These are strange times, so April Fools’ Day might seem a bit redundant or unnecessary this year, but convenience retailers always have something in store for the occasion. Here are a few of the items that caught our attention.
Hot Dog!
Update: In a real example of how the line between what's real and what's not is becoming increasingly hard to determine these days, we at CSP admit that we assumed Kwik Trip's hot dog chips were a fabrication for April Fools' Day. “These chips are real, and it wasn’t an April Fool’s joke," Kwik Tip spokesperson Ben Leibl told CSP. But we can't say we regret the error until we taste them.
Kwik Trip, La Crosse, Wisconsin, has April 1 in the bag with a social media post touting a new entry to its Urge private-label snack line: Kwik Trip Gas Station Roller Grill Hot Dog-Flavored Potato Ripple Chips, a “limited-time flavor.” The package depicts a gas pump and a hot dog adorned with mustard … and ketchup. And if you get thirsty, but you are still craving that frankfurter taste, York, Pennsylvania-based convenience-store chain Rutter’s has you covered with its Hot Dog-Infused Spring Water, it said in an April 1 social media post.
Smirkin’ Gerkins
Wawa has a challenge for its customers on April 1—pick a pickle. In a Facebook post, the Wawa, Pennsylvania-based c-store retailer asks them to pick which of the four “new” products is the real one. The choices include Dill Pickle Cheese Pizza, Dill Pickle Chocolate Milkshake, Dill Pickle Machta Latte and Dill Pickle Soft Pretzel. Which one is not fooling, Wawa asks. Your guess is as good as mine. And if you really want to get in a pickle, Jacksonville, Florida-based convenience retailer Daily’s, in an April 1 social media post, says it has “combined two of our fan favorites—the classic Vanilla Milkshake and our Daily’s Sweet Hot Chips—into the ultimate Pickle Milkshake! Made with creamy ice cream, tangy pickle juice and topped with crunchy Sweet Hot Chips Pickles.”
Mountain & Fountain
In January, Stewart’s Shops, Ballston Spa, New York, reintroduced its Mountain Brew private-label craft beer, which debuted in 2010 but was discontinued in 2020. Now the retailer has taken it up a notch with the introduction of Mountain Brut champagne, it said in an April 1 social media post. Separately, Tulsa, Oklahoma-based QuikTrip showed in a social media post on April 1 that it is offering its recently reintroduced private-label beer, Quittin’ Time, on its fountain.
Just ‘n’ Case
7-Eleven said it is changing up its logo. Since the late 1960s, the convenience-store chain’s name has been displayed in all capital letters … with the exception of the ‘n.’ As the story goes, the first wife of John P. Thompson Sr., the company's president during the 1960s, thought the all-cap version of the logo seemed too aggressive. She suggested the change to a lowercase “n” to make the logo look more graceful. But now 7-ELEVEn will become 7-ELEVEN, the Irving, Texas-based company said in an April 1 social media post. Meanwhile, in April Fools’ Day-adjacent news, 7-Eleven has rolled out a limited-edition April Fools' Month Mystery Donut, available at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes convenience stores throughout the month of April. The retailer is inviting customers to guess the flavor of the doughnut’s surprise filing.
Scent From Heaven
Mickey’s Stores is now offering Chicken Tenders & Essence of Jo Jo Fries Eau de Parfum, it announced in a Facebook post on April 1. The Milan, Ohio-based convenience-store retailer said the new product is “the only perfume that will have everyone asking, ‘Is that fried chicken … or are you just irresistible?’”
Barking News!
And a bonus “6th Thing”: Clipper Petroleum, Flowery Branch, Georgia, has named a new leadership team, the company announced in an April 1 LinkedIn post. The top dogs include Leo, COO, Ringo, president, Coco, director of marketing, Irwin, vice president of wholesale, and Lucy, general counsel.
These April Fools’ Day jokes are just a few examples of the many perpetrated by the convenience-store industry this time around. Keep watching the skies—and social media—for more high jinks and hilarity.
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