In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Conference Content Manager Rachel Gignac talks to Arjun Chakravarti, managing partner at Cogknition Analytics, Chicago.Chakravarti discusses critical factors affecting consumer behavior and strategies for convenience-store retailers navigating uncertainty in today’s rapidly changing economic landscape. In this podcast, they examine the current economic environment, consumer spending patterns, labor market dynamics and the implications of tariffs on convenience retailers. Chakravarti will report the latest economic factors at CSP's Outlook Leadership conference, which takes place Aug. 4-6 at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.One key takeaway is that while the economy appears uncertain, there has been a notable increase in consumer spending, particularly among wealthier households. This spending boost is not uniform across all sectors, highlighting the need for retailers to identify their target demographics and tailor their offerings accordingly.

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editor Diane Adam talks to Dave Williams, president of Bump Williams Consulting. On this podcast, recorded May 13 at the CSP Cold Vault Forum by Informa, the two discussed category trends and how to maximize a convenience store’s alcohol portfolio. They also discussed how significant nonalcohol beverages and THC beverages are becoming.

Join CSP Executive Editor Hannah Hammond in an exclusive conversation with Stu Heifetz, senior sales manager of Retail Media at Kwik Trip, as he shares insights into building and scaling one of convenience retail's most successful in-house retail media networks.In this episode, Stu reveals how Kwik Trip transitioned from outsourced media management to a fully in-house operation, monetizing assets across 900+ stores and reaching 12 million weekly customers. Learn about the challenges of building advertiser relationships, working with category managers, and maintaining a family-business culture at scale.

Convenience stores looking to monetize their digital platforms have a new opportunity in post-transaction advertising, according to Jon Nolz, CEO and co-founder of MomentScience.Speaking on CSP's "At Your Convenience" podcast in May at the RMN Forum in Chicago, Knowles explained how c-store operators can generate revenue by displaying targeted offers immediately after customers complete purchases through delivery, order-ahead or pickup apps."It's the moment that really matters where you have people with their wallet out after they make that payment," Nolz said. "Why not get a free trial?"The technology integrates into existing systems through simple API or SDK implementations, with some partners completing setup in under an hour. Nolz emphasized balancing monetization with customer experience, recommending retailers maintain control over which ads appear rather than simply maximizing revenue.While many c-store chains lack dedicated retail media personnel, Nolz sees significant potential as digital ordering continues growing. Non-competitive offers like streaming service trials or loyalty program sign-ups work particularly well in the post-transaction moment, he said.

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editor Chuck Ulie talked with Yannis Apostolopoulos, CEO of the Irvine, California-based Specialty Coffee Association, at CSP’s Dispensed Beverages Forum in Lombard, Illinois.“We want to foster a global coffee community and support activities to make coffee more sustainable, equitable and thriving as an endeavor for the entire value chain,” Apostolopoulos said on the podcast, which was recorded in April.The CEO also discussed how he’s seen a steady shift toward specialty coffee consumption in the United States—as well as what “specialty coffee” means.“There is not a clear line what is specialty coffee and what is not specialty coffee,” Apostolopoulos said. “I would say it’s a continuum.”He also discussed trends in coffee consumption around the world, how the association creates standards—and loyalty.“Having a good cup of coffee can make a huge difference when it comes down to loyalty, and my ask from the c-store community would be really take good care of your coffee offering. It can make a lot of difference for you,” he said. Join us for Outlook Leadership 2026! https://informaconnect.com/outlook-leadership/?utm_source=skot&utm_medium=radio&utm_campaign=ol26 Check out more from CSP Daily News: https://www.cspdailynews.com/

Retail media networks need to shift their focus from scale and impressions to measurable outcomes if they want to earn sustained brand investment, according to Jake Kaiser, general manager at Par Retail.Speaking on CSP's "At Your Convenience" podcast in May at the RMN Forum in Chicago, Kaiser emphasized that while loyalty programs provide valuable customer data, they typically capture only approximately 25% of transactions—creating a significant ceiling for proving ROI to CPG partners."Scale does not equal value necessarily," Kaiser said. Kaiser outlined how identity resolution technology and AI can help retailers expand visibility beyond loyalty members, enabling them to identify and measure outcomes across their entire customer base. This approach allows retailers to prove that specific campaigns drive incremental sales at individual locations."The aspirational goal should be 100% of our customers are people we can prove are individual human beings," Kaiser said, adding that AI-powered orchestration will enable faster, more intelligent campaign execution while maintaining quality.

Join CSP Executive Editor Hannah Hammond as she sits down with Joelle Robinson, Director of Retail Media at Circle K, at the Retail Media Network Forum in Chicago. In this insightful conversation, Joelle shares her journey from building Giant Eagle GetGo's retail media network to now leading Circle K's retail media strategy.Discover how Circle K is transforming its approach to retail media by focusing on in-store scalability while expanding digital capabilities. Joelle discusses the unique challenges and opportunities in the convenience store space, the importance of executive buy-in, and why she believes convenience retail is poised to rise significantly in the retail media landscape.Key Topics Covered:Building retail media networks from the ground upThe unique flip in mindset: prioritizing in-store over digital in convenience retailStrategies for gaining executive buy-in and cross-functional alignmentCircle K's upcoming network relaunch and new capabilitiesThe future of measurement and transparency in convenience store retail mediaWhy convenience stores are "under the radar" but positioned for major growth

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editor Chuck Ulie talks with Todd Smith (left), president of Sandy, Utah-based Swig, which is known as the home of the original dirty soda. The two talked in April at CSP’s Dispensed Beverages Forum in Lombard, Illinois. A dirty soda, Smith said, is a soda with added flavors, purees, creams and fruits “just to make it more interesting.” Swig has 153 locations in 16 states.Their discussion includes how Swig started and some key operational strategies that have helped Swig maintain consistency and quality across its 150-plus locations. Smith also discusses how they call the company’s employees “day makers”—because “the whole thing is making somebody’s day,” he said.On this podcast, Smith also shares how the company is getting to the point where they’re planning a year ahead, “which is really, really great.”He also talks about a focus group, which meets at least once a month, with the company’s very best customers where Swig tests new flavors and flavor combinations with them.Read more from CSP Daily News- https://www.cspdailynews.com/

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Executive Editor Hannah Hammond talks to Tommy Greenberg, senior director of Love’s Media Group for Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores. The podcast was recorded at CSP’s Retail Media Network Forum, which was held May 4-6 in Chicago. Love’s is tied for No. 14 on CSP’s 2026 Top 40 update to the 2025 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count. Watch for the full 2026 Top 202 ranking in June. Greenberg shared how the travel-center chain created its retail media network, Love’s Media Group, and what learnings he’s taken away from it since its launch in October. He also gave insights into how Love’s collaborates among departments and built out his own team to support Love’s Media Group. 

In this episode of “At Your Convenience,” CSP Editor Diane Adam talks to Nick Triantafellou, director of marketing at Weigel’s.On this podcast, recorded April 15 at the annual Midwest Fuel and Convenience Trade Show, M-PACT, in Indianapolis, the two discussed foodservice and how Powell, Tennessee-based Weigel’s is measuring success beyond sales. They also discussed loyalty and digital engagement and what role personalization plays in the c-store retailer’s loyalty strategy.Key Takeaways:Foodservice is booming: Breakfast and lunch have always been strong at Weigel's, but third-party delivery is now driving dinner sales.Loyalty done right: Weigel's refreshed app interface has increased engagement, especially among Gen Z customers.Personalization isn't the silver bullet: It's a tool, not the end-all-be-all. The key is meeting customers where they are—without being creepy.C-stores can compete with QSRs: With better locations and high-quality food, the industry just needs to treat marketing like the big players do.Data, data, data: From consumer data platforms to retail media networks, Weigel's is building a smarter, more targeted marketing engine.