Convenience Stores and Gas Stations: Boost your New Beverage Sales and Distribution Quickly

Convenience stores and other small format stores are searching for and depending on new products to boost their overall sales.

Beverages are the number one selling item in a convenience store.

Male consumers love purchasing single serve beverages from small format stores.

Energy Drinks are the hottest selling beverage in convenience stores..


How to Sell Your Product to a C-Store

Selling your new product to a c-store is actually easy to do. The hard part is finding the right distributor to get the product in the store and properly merchandised.

C-stores is the battle ground for many beverage companies.

When I worked for Pepsi Bottling Group, I fought everyday against the coke rep. It was important for Pepsi to win in the account. This is where relationship building is key.

You build relationships with the store managers by taking care of your product and making sure they are making money.

Show the retailer the money and they will purchase and keep your product in the store.

I make it sound really easy selling a product to a convenience store because I have done so for over 10 years for the largest beverage manufacturers in the U.S. (Pepsi, Coors and Miller Brewing Co.)

Working With Beverage Distributors

Who should I let distribute my new product? This is a question I always hear.

If you have a new beverage, it is critical that a beverage distributor distributes your product for various reasons.

If you are having a difficult time getting a beverage distributor to carry your product, then you may have to distribute the product yourself or use a wholesaler.

This topic can get very long because it is complex.

You are going to need to understand the difference between a Broker, Wholesaler and Distributor.

P.S. Just because you get a distributor to distribute your product, does not mean you get instant account distribution.

Contact me if you have a new product that would generate a profit for any of the below accounts.

• Texas: 14,112 (stores)

• California: 10,298

• Florida: 9,303

• New York: 7,580

• Georgia: 6,320

• North Carolina: 6,130

• Ohio: 5,149

• Michigan: 4,824

• Illinois: 4,541

• Virginia: 4,487

1. 7-Eleven Inc

2. BP North America

3. Shell Oil Products US

4. Exxon Mobil Corp

5. ChevronTexaco Corp

6. Alimentation Couche-Tard

7. Speedway SuperAmerica LLC,

8. CITGO

9. Sunoco Inc

10. The Pantry Inc

11. Valero Energy Corp

12. Casey's General Stores Inc

13. ConocoPhillips Inc

14. Hess Corp

15. Kroger Co

1. McLane Co.

2. Core-Mark Holding Co. Inc.

3. Eby-Brown Co.

4. H.T. Hackney Co.

5. GSC Enterprises Inc.

6. S. Abraham & Sons Inc.

7. Amcon Distributing Co.

8. Harold Levinson Associates Inc.

9. Chambers & Owen Inc.

10. Imperial/Harrison Super Regional

11. Garber Bros. Inc.

12. J.T. Davenport & Sons Inc.

13. Consumer Product Dist. Inc.

14. Liberty USA Inc.

15. Stephenson Wholesale Co. Inc.

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