ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Wawa is planning to nearly double its store count in what the company’s CEO is calling “the most aggressive growth” in the company’s history, reports Philly Voice. The c-store chain currently has 965 stores across Delaware, Pennsylvania, Florida, Maryland, New Jer...

NEW YORK—Verizon is raising its minimum pay to $20 an hour for starting employees, according to a news release. Customer service workers will receive $20 an hour, while retail and inside sales employees will receive $20 when base salary plus target commission are combined, and an...

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.—Today is National Cold Brew Day, and Pilot Flying J is celebrating with a new cold brew flavor, Toasted Coconut, and a cold-brew $1 deal, according to a news release. Guests who download or open the Pilot Flying J myRewards Plus app today will find the one-time o...

ST. LOUIS—Panera is expanding its unlimited coffee subscription to include self-serve beverages and renaming the program “Unlimited Sip Club,” reports the Boston Globe. The subscription program allows members access to an unlimited amount of any self-serve beverage on its menu fo...

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Most U.S. drivers (52%) say they have positive impressions of electric vehicles (EVs), compared to only 18% who have negative opinions. And nearly half (48%) say they have developed a more favorable opinion of EVs during the past few months, according to a new sur...

By Sara Counihan ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Labor issues are undeniably one of the biggest issues facing convenience retailers today, and many of the issues within the labor force stem from the Great Resignation, which was at its height last year. But the flip side of the Great Resignation ...

ATLANTA—The Coca-Cola Company announced it has donated $1 million to the Technical Colleges System of Georgia's Commercial Truck Driving Program to support training and job opportunities, according to a news release. The donation will create 11 new full-time instructor roles and ...

SAN FRANCISCO & PHILADELPHIA—Instacart has launched its contact-free checkout system at Fenway Park in Boston, according to a press release. The artificial intelligence-powered (AI) point-of-sale (POS) system called Caper Counter allows contact-free transactions of food and bever...

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—Chipotle has created a $50 million venture fund to invest in “strategically aligned companies” seeking series B stage funding, according to a news release. The venture called Cultivate Next, financed solely by Chipotle, aims to invest in companies that can a...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—The plant-based craze isn’t diminishing any time soon with plant-based consumer goods sales projected to hit $162 billion by 2030. Plant-based sales totaled $70 billion in 2021, which was a 27% increase versus 2019. According to research from Acosta, a sales an...