CSP’s 2026 Category Managers of the Year

At Convenience Retailing University in Austin, Texas, CSP named its 2026 Category Manager of the Year award winners. Winners were recognized in seven categories: behind the counter, center store, dispensed beverages, foodservice, loyalty + tech, nonalcohol beverages and alcohol. 

Each category had two winners—one from a chain with 201 or more stores, and one from a chain with 200 stores or fewer.  

Retailer, supplier and wholesaler partners could submit their nominations for the industry’s best category managers through Dec. 1. After nominations closed, the six finalists in each category with the most votes, three finalists for smaller chains and three finalists for larger chains, moved on to the final round of voting. Only suppliers could vote for the winners.

You can nominate someone for the 2027 CMOY awards now by visiting surveymonkey.com/r/CMOY27. 

Submit your nominations by Nov. 1. Anyone can make a nomination.

The six nominees with the most submissions in each category—three from chains with 201-plus stores and three from chains with 200 or fewer stores—will advance to the finalist voting round in December.

To qualify, nominees must still hold their position or work for another convenience-store chain as of Dec. 1.