CHICAGO —CSP announced the winners of its sixth annual Category Manager of the Year (CMOY) awards March 9 during Convenience Retailing University (CRU) Community.
These category crusaders were recognized for tackling issues as varied as new product placement and retail disruption to keep their convenience-store chains on track to grow sales even during the trying year that was 2020.
For the sixth year in a row, CSP has honored the best in the field, this year with a virtual happy hour (see video below) complete with a mixologist and video submissions from each winner. Sponsored by Altria Group Distribution Co., the ceremony celebrated champions in nine core categories and a multiple-categories segment.
“This year’s winners stand out for the ways they maintained focus on their product segments even as the very foundation of retailing was evolving," said CSP Content Director Steve Holtz, who announced the award winners along with Danielle Holloway, senior director of industry engagement for Altria Group Distribution. “We congratulate the winners for keeping the c-store industry on the cutting edge of product selection while adapting to new social-distancing and product safety standards.”
For the awards, industry suppliers nominated potential finalists in fall 2020 and, under the direction of CSP editors, three finalists from each of the key categories were chosen. The final voting process took place online in January, and CSP tallied the hundreds of votes in February. The winners received the coveted CMOY trophy and will be featured in a special section of the April issue of CSP, the 2021 Category Management Handbook.
CSP’s 2021 Category Manager of the Year winners are:
| Category | Winner | Company |
|---|---|---|
| Beer/Alcohol | Sean Hickox | formerly Circle K - South Atlantic |
| Behind the Counter | Kevin Harder | Yesway |
| CBD | Brad Campbell | Sheetz |
| Center Store | Kelley Gutierrez | MAPCO |
| Delivery/Loyalty | Eric Rush | QuickChek |
| Dispensed Beverages | Jessica Tritten | Love's Travel Stops |
| Foodservice | Andrew Kintigh | Casey's General Stores |
| Forecourt/Operations | Brian Renaud | Sheetz |
| Multiple Categories | Kim Jenks | Kwik Trip |
| Packaged Beverages | Dawn Barnett | Circle K - Midwest |
Watch for interviews with the winners in the April issue of CSP magazine.
CSP magazine is the leading source of information for the $650 billion convenience-retailing industry. Its award-winning editors provide actionable solutions and data-driven trends to key decision-makers who rely on this information to combat disruption. CSP annually hosts Convenience Retailing University and the Outlook Leadership conference, which are two large-scale leadership events, as well as several small-format meetings in its EduNetworking series. The team also delivers insights via print publications, a website and daily newsletters.
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