When it comes to New Year’s Eve, the wine aisle is the place to be in C-Stores.

As the clock ticked down on 2019, we found that people turned to their C-stores for alcohol to fuel the night. By examining a sampling of sales at 100 C-stores across the Midwest, we saw a significant spike in alcohol sales overall, but wine represented a nearly 400% in revenue over a comparable day. Beer and liquor did well, with a 200% increase, but that’s half of the revenue from wine.

Most other purchases stayed relatively in line with normal levels, so we’re not seeing any immediate change in spending that would indicate that people are sticking to their New Year’s resolutions.

But all that wine they’re buying on New Year’s you’d expect a run on coffee the next morning. Alas, it didn’t happen. It turns out that most people seem to be sleeping in and skipping their morning c-store run. You can see in the graph that traffic just disappears for the morning, and gets back to normal levels later in the day.

Ah, New Year’s Eve. The night that looms large with visions of popping champagne corks, revelry, and lots of friends. Of course, that vision isn’t for everyone. Some prefer a quiet dinner for two, others just want a beer with friends and still others choose a small gathering with family.

For restaurants, however, it means one thing: profits.

The average check on New Year’s Eve is much higher than on an average night, and people tend to think about things well in advance. This makes it possible for restaurants to both plan ahead and be more profitable. […]

As we close out 2019, millions of people will exchange restaurant gift cards as holiday gifts. In fact, the holiday season is the biggest time for gift card purchases, accounting for as much as half of annual restaurant gift card sales.  

This year, however, a new concern cropped up as we neared Black Friday. In the weeks and months leading up to the official start of the holiday sales season, plaintiffs in New York filed several lawsuits accusing brands of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by not offering cards that can be read by the blind. More than 100 suits name retail and restaurant chains, accusing them of violating Title III of the ADA by denying those who are legally blind with equal access to goods and services. While these suits are in New York, they could affect brands nationwide and not only gift cards, but also fare cards, credit cards and other similar products. 

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Americans are spending more on food delivery than ever before, and this trend is expected to continue. After being valued at $17.5 billion in 2018, the U.S. online food delivery market is predicted to grow to more than $24 billion in 2023.

So it’s no wonder that brands are increasingly incorporating an off-premises channel into their overall business model. When combined with a loyalty program, online orders expand an additional 18%.

But no matter how hard brands try to provide a flawless food delivery experience for their guests, it’s inevitable that mistakes will occur. While most order-and-delivery systems allow disappointed guests to provide useful feedback, there’s little that store managers can do to quickly remedy the situation. And unfortunately, an unhappy customer can easily become an ex-customer.

However, that’s about to change. On November 5, 2019, Paytronix Systems, Inc. introduced FEEDback℠, a new Order & Delivery module designed to help store managers swiftly identify and respond to guests who have an unsatisfactory food delivery experience.

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