The NACS 2025 show will take place this Friday at the McCormick Convention Center in Chicago. The exhibit hall covers over 430,000 square feet.
This year, NACS is placing a special strategic focus on retail advertising. Technology vendors are moving beyond traditional screens, exploring functional touchpoints such as self-checkouts, food kiosks, ATMs, and order status indicators. Their philosophy is to maximize the use of every inch of in-store space.
For example, Brinks, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, showcased ATMs equipped with programmable digital displays for targeted advertising. London-based Altaine is integrating retail advertising into its restaurant software, using self-service systems and interactive order progress displays as new advertising platforms. Meanwhile, Detroit-based GSTV is revolutionizing its business model by partnering with chains like Casey’s to go beyond traditional video advertising and create a sophisticated retail media network.
Despite historically low smoking rates, sales of smokeless alternatives, including nicotine pouches, are growing, and these products were prominently featured at the NACS trade show. According to the NACS 2024 State of the Industry report, average sales of smokeless alternatives reached $19,663 per store per month in 2024, a 7% increase from 2023.
“The profit gap between cigarettes and other tobacco products is narrowing,” Emma Tainter, manager of analysis and program research at NACS, said at the “Changing Landscape of the Tobacco and E-Cigarette Industry” educational conference on Tuesday.
Jessica Starnes (CLMP), director of loyalty programs and tobacco category manager at Weigels Inc., said at an educational conference Tuesday that the Powell, Tennessee-based retailer has “increased its shelf space to become the place people go to buy nicotine pouches.”
A wide variety of small, easy-to-carry baked goods were on display at the NACS show. These products varied in size, flavor, and style, and were available in both flip-top and individually wrapped packaging. Rich Products of Buffalo, New York, introduced its new Microbite doughnuts in berry and chocolate flavors. They also offered cinnamon rolls. Irresistible Food Groups of Torrance, California, introduced the Killer Brownie line, including brownie and brownie-cookie combinations. Ditsch of Cincinnati, Ohio, sold pretzels with a patented design that retained the classic flavor and texture of Bavarian soft pretzels. Talerico Bakery of Summit, Illinois, sold doughnut balls in a variety of flavors, including classic blueberry, chocolate, and cherry, as well as doughnut powder. Finally, Bon Appetit, a Vernon, California-based company, released a line of delicious donuts sold in six-packs. One of the flavors was strawberry cheesecake.
At NACS, protein products were on display in a variety of forms, from energy bars and protein water to protein cookies. Kind Protein Max launched a new flavor—raspberry chocolate crisp—containing 20 grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar per serving. Bucked Up’s low-carbonated protein drink contains 25 grams of protein per 16-ounce can and comes in banana-pineapple, peach-mango, and rainbow candy flavors. Anderson’s Crazy Candy released a protein cookie called Crazy Protein, containing 20 grams of protein per cookie. Granbia launched Isopure, a new protein water containing 15 grams of protein per 20-ounce bottle. The list goes on. Circana said the trend was driven by the use of GLP-1-inhibiting weight loss drugs.
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CSP’s “Top 202 Convenience Store Companies” list details the 202 largest convenience store chains and their most significant mergers and acquisitions over the past year. For a deeper understanding of the convenience store industry, click here to view the list of the 202 largest chains.
Sales performance in the beverage, confectionery, general merchandise, packaged food/foodservice, and snacks categories.
Post time: Dec-29-2025
