Having lunch with Managing Editor Sara Counihan on a recent day at a restaurant that’s a go-to gathering place for NACS staff, I scoured the menu for any new dishes, knowing full well I’d end up ordering the Greek salad. Likewise, Sara went with her trusted standby, the Stanton salad. We are creatures of habit, after all.

When it comes to beverages, however, I’m always open to trying something new. My latest “discoveries” are Sprite Zero Sugar and Coca-Cola Coffee. The latter is hard to find in my area because it’s so new. Thanks to Coca-Cola, I’d enjoyed some early samples, so I was thrilled to see it for the first time behind cooler doors at Sheetz. One thing I haven’t tried yet are ready-to-drink cocktails in cans (see “Bottoms Up” on page 52). With warmer weather approaching, I’ll look for them.

When it comes to beverages, I’m always open to trying something new.

Retailers have so many choices of packaged beverages to stock in the cold vault. Our cover story dives into tips and tricks for beverage resets heading into the key summer selling season and takes a look at 2020 data from NACS Convenience Voices (our shopper intercepts program). If you’re thirsty for more data, register for the live-virtual NACS State of the Industry Summit on April 14 for an exclusive unveiling of the insights and data powering the State of the Industry Report of 2020 Data, which NACS will publish in June—with additional and exclusive data published in the pages of this magazine that same month.

One thing we know about the past year: Shoppers are looking for value and are receptive to promotions. Many retailers have updated or rolled out new loyalty programs as we highlight in “Just Rewards.” A quick check of my 7Rewards app, for instance, reveals a chance to win a trip to Iceland and benefit Feeding America by rounding up my change at checkout, then scanning the app to enter.

Private-label items are another way to drive loyalty as we detail in “Private Matters.” C-store retailers like 7-Eleven and Casey’s see opportunity ahead in marketing proprietary items that make their stores destinations and lift profits. On my 2019 trip to London for Convenience Summit Europe, I lived off of Marks & Spencer’s Tropical Fruit & Kale Juice.

Be well, my friends.