• The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) is out with a report saying that "total in-store sales increased to a record $277.9 billion in 2021 … The in-store increase in sales came despite a 1.5% decline in the number of convenience stores, which totaled 148,026 stores at the start of 2022.
"Factoring in fuels sales of $427.8 billion, total convenience store sales reached $705.7 billion in 2021, meaning that overall sales were 3.1% of the total U.S. GDP of $23.0 trillion in 2021.
"The average in-store basket size increased 6.3% in 2021 to $7.59 and has grown 22.4% over the past two years, making up for a 6.9% decrease in in-store transactions since 2019."
• Tasting Table reports that in an open letter posted on Facebook, Aldi CEO Jason Hart "reassured customers that saving them money will continue to remain Aldi's number one priority. 'No matter what happens in the world around us, Aldi will always be the low-price leader in every community we serve … No tricks. No gimmicks. Just real savings that help stretch your dollar further for the things that matter most'."
