Convenience Retailer Show Daily • October 6, 2023

SDaily how RETAILERConvenience

With a burgeoning population and an ever-increasing demand for food, the AsiaPacific region faces a critical challenge in the foodservice sector: how to meet the needs of a growing population while safeguarding the environment for future generations As a result, sustainability has emerged as a central theme in the region’s foodservice sector, as industry leaders and stakeholders recognize the urgent need to address environmental concerns

The APAC foodservice industry is making impressive progress toward a more sustainable future, encompassing local sourcing and waste reduction and introducing more plant-based options, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company

“One of the fundamental pillars of sustainability in the foodservice indust r y i s r e s p o n s i b l e s o u r c i n g , ” s a i d Srimoyee Nath, Lead Consumer Analyst at GlobalData “Across APAC, restaurants, hotels and food establishments are increasingly turning to local farmers and producers to secure fresh and sustainable ingredients

Giant Food, the leading greater Washington, D C , regional grocery chain, and Divert, Inc , an impact technology company on a mission to Protect the Value of Food, processed more than 30 8 million pounds of wasted food processed in the first year of collaboration, mitigating nearly 1,400 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions

“We recognize our responsibility as a leader in the grocery space to make a positive impact on the environment and tackle waste reduction,” said Diane Hicks, Senior Vice President of Operations at Giant Food “We’re proud of the success of our collaboration with Divert thus far and look forward to continuing our work together and expanding our efforts toward a healthier planet ”

In June 2022, Divert launched a wasted food recycling program with Giant to r e d u c e t h e a m o u n t o f o r g a n i c w a s t e g o i n g t o landfill Giant’s stores mark down, repurpose or donate unsold and still edible food to local food banks whenever possible For the food that cannot be repurposed or donated, Divert is able to

RETAILERConvenience

Darrell Lea Brings Sustainably Sourced Candies to U.S.

BOOTH #C8963

Starting from humble roots in beloved candy shops across Australia, Darrell Lea has grown into a global brand recognized for its quality ingredients and better-for-you recipes

How Darrell Lea

Makes Candy Better

Darrell Lea is known for its use of quality ingredients, including 100% sustainably sourced cocoa and 100% palm oil free The company works with the Cocoa Horizons Foundation to source sustainable cocoa for its entire range of chocolates while also creating positive change in cocoagrowing communities.

The switch to sunflower oil from palm oil helps to decrease the global demand for palm oil, which is grown on palm oil plantations that have overtaken rainforest land in Southeast Asia. Additionally, many Darrell Lea candies use natural colors and flavors, no preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup, and non-GMO ingredients (many certified Non-GMO Project), proving that candy can be packed with good ingredients and great taste.

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APAC Foodservice Industry Embraces Local Farming, Cutting Waste

With a burgeoning population and an ever-increasing demand for food, the AsiaPacific region faces a critical challenge in the foodservice sector: how to meet the needs of a growing population while safeguarding the environment for future generations As a result, sustainability has emerged as a central theme in the region’s foodservice sector, as industry leaders and stakeholders recognize the urgent need to address environmental concerns

The APAC foodservice industry is making impressive progress toward a more sustainable future, encompassing local sourcing and waste reduction and introducing more plant-based options, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company

“One of the fundamental pillars of sustainability in the foodservice indust r y i s r e s p o n s i b l e s o u r c i n g , ” s a i d Srimoyee Nath, Lead Consumer Analyst at GlobalData “Across APAC, restaurants, hotels and food establishments are increasingly turning to local farmers and producers to secure fresh and sustainable ingredients

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SDaily how

InStore.ai Launching Voice Analytics for Convenience Stores with Cashier Engagement and Generative AI

InStore ai, the leading voice analytics provider to the convenience store industry, is unveiling its groundbreaking Cashier Engagement solution at this year’s show InStore ai is excited to be partnered with Conexxus org and is exhibiting in the Conexxus booth #B3663

According to NACS, there are over 160 million transactions within U S convenience stores daily Propelling the industry forward as its front-line representatives, cashiers wield immense influence over promotion efficacy, loyalty program involvement and overall customer experience Previously, the lack of an automated, unbiased tool has impeded convenience store chains from precisely assessing a cashier’s performance against their t r a i n i n g N o w , w i t h I n S t o r e a i ’ s cashier scorecard and gamification application, stores can incentivize, m e a s u r e a n d r e w a r d c a s h i e r s f o r o u t s t a n d i n g e f f o r t , a n d d i s c o v e r best practices that can be used to train and uplift other cashiers.

“With the convenience store industry plagued by triple-digit cashier turnover, the industry has consequently forfeited opportunities to amplify basket size,” said Jay Blazensky, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of InStore.ai. T

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Giant Food, Divert Process 31 Million Pounds of Wasted Food

Giant Food, the leading greater Washington, D C , regional grocery chain, and Divert, Inc , an impact technology company on a mission to Protect the Value of Food, processed more than 30 8 million pounds of wasted food processed in the first year of collaboration, mitigating nearly 1,400 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions

“We recognize our responsibility as a leader in the grocery space to make a positive impact on the environment and tackle waste reduction,” said Diane Hicks, Senior Vice President of Operations at Giant Food “We’re proud of the success of our collaboration with Divert thus far and look forward to continuing our work together and expanding our efforts toward a healthier planet ”

In June 2022, Divert launched a wasted food recycling program with Giant to r e d u c e t h e a m o u n t o f o r g a n i c w a s t e g o i n g t o landfill Giant’s stores mark down, repurpose or donate unsold and still edible food to local food banks whenever possible For the food that cannot be repurposed or donated, Divert is able to

Continued on Page 9

Three Times the Electrolytes of Traditional Sports Drinks

Dehydration is the loss of water in the body which creates an imbalance in the electrolytes and salts essential for n o r m a l b o d y f u n c t i o n D e h y d r a t i o n o c c u r s w h e n t h e b o d y l o s e s m o r e water than it takes in Minor daily activities like breathing and walking cause the body to excrete water and can contribute to overall hydration status

Hydrate Faster with

Hydration Multiplier

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c i e n t l y t h a n w a t e r a l o n e . J u s t a d d Hydration Multiplier to your water and let CTT do the rest.

Every single-serving stick is made with five essential vitamins and three t i m e s t h e e l e c t r o l y t e s o f t r a d i t i o n a l sports drinks. Whether you’re in need of hydration for exercise, travel or long nights, Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier has you covered.

Choose from a variety of functional benefits and great-tasting flavors like c l a s s i c L e m o n L i m e , S t r a w b e r r y , Passionfruit and Watermelon.

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Feel better, faster wherever you go with Hydration Multiplier. Liquid I.V.’s Hydration Multiplier makes it easy to

Otis Spunkmeyer Unveils Melt-in-YourMouth Individually Wrapped Brownie

Snack and sweet lovers will be rejoicing before they even take the first bite of a n e w , d e c a d e n t , f u d g y b r o w n i e , unveiled by Otis Spunkmeyer Melt-iny o u r - m o u t h c h o c o l a t e c h i p s , b a k e d into the dense brownies, ignite a craveable experience that will leave consumers wanting more T h e t h r e e - o u n c e b r o w n i e j o i n s t h e O t i s S p u n k m e y e r D o u b l e F u d g e C h o c o l a t e C h i p B r o w n i e 1 / 4 S h e e t i n t h e l o n g l i n e o f m i n i m a l l a b o r , d e c ad e n t s n a c k s a n d s w e e t s t h a t a r e a v a i l a b l e f r o m t h e c o m p a n y T h e n e w b r o w n i e s a r e i n d i v i d u a l l y w r a p p e d , p r o v i d i n g “ g r a b a n d g o ” t r e a t s a n d u n d e r l i n i n g s a f e t y r e a s s u ra n c e s f o r c u s t o m e r s , a l o n g w i t h a z e r o - l a b o r s o l u t i o n f o r i n - s t o r e b a ke r y , f o o d s e r v i c e , c - s t o r e , a n d v e n di n g o p e r a t o r s

“This is the sweet treat consumers will reach for time and time again,” s a i d P a u l S t i p p i c h , D i r e c t o r o f M a r k e t i n g , O t i s S p u n k m e y e r “Brownies are considered one of the top three desserts in America The talented research and development team a t O t i s S p u n k m e y e r d e v e l o p e d t h i s fudgy brownie with the perfect texture, flavor and just the right amount of chocolate ”

In addition to launching the new i n d i v i d u a l l y w r a p p e d b r o w n i e , O t i s S p u n k m e y e r r e c e n t l y e x p a n d e d i t s line-up of individually wrapped cookies with the addition of two new fouro u n c e f l a v o r s : D o u b l e C h o c o l a t e Caramel and Apple Cinnamon Oat

“The two new cookie flavors join b e s t s e l l i n g f l a v o r s C h o c o l a t e C h u n k and Oatmeal Raisin, and continue the

Hawaii Grocery Chain Foodland Launches Retail Media Network

Foodland, Hawaii’s largest and oldest grocery chain, is launching its first retail m e d i a n e t w o r k u t i l i z i n g t e c h n o l o g y from CitrusAd, a global leader in retail media. The retail media network will combine Foodland’s privacy-protected first-party data and CitrusAd’s relevancy algorithm to match brand compatib i l i t y a n d s h o p p e r h i s t o r y w i t h t h e most suitable audiences.

Both large and local brands can engage with Foodland shoppers in a highly-relevant manner and improve return on ad spend by leveraging bigdata at scale in real-time

F o o d l a n d a l s o j o i n s C i t r u s A d ’ s

GroceryOne hub, to make it easy for

b r a n d s t o m a n a g e m u l t i p l e r e t a i l media campaigns, across many leading grocery chains and reach millions of s h o p p e r s f r o m a s i n g l e s o u r c e .

Advertisers and brands that already use the GroceryOne digital platform can now effectively reach Foodland’s audience in Hawaii.

“We are excited to be partnering w i t h s u c h a r e n o w n e d b u s i n e s s a s

Foodland which has been serving the Hawaii community for 75 years,” said L a u r e n M a l a g u t i , V i c e P r e s i d e n t , GroceryOne media sales at CitrusAd.

“CitrusAd welcomes Foodland as a part o f t h e c o l l e c t i v e o f r e t a i l e r s o n GroceryOne and we look forward to

hydrate on-the-go with its single-serving packets. Just pour one easy-toopen stick into 16 ounces of water, mix or shake and hydrate

For more information, go to www liquidiv com or stop by booth #C9773

Otis Spunkmeyer tradition of baking without artificial flavoring The Apple Cinnamon Oat cookie has the ability t o ‘ c r o s s o v e r d a y p a r t s ’ a s a g r e a t morning or afternoon snack for those that desire more natural nutrition, and the Double Chocolate Caramel cookie gives consumers more of their No 1 preferred flavor, chocolate,” explained Stippich

T h e n e w i n d i v i d u a l l y w r a p p e d baked goods from Otis Spunkmeyer are available through distributors and continue to expand Otis Spunkmeyer’s individually wrapped portfolio

About Otis Spunkmeyer

O t i s S p u n k m e y e r , a n A s p i r e

B a k e r i e s b r a n d a n d p i o n e e r i n t h e fresh-baked cookie business has been a leader in the sweet baked goods industry for more than 45 years Established in California in 1977 as a chain of retail cookie stores, the company expanded i t s b u s i n e s s t o s u p p o r t f o o d s e r v i c e operators, introducing a fresh-baked

s e r v i n g c u s t o m i z e d e x p e r i e n c e s f o r shoppers and value for brands ”

“Foodland is committed to better s h o p p i n g e x p e r i e n c e s , ” s a i d S h e r y l Toda, Vice President of Marketing and C o r p o r a t e C o m m u n i c a t i o n s a t Foodland. “As a part of the GroceryOne network we will utilize CitrusAd’s retail m e d i a p l a t f o r m t o t a i l o r s h o p p i n g experiences for each member of our s h o p p i n g c o m m u n i t y i n r e a l - t i m e , through our privacy-protected, firstparty data for improved relevancy.”

F o o d l a n d S u p e r M a r k e t , L t d . I s Hawaii’s largest grocery retailer and the only locally owned supermarket busin e s s w i t h s t o r e s s t a t e w i d e . I t w a s founded in 1948 by the late Maurice J. “Sully” Sullivan and was the first supermarket to open in Hawaii.

The company has 31 stores and employs more than 3,400 employees at

Tara Neal President

Abeer Abiaad Vice President

Anthony Socci President of Sales

Yasmine Brown Production Manager/Art Director

JoEllen Lowr y Editor

Heather Albrecht Customer Ser vice

Marcos Morhaim

cookie program complete with ovens and merchandising tools Today, Otis S p u n k m e y e r c o n t i n u e s t h e l e g a c y , offering the best tasting cookies and b a k e d g o o d s f o r f o o d s e r v i c e , r e t a i l , fundraising, convenience stores and vending Otis Spunkmeyer remains the No 1 foodservice frozen cookie dough brand and continues to deliver fun and quality that is sought after and beloved by consumers

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , g o t o w w w otisspunkmeyer com

Foodland, Sack N Save and Foodland

Farms stores on four islands The company is known for its outstanding service, quality perishables and commitment to the Hawaii community.

CitrusAd is a leading retail media company and part of Epsilon, a global advertising and marketing technology company. The CitrusAd platform sits at the center of Epsilon’s comprehensive, scalable retail media network offering.

By harnessing the power of firstparty data and industry-leading identity resolution, the unified, self-serve platform delivers shopper-relevant advertising experiences on commerce websites and across the open web resulting in higher conversions. Leading retailers across the globe rely on CitrusAd to help grow retail media as a core function for incremental media revenue and sales volume that delivers great ROI for brands.

Competitive Landscape of the Global Convenience Stores Market

T h e m a r k e t i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e presence of both established and new firms Major competitors in the conveni e n c e s t o r e s i n d u s t r y a r e o f f e r i n g numerous benefits such as merger and a c q u i s i t i o n , a n d j o i n t v e n t u r e s F o r instance, Reliance Retail announced a deal with 7-Eleven, a massive convenience store, in October 2021 to launch its stores across India The acquisition is

made to strengthen its position in the supermarket market

Recent Developments

In May 2021, JD com, a Chinese e-commerce giant, opened its first offline convenience store in Beijing The store features smart shelves, facial recognition technology, and a variety of fresh food options In March 2021, U K -based con-

venience store chain Co-op announced that it would begin offering same-day delivery to customers through its online shopping platform The move is part of the company's efforts to compete with online retailers like Amazon and Tesco

Market Trends

Consumers are increasingly looking for healthier food and beverage options, and convenience stores are responding by offering more fresh, organic and low-sugar options This trend is expected to continue as consumers become more health-conscious

New to Market

Recently, Darrell Lea is introducing its wider candy offering into the U S market, including two exciting new products:

• D a r r e l l L e a F a b u l i c i o u s S o u r C a n d y S t i x , w h i c h a r e s o f t a n d t a n g y o u t e r t u b e s f i l l e d w i t h a s o u r s h e r b e t

c e n t e r , a v a i l a b l e i n R a s p b e r r y , A p p l e a n d M i x e d F l a v o r s D a r r e l l L e a F a b u l i c i o u s s o u r c a n d y s t i x a r e p a l m o i l f r e e , h a v e n o a r t i f i c i a l c o l o r s o r f l a v o r s , n o p r e s e r v a t i v e s , a n d a r e n o n - G M O

• Darrell Lea Chocolate Chewy Candy Bites come in three flavors: Chocolate with Raspberry Licorice, Milk Chocolate w i t h B l a c k L i c o r i c e a n d W h i t e

C h o c o l a t e w i t h R a s p b e r r y L i c o r i c e C h o c o l a t e C h e w y C a n d y B i t e s a r e proudly palm oil free, and made with 100% sustainably sourced cocoa

T h e s e n e w l a u n c h e s a d d t o D a r r e l l

Lea’s already existing U S candies line, including its classic Darrell Lea Licorice in Original Black, Strawberry, Mango and Mixed Flavor, Darrell Lea Tablets in

Rocklea Road, Milk Chocolate, Peanut Brittle and Caramel Craving and Darrell Lea Licorice Twists in Traditional Black, Strawberry, Berry Fusion and Granny Smith Apple All Darrell Lea Licorice is free of high-fructose corn syrup and is non-GMO

InStore.ai (Cont’d. from p. 1) a n d i m p r o v e c a s h i e r p e r f o r m a n c e . ”

“By sourcing locally, businesses reduce their carbon footprint by minimizing the transportation distance of goods, thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions For instance, under the Farm-to-Table Recognition Programme, which was launched by the Singapore Food Agency and local associations, 11 restaurants, hotels and caterers were recognized in March 2023, for opting local farms to procure part of their food ingredients Such initiatives help to encourage foodservice operators to source local produce and thus manage food waste ”

“ T h e i s s u e o f f o o d w a s t e h a s reached alarming levels globally,” said

n o l o g y p o w e r h o u s e , c h a m p i o n s t h e d e v e l o p m e n t a n d i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f s t a n d a r d s , t e c h n o l o g y b r e a kt h r o u g h s a n d a d v o c a c y f o r t h e c o nv e n i e n c e s t o r e a n d r e t a i l f u e l i n g i n d u s t r y . G r a y T a y l o r , E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r o f C o n e x x u s . o r g e x p r e s s e d h i s e n t h u s i a s m , r e m a r k i n g , “ A n n u a l l y , w e s p o t l i g h t p i o n e e r i n g t e c h n o l o g i e s p o i s e d t o i n t r o d u c e p o s i t i v e c h a n g e t o t h e c - s t o r e a r e n a , a n d t h i s y e a r w e a r e h i g h l i g h t i n g I n S t o r e a i ” T a y l o r c o n t i n u e d , “ I n S t o r e a i ’ s s o l u t i o n s h o l d i m m e n s e p r o m i s e i n e n a b l i n g o u r m e m b e r s w i t h a s c a l a b l e m e a n s t o e v a l u a t e

D e e p a k N a u t i y a l , D i r e c t o r o f C o n s u l t i n g , A P A C , G l o b a l D a t a , “ a n d A P A C i s n o e x c e p t i o n I n a r e g i o n where food is deeply ingrained in cultural celebrations and social gatherings, reducing food waste is a daunting task However, the foodservice sector has risen to the challenge, with restaurants and food establishments implementing innovative strategies to combat food waste

“Portion control, menu optimization and creative cooking techniques are being employed to ensure that surplus food is minimized Additionally, technology can also be leveraged to m a n a g e f o o d s u r p l u s a n d m o v e towards efficient food waste management Lumitics, a start-up based out of

About InStore.ai

InStore.ai is a Silicon Valley-based technology company that extracts actiona b l e i n s i g h t s f r o m c o n v e r s a t i o n s between cashiers and shoppers to help c o u n t e r t o p r e t a i l e r s i n c r e a s e s a l e s , reduce costs and improve customer experience InStore ai is committed to incentivizing, measuring and rewarding top-performing cashiers to help retain cashiers while increasing basket s i z e T h e c o m p a n y w a s f o u n d e d i n 2022 and is a member of NACS and www conexxus org

Singapore, developed an artificial intelligence-powered smart waste tracker to assess the quantity of food wasted in hotels and restaurants,” Nautiyal said

“ A P A C ’ s f o o d s e r v i c e i n d u s t r y i s also experiencing a surge in demand f o r p l a n t - b a s e d a n d v e g e t a r i a n options,” Nath said “This shift towards a more plant-centric menu caters to the preferences of a growing healthc o n s c i o u s c o n s u m e r b a s e a n d a l s o plays a crucial role in reducing the i n d u s t r y ' s e n v i r o n m e n t a l i m p a c t

Livestock farming is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation and water pollution ”

“ B y i n c o r p o r a t i n g p l a n t - b a s e d alternatives into their menus,” Nautiyal said, “foodservice establishments are

About Conexxus.org

Conexxus is a non-profit, member-driven technology organization dedicated to the development and implementation of standards, technologies innovation and advocacy for the convenience store and retail fueling market. Conexxus membership collaborates on key present and future industry challenges and innovations Its work efforts improve profitability by reducing the costs of IT ownership and improving the competitiveness of its members F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , g o t o www instore ai

For more information, go to www darrell lea com or stop by booth #C8963 i n t e r a c t i o n s b e t w e e n c a s h i e r s a n d c u s t o m e r s , r e v e a l i n g u n t a p p e d p o t e n t i a l f o r r e v e n u e g r o w t h a n d c o s t r e d u c t i o n . T h i s i n c l u d e s a n i n n ov a t i v e f e a t u r e t h a t e m p l o y s g e n e r at i v e A I t o c o m p a r e o n e s t o r e ’ s p e rf o r m a n c e a g a i n s t a n o t h e r , b a s e d o n w h a t ’ s b e e n s p o k e n a t t h e p o i n t - o fs a l e . “ E x t r a c t i n g a c t i o n a b l e i n s i g h t s f r o m c o n v e r s a t i o n s b e t w e e n c a s h i e r s a n d c u s t o m e r s i s a n i n h e r e n t n e c e s s it y t h a t w e a r e e a g e r t o f u l f i l l f o r c o u nt e r t o p r e t a i l e r s , ” s a i d B l a z e n s k y C o n e x x u s o r g , a n o n - p r o f i t t e c h -

contributing to the mitigation of climate change and promoting sustainable land use Also, a sizable number of consumers in APAC (49%) are motivated to consume plant-based food alternatives as they consider these to be environmentally friendly/more sustainable, according to GlobalData 2023 Q1 consumer survey This is leading key f o o d s e r v i c e o p e r a t o r s s u c h a s McDonald’s to include various plantbased options in their menus ”

“The APAC foodservice industry is at the forefront of the sustainability movement,” Nath said “By adopting s u s t a i n a b l e s o u r c i n g p r a c t i c e s t o reduce food waste and promote plantbased cuisine, the industry is navigating towards a greener future ”

recycle it and recoup its value by processing the wasted food into renewable energy

The collaboration has expanded to include all 165 stores under the Giant banner across Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and Washington, D C , processing on average 500 pounds of wast-

ed food each day per store The program, coupled with Divert’s diversion technology, has helped to position Giant as a leader in decarbonization, wasted food prevention and food recovery

“Wasted food is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and c a n c o s t t h e a v e r a g e g r o c e r y s t o r e about $40,000 in lost profit daily,” said Ryan Begin, Chief Executive Officer and

Co-Founder, Divert “Giant Food shares o u r c o m m i t m e n t t o t a c k l i n g t h e s e issues through wasted food prevention and food donations that benefit our environment, communities and ultimately, retailers’ bottom lines Through our ongoing collaboration with Ahold Delhaize USA and Giant Food, true sustainability leaders in the retail industry, we are eager to accelerate our impact

together in the coming years ” Giant and Divert intend to expand the partnership in the coming year to further increase diversion and donat i o n e f f o r t s f o r G i a n t ’ s d i v i s i o n s B y leveraging Divert’s rapidly growing U S infrastructure footprint, expertise and actionable data, Giant is poised to be able to sell more and donate more to feed people in need

Darrell Lea (Cont’d from p 1)

APAC (Cont’d from p 1)

Giant Food (Cont’d from p 1)