Strategy Brian Lind break down why retailers should focus promotions on tobacco today and in the future. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
Closing out a full calendar year since COVID shut down retailers across the nation, Brad is back on this week's episode to answer this million-dollar question: When can we expect the convenience industry to return to 2019 trip and sales levels? Listen to discover clues from innovative retailers, changing consumer habits and the CPG products winning in c-store. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
Today's consumers have a healthy appetite for e-commerce and seamless digital experiences, but small retailers often lag behind with their technological and e-commerce capabilities. Greg Crow welcomes VP of Innovation at National Retailer Solutions Jacob Jonas to discuss solutions to the unique challenges faced by independent retailers today. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
Energy drinks have quickly become a c-store MVP for boosting sales and driving trips. In this week's episode, Melissa Jordan joins Greg Crow for a discussion on profiling the distinct energy drink customer segments and how c-store retailers can become integrated into their routines via valuable promotions and loyalty programs. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
A special treat for any sweet tooth, this week’s episode continues our conversation of the candy category (see episode 3: Trick-or-Treat? Candy Growth and COVID). Mary Trinko joins Greg Crow to reveal the megatrends taking hold of candy consumers in 2021 and explore how brands can differentiate themselves in such a saturated market. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
Building valuable, long-term relationships with shoppers is no easy feat. Diving further into loyalty in c-store (see episode 10: Lessons on Loyalty), this week’s episode covers consumers’ first loyalty trips. Discover our insights relating to recent loyalty joiners including metrics on basket affinity and timing patterns. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
This year is a game-changer for the age-restricted category. Tobacco manufacturers and convenience retailers are reimagining their business and product strategies to keep up with new regulations and evolving consumer needs. Learn all the category insights that have us buzzin' on this week's episode of How Convenient with guest Gregg Augustine. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
In an age defined by digital transformation, a retailer’s most valuable consumer is one that is digitally engaged with its loyalty experience. Dustin Kuk joins Greg Crow on this week’s episode to share the best practices for both convenience retailers and CPG brands. Learn how to drive loyalty activation and combat the hurdles of developing a successful digital strategy. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
Whether you’re team White Claw or team Truly, our data suggests your hard seltzers purchases grew 146% in 2020. Kevin Doherty joins host Greg Crow for this week’s episode to discuss the incredible market and sales growth of this fan-favorite in-store category. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
Promotions have become an effective tool for c-store retailers to drive trials and trips, build shopper loyalty, strengthen partnerships and boost category sales. In this week's episode, Greg is joined by Danna Barakat to explore how retailers measure promotion success, as well as analyze innovative campaign strategies for achieving these various goals. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
With 2020 in the rearview mirror, the convenience industry is headed in new directions. The slowing of in-store trips during the pandemic presented c-stores with opportunities to draw insights from customer data and focus on innovation. In this week's episode, Greg and Brad discuss the permanence of meta-trends across product categories and what actions c-stores can take in the new year to capitalize on changes in consumer behavior. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
Foodservice is crucial for the convenience industry, driving a higher gross margin than any other category. But unsurprisingly, the category has been heavily impacted by COVID-19. In this week’s episode, Greg and Brad discuss how c-store retailers can recover in 2021, using promotions and discounts to form new habits among consumers. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.koupon.com/get-in-touch
Alcohol has been a key trip driver for c-stores in 2020. The category growth has been dominated by beer sales, with Mexican import beers leading the way. But as the pandemic continues to shift consumer preferences and new brands enter the market, c-store retailers have to stay ahead of the curve. In this week’s episode, Greg Crow is joined by Bryan Bresnahan to discuss how retailers can adapt and continue to engage consumers. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon Guest: Bryan Bresnahan, National Director of Retail Partnerships at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Koupon: https://go.kouponmedia.com/get-in-touch
The snack category is a key trial channel for CPG manufacturers. While the pandemic has caused a drop in c-store snack trips, snacking behaviors have not changed. In this week’s episode of How Convenient, Greg and Brad discuss hot and spicy chip brands that are growing sales dollars at a double digit rate. Tune in to learn how brands and retailers can capitalize on this trend! Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.kouponmedia.com/get-in-touch
With Halloween coming up, candy is on the mind. The candy category has been a shining light for c-store retailers this year, with the overall category up 9% vs 2019. In this week’s episode of How Convenient, Greg and Brad discuss which subcategories are leading the growth and they reveal a brand that has grown sales by 58% in 2020. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Get in touch: Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.kouponmedia.com/get-in-touch
The tobacco category has kept convenience store retailers incredibly busy in 2020. From anticipating evolving consumer expectations to complying with fast-moving regulations, there’s quite a bit to keep up with. In our second episode of How Convenient, Greg and Brad are taking a deep dive into tobacco category trends, and revealing a few brands that are growing share. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Reach out, to learn more! Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.kouponmedia.com/get-in-touch
The beverage category is the largest in-store trip driver and the second largest contributor to in-store gross margin for the convenience store channel. But how has 2020 impacted the category? In the first episode of How Convenient, Greg Crow and Brad Van Otterloo discuss sales trends that the beverage category has witnessed over the last few months, and if they think those trends are here to stay. Hosted by: Greg Crow, EVP Product at Koupon and Brad Van Otterloo, CEO at Koupon Reach out, to learn more! Greg Crow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crowgreg/ Brad Van Otterloo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradvanotterloo/ Koupon: https://go.kouponmedia.com/get-in-touch