US Retail Stores Provide Consumer Experience to Seed Brand, Leader Says.

In Atlanta’s trendy and redeveloping historic West End neighborhood, the location for Coca-Cola’s newest Costa Coffee retail shop speaks to the brand’s aspiration. The cafe is a short walk from the Atlanta Beltline, a multi-use trail and revitalization project that attracts droves of active young Atlantans for everything from jogging and dog walking to brewpub hopping. These are the kinds of people that seek premium-priced coffee and have the means to pay for it. The new Costa store, a few miles from...

This year’s NACS expo for convenience store operators, held last week in Atlanta, provided a first look at product innovation from beverage makers in advance of Spring shelf resets. Buyers from both chain and independent small-store retailers attend the show. NACS is the primary trade association for the global convenience and fuel retailing industry. BD attended the event to walk the show floor. Here are some of the newest products shown: