C-store regulars know their favorite retailers oftentimes sell some quirky-logoed merchandise, and true fans are quick to snap up the coveted swag, from PopSockets to beer kegs. Kwik Trip’s marketers chose to get a bit more personal. The LaCrosse, Wisconsin-based c-store chain introduced limited edition themed men’s boxers and women’s briefs ahead of Christmas. “Nobooty was prepared for this. Order your Midwest stocking stuffer at kwiktripmerch.com,” Kwik Trip tweeted. What’s not to like about underwear adorned with gas pumps, donuts, pizza, burgers and frosted drinks?
Paying It Forward
Retailers that sell a winning lottery ticket typically receive a commission on the proceeds. When KP Food Mart in Anderson, South Carolina, sold a winning scratcher that netted one lucky customer a $350,000 prize just ahead of Thanksgiving 2020, the c-store spent its $3,500 share feeding the community. “We’re going to have a Thanksgiving dinner for all of my walk-in traffic and homeless people around here,” Aggi Tarnowski, store manager, told the Anderson Independent Mail. “We’re cooking all the sides, turkeys, everything, the whole nine yards. The food is going to be free for all who need it.” Customers of the c-store, which opened last fall, got wind of the plan and chipped in donations, and store owners Prasanna Parvatneni and Ritesh Patel also contributed. The plan was to feed at least 30 people, with leftover proceeds going to help needy families at Christmastime.
The Real Deal
A shuttered Los Angeles gas station is finding new life as a drive-thru inspection station for eBay. The online marketplace converted a 1940s-era Texaco Station in East Hollywood into a place where would-be sellers of collectable sneakers and luxury watches can drive up, hand their items to appraisers and remain safely inside their vehicles while the goods are authenticated. On the former forecourt, attendants in face masks sport mechanic-style coveralls, but no one is getting their hands dirty. A sign advises: “Please stay behind the wheel while we check if it’s real.” People who decide to sell can fill up with cash on the spot.