Episodes

You’re already familiar with the Global Convenience Store Focus Shop Talk Live podcast and video series which gained global popularity since its inception in 2020. We thought it was time to grow our brand and give it a future-focused lens looking into the inner workings of prominent convenience retailing chains as well as the mobility revolution the entire world is experiencing. The show will continue to focus on retailer stories and bring you the best innovative strategies from around the globe...

Circle K is undoubtedly one of the global leaders in mobility retail and this Shop Talk LIVE conversation brings together Christian Ellneby, Director, Head of Finance & Strategy, Global E-Mobility at Circle K with co-hosts Dan Munford and Shopworks’ MD Craig Phillipson. The trio explores the current EV landscape in the Nordics, Circle K’s e-mobility journey, how its’ experiences in Scandinavia is influencing the rest of its global network, and the competitive lessons they have learned. With spec...

Neon Marketplace is a relative newcomer on the US convenience stage operating nine locations in eastern New England. In a highly competitive market, Neon has firmly established itself as a food-forward retailer and a formidable competitor. Adi Dhandhania, CEO of Neon Marketplace, shares Neon’s strategy for executing phenomenal foodservice alongside modern design and attracting new customers, including a bright outlook on vehicle charging in their busy Northeast highway corridor. Related Links: h...

Embark on a journey into the dynamic world of Irish retail with Dan Munford and Carolyn Schnare with special guests industry experts Scott Annan, principal and founder of Blue Ananta LTD and Owen Clifford, head of the retail sector at The Bank of Ireland. Delve into the strategic focus areas for Irish retailers as they navigate the evolving market landscape, placing a strategic emphasis on proprietary product development, workforce empowerment, and the integration of technology and operational e...

Barn's Coffee is the first contemporary, yet fully home-grown, specialty coffee brand in Saudi Arabia. One of the first coffee retailers and one of the first to deploy drive-thrus, Barn's Coffee is revolutionizing the way coffee is sold and consumed in this expanding country. Hosts Dan Munford and Nick Scherzer are joined by Niko Vylegzhanin, owner of ProStore and Abdulaziz Ashour, public relations manager, Barn’s Coffee KSA. With special guests: Abdulaziz Ashour, Public Relations Manager, Barn’...

In an exclusive interview with Carol Chen, Global CMO & SVP for Shell Mobility and Mark Morelli, President and CEO for Vontier at the NACS Show 2023, Dan Munford explores the latest developments in the global energy transition in Norway, China, and the US and how both businesses view the future of mobility. Watch the entire video interview at https://www.globalconveniencestorefocus.co.uk/video/the-energy-transition-is-a-shared-journey. With special guests: Carol Chen, Global CMO & SVP, Shell Mob...

Jacksons Food Stores in the western U.S. has 230 stores, a distribution company in addition to energy and transportation divisions. Hosts Carolyn Schnare and Vision Group Network Co-Founder Roy Strasburger are joined by Robert Hampton, VP of Technology Services and Innovation at Jacksons Food Stores. With a wide geographic distribution of stores, Robert and his team have a lot to keep on top of. In this episode, the group discusses the complex nature of technology as an operational necessity and...

SPAR Ireland opened a pop-up store in the city center of Dublin and found it to be a great success! Thomas Ennis joins Dan Munford to share a virtual tour of this new ‘retro’ SPAR store concept, explaining the rationale behind the concept, the flexibility it offers, and customer reaction. Check out the full video to see photos of the store at www.globalconveniencestorefocus.co.uk/video/58-spar-ireland-pop-up-store-opens-in-dublin. With special guest: Thomas Ennis, CEO, Thomas Ennis Group Hosted ...

High's Senior Vice President Brad Chivington joins Carolyn Schnare to share the interesting history of the business which includes a dramatic decrease in stores before building back with a renewed format. High’s is a U.S. chain of 60 convenience stores serving the Mid-Atlantic region. Hear how High's focuses on food and beverage, customer experience, and employee engagement to thrive in its highly competitive market. Watch the entire episode #60 at https://www.globalconveniencestorefocus.co.uk/v...

Reitan Convenience CEO Jesper Østergaard explores several unique 7-Eleven formats in Denmark including a 7-Eleven pop-up store at the Danish Democratic Festival and Reitan’s dramatic addition of stores in the Copenhagen airport with a combination of 7-Eleven and 7-Eleven GO. When complete, between the two formats there will be more than 100 7-Eleven stores in the airport, more than any other airport in the world! Watch the complete video at https://www.globalconveniencestorefocus.co.uk/video/59-...

In this bonus episode, we highlight Karl Hodgson, the Managing Director at Adande Refrigeration. Pioneering the concept of "hold-the-cold" and compact refrigeration technology, Adande Refrigeration spearheads a transformative approach to how convenience retailers elevate the preparation of high-quality, fresh food offerings. Watch the complete Shop Talk Express episode at https://www.globalconveniencestorefocus.co.uk/video/creating-a-consistent-foodservice-offer-with-adande-refrigeration. With s...

In a deep-dive into the UK electric vehicle charging network, Dan Munford shares his predictions on the progress, challenges and future for the UK charging network. Dan is joined by Ade Thomas, Founder at Green.TV Media and World EV Day, Toddington Harper, CEO at GRIDSERVE and James Purton, Global Key Account Manager at Kempower to discuss the UK charging network investment, infrastructure and grid connections. Watch the entire video interview at https://www.globalconveniencestorefocus.co.uk/vid...

Long-time U.S. operator Dash In is reimagining foodvenience with a new kitchen concept and design. In this episode, President and Chief Operating Officer Blackie Wills shares the importance of foodservice and showcases a modern, functional store design soon to be rolled out across many locations. Blackie joins Carolyn Schnare and co-host, Joe Bona, President of Bona Design Lab, for this in-depth interview with the Washington DC-area retailer. Watch the entire video episode at https://www.globalc...

The MENA (Middle Eastern Northern Africa) region is fast becoming a global centre for growth and innovation, especially in the areas of digitalisation and retail format innovation. Continued focus on economic diversification across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has resulted in the development of a world-class retail infrastructure. Host Dan Munford and Nikolay Vylegzhanin, Regional Director at Shopworks speak with Amged ElHanbali, Head of Retail at Ola Energy and Craig Philipson, Managing D...

Ireland is one of the most advanced convenience and roadside retail locations globally and is famous for the high-quality fresh products it delivers every day in its stores. As the energy transition comes to Ireland, how will this develop in some of the roadside sites of the future? In this episode, hosts Dan Munford and food-to-go specialist manufacturer Brian Reid, CEO of Deli Lites chat with Brian Donaldson, CEO of Maxol Group and Thomas Ennis, Owner, Thomas Ennis Group (SPAR). Watch the full...

U.S. industry experts Derek Gaskins, CMO of Yesway and Lisa Biggs, CEO of Impact 21 discuss the industry response to the challenges of ‘Unified Commerce’. Lisa Biggs shares Impact 21 methodology to bring a Unified Commerce strategy and roadmap forward. Derek Gaskins shares what it took to get the infrastructure in place, advance marketing and merchandising, and launch loyalty and other customer-facing solutions while cultivating the company brand and culture. Watch the complete video interview a...

U.S. industry leaders Joe Sheetz, Chairman of Sheetz and Liz Williams, President of Foxtrot dive into a conversation on the challenging labor issue with guest host Roy Strasburger, Founder of Convenience Leaders Vision Group. This episode touches on hiring strategies, long-term employee retention, and process simplification to support and empower Store Managers. Watch the complete video interview at https://www.globalconveniencestorefocus.co.uk/video/49-middle-east-updates-with-enoc-oomco.

From digital signage to forecourt communication technologies, the experts at Abierto are redefining the customer experience by developing common sense tools to communicate throughout the store. This short bonus episode features Rick Sales, CEO of Abierto sharing how to craft a retailer's ideal digital content journey. With special guests: Rick Sales, CEO, Abierto Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare

This episode features two prominent convenience retailers in the Middle East region. Oman Oil Marketing Company’s (OOMCO) GM Retail Hussain Al Ishaqi and Head of Department, Convenience Retail, Food & Services Ramzi Al Majri share an overview of their business, diving deeper into their food, formats, and future. Zacharie Ghoudane, Convenience Stores Manager and Head of Zoom at Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) showcases the company’s approach to community, convenience, sustainability, foodser...

Tony El-Nemr, Founder & CEO and Joe Hamza, COO, Retail & Marketing at Nouria Energy Corporation share the history of the company and where they are now on their brand building journey which is centred around a differentiated fresh food offer, store design and their people. Nouria is one of the fastest-growing family-owned convenience store chains in the US. Today, the company operates 170 stores (150 company owned and operated) in five northeastern U.S. states, 56 car washes, two lube centers, t...

Håkon Stiksrud, Head of Global E-mobility and Hans-Olav Høidahl, EVP Operations Europe at Circle K join co-hosts Dan Munford and Klaas Mantel, Expert Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, to speak about their proactive and innovative approach to e-mobility and the implications for the global convenience retail industry. Filmed in late 2021, this evergreen episode has long-term implications as Circle K looks to the future of transport with innovation and convenience top of mind. Watch the comp...

Roger Vogt, CEO Retail, Valora Group provides an overview of Valora with a focus on the Avec brand and also a background on FEMSA. Valora is a leading foodvenience provider with more than 2,700 stores in high-traffic locations in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Watch the entire video interview at https://www.globalconveniencestorefocus.co.uk/video/48-valora-migrolino-mckinsey-and-european-retail-trends. With Special Guest: Roger Vogt, CEO Retail, Valora Group Host...

Migrolino's Sebastian Becker provides an overview of the exciting innovation journey Switzerland's Migrolino has been on over recent years. With 350+ migrolino, mio, goods and pick me 24/7 automated stores throughout the country, hear how the retailer handles supply chain, technology and more. Watch the entire video interview at https://www.globalconveniencestorefocus.co.uk/video/48-valora-migrolino-mckinsey-and-european-retail-trends/. With Special Guest: Sebastian Becker, Member of the Managem...

Żabka Poland's EVP and Managing Director Dr. Adam Manikowski shares the retailer's 3-stage transformational journey to become the ultimate convenience ecosystem in Poland. Watch the entire video interview at https://www.globalconveniencestorefocus.co.uk/video/42-zabka-poland-the-ultimate-convenience-ecosystem With Special Guest: Dr. Adam Manikowski, EVP and Managing Director, Żabka Poland Hosts: Dan Munford and Carolyn Schnare