Industry Roundup: The Top 10 Most-Read Stories of June 2019

NATIONAL REPORT — Companies coming together, business development and ways to connect with consumers were among the topics most important to CSNews Online readers last month. In the latest Industry Roundup, we present the top 10 most-read stories for the month of June, based on reader views:

1) FDA Proposes New Deadline for E-Cigarette Applications
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told a court that it will move up the date for premarket tobacco applications (PMTA) for electronic cigarettes to next year, instead of the 2022 date it had previously set. The agency's new deadline is in response to a May 15 ruling by U.S. Judge Paul W. Grimm of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

2) Wawa Adds Soundtrack to This Year's Hoagiefest Campaign
As the calendar officially marks a new season, Wawa Inc.'s classic summer campaign is making a return. The 2019 Wawa Hoagiefest began Monday, June 24 and runs through Aug. 11 in all Mid-Atlantic Wawa convenience stores and Washington, D.C. The campaign comes roaring back with special pricing for all hoagie sizes and varieties: $3 for Junior, $4 for Shorti and $5 for Classic.

3) How to Get Started in the CBD Category
In December, when the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 legalized CBD, or cannabidiol, derived from hemp, both manufacturers and retailers started buzzing about the possibilities. Since then, new CBD products continue to hit the market, including food items such as gummies, candy, chocolate and popcorn, and beverages like CBD-infused teas and water. There are even topical CBD products, beauty products and tinctures.

4) Industry Report 2019: Don't Let the Sunny Numbers Fool You
Total convenience store industry sales rose 7.3 percent in 2018 to $661.4 billion, the highest total revenue since 2014, according to the 44th annual Convenience Store News Industry Report, the longest-running, continuously published annual report on the financial performance of the convenience retail channel.

5) EG America Begins Rebranding of Minit Mart Stores
A little more than a year after its entry into the U.S. convenience store industry, EG America is debuting its new banner. EG America, which is the Cincinnati-based arm of the United Kingdom's EG Group, began an 11-month project to rebrand, refresh and remodel the Minit Mart portfolio.

6) Altria Makes Acquisition in Oral Nicotine Products Category
Altria Group Inc. is entering the oral nicotine category with a definitive agreement to acquire 80 percent of certain companies of Burger Söhne Holding AG that will commercialize on! products worldwide. Upon closing, Altria will invest $372 million for an 80-percent ownership interest in the global business. The tobacco company expects to complete the transaction in the second half of 2019, subject to customary closing conditions, and to finance the transaction with available cash.

7) Which CBD Products Hold the Most Potential for C-stores?
Although the FDA has yet to rule on food and beverage products with CBD, items are flying off the shelves in the states where the sale of these products is currently legal. While millennials and baby boomers are the demographic segments most interested in CBD, many experts believe the use of these products will increase across the board once the FDA makes a ruling on guidelines, and consumers become more familiar with the ingredient.

8) Dollar General to Open 10 More DGX Locations in FY2019
The dollar channel's push into the convenience store industry is heating up with Dollar General's plan to boost the footprint of its small format concept, DGX. The dollar store retailer welcomed customers at its latest DGX in downtown Cleveland on June 20. It is the retailer's fourth DGX location; Dollar General plans to open 10 DGX locations in fiscal year 2019.

9) New Products & Emerging Trends Spotted on the 2019 NRA Show Floor
The blurring of dayparts and the rise of snacking had many foodservice operators experimenting to find the best balance between price, variety and size of offering. Technology innovation in foodservice is also on the rise, whether it is used to facilitate labor efficiencies or to connect with consumers digitally.

10) Cumberland Farms to Fight Local Tobacco Regulations in Court
Massachusetts has been known for being a patchwork of tobacco legislation, as local boards of health pass local regulations — from flavored bans to pack-size restrictions. Now, one convenience store operator is fighting back. Cumberland Farms filed a multi-defendant lawsuit against the boards of health in Barnstable, Billerica, Framingham, Sharon, Somerville and Walpole. Each board recently adopted new regulations that are based on a model developed and advocated by a private organization, according to the retailer.