Gopuff Gets Baked for 4/20 Campaign With Magnolia Bakery
Philadelphia-based e-merchant Gopuff saw a more than 20% increase year over year on April 20 in 2024, with orders for baked treats up 35% that day. This year on the holiday, which is focused on the consumption of cannabis, Gopuff is launching The Bakery, a new in-app category featuring baked munchies in time for 4/20, the company said. To celebrate the launch, Gopuff partnered with Magnolia Bakery to create an exclusive new flavor called Puff’rnutter Cupcake, inspired by the nostalgic fluffernutter sandwich, the company said. —Hannah Hammond
Hostess Asks, Can You ‘Speak Snackie’?
J.M. Smucker’s new marketing campaign includes Hostess hitting the road, literally. The Hostess Munchie Mobile is now embarking on a special “Route 420” road trip, targeting cannabis fans by making stops along the East Coast at Curaleaf dispensary locations daily at 4:20 p.m. to bring sweet treats including Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Donettes and Kazbars snacks. Visitors to the Munchie Mobile will need to “Speakie Snackie” to snag their Hostess treats, “so have your Zingers locked, loaded and ready to roll,” the company said. The Hostess Munchie Mobile will end its tour on April 20 in Brooklyn, New York. —Diane Adam
A Constructive Way Out of the Construction Zone
The Fruit Ridge CITGO/AGO gas station in Walker, Michigan, has been facing a downturn in business because it is in a construction zone. To steer traffic back, the station is giving customers who do stop in and who might be late to work because of the delay a “tardy slip” signed by Mayor Gary Carey Jr., reported FOX17. The idea came from Nicole DiDonato, the city’s communications and business manager. She saw on social media how construction has affected the business. “They have noticed a significant drop in visitation,” she responded. “AGO has been a valued part of the community for years, and now they could really use our support.” DiDonato said, “We just realized that because we’re asking folks to take a detour and add on to their travel time, that we wanted to provide an excused tardy slip, a little bit of a humorous one … letting folks know that if they do happen to come out this way and they’re late going back to work, it was for a good reason.” Construction will continue through November. —Greg Lindenberg
Sheetz’s MTO Rules Cool in the Commonwealth
Sheetz’s Made-to-Order menu won the ‘Coolest Thing Made in PA’ title for 2025 awarded by the Pennsylvania Chamber. The Altoona, Pennsylvania-based convenience-store chain beat out Crayola Crayons, Easton, Pennsylvania, in the final round of the bracket-style contest, which started with 64 entries and generated more than 65,000 votes. “From our public bracket unveiling in March to reveling in the close matchups over these last several weeks and seeing the voters weigh in, this year’s contest wasn’t only fun but again showcased Pennsylvania’s excellence in manufacturing, consumer engagement, and brand loyalty,” said PA Chamber President and CEO Luke Bernstein. “We love hosting this annual contest to remind people how many incredible products are made here and beloved across the Commonwealth, the nation and worldwide. Congratulations to Sheetz on their well-deserved victory!” —Chuck Ulie
Bots and Lots of Good Vibrations
By 2030, 7-Eleven Japan is planning to leverage remotely controlled Avatar robots and floors that generate power when stepped on, according to Kyodo News. The Avatar robots, called newme, were developed by Avatarin Inc., a startup established by Tokyo, Japan-based ANA Holdings Inc. The stick-shaped robots with wheels will display on their monitors the faces of staff who are controlling the machines from a remote location and will assist customers using self-checkout machines. As a way to reduce the ecological footprint, some sections of the floors will enable power generation by detecting vibrations created from customers walking around the stores, while machines to make smoothies will be powered by hydrogen. —Rachel Gignac
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