In a string of deals that are part of a growing movement toward linking loyalty programs with mobile payment, Exxon Mobil Corp. and BP have unveiled their own enhanced payment and loyalty apps.

In mid-March, Exxon Mobil Corp. announced it will accept mobile payment at the pump, including Apple Pay, throughout most of its U.S. retail network. TheSpeedpass+ mobile payment app is now available at more than 6,000 Exxon- and Mobil-branded convenience stores across the country.

Beer marketers, take note: Fifty-four percent of women say they purchased beer at retail for o­ff-premise consumption in the past 30 days. This might seem like an obvious statement, but it needs to be said: That’s more than half of all women who come into your store. Those are pretty good odds.

“This is a huge opportunity for the beer industry,” says Donna Hood Crecca, associate principal for Chicago-based Technomic.

So what’s a brand gotta to do to get the ladies’ attention?

Are you making waves in the food industry?

If so, watch out. The capital investment hawks are circling.

Most investors understand that the quickest way to flourish in this industry is to buy rather than build—and buying they are. There were 410 food-industry (all retail channels, food processors and restaurants) deals in 2015, according to The Food Institute, Upper Saddle River, N.J.

Regardless of what else may be in their baskets, your customers buy chocolate.

There are some other habits you’re likely to see. Patrons often buy a newspaper when they pick up lottery tickets. They purchase bottled water and carbonated soft drinks together. And when they buy beer, it’s usually between 3 and 11 p.m., so put a six-pack on the counter to remind them.

Does your brand have strong equity?

According to Emily Mescher, vice president of consumer insights for Nielsen, brands with strong equity do the following to build share:

Every day when my son gets on the school bus, I make him turn around and give me a hug.

“Kindness ­first,” I whisper into his broomstick hair.

If I’m lucky, I get a one-cheek smile. Usually it’s a little nod. This ritual will totally embarrass him soon if it doesn’t already. But though actions do indeed speak louder than words, it is this phrase I hope he remembers when he makes a decision about how to talk to his friends, treat a new student or respond to a teacher.

On the heels of the Campbell Soup Co.’s announcement mid-January, General Mills and Mars have also announced they will label genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on their products.

The major manufacturers made the move to comply with a Vermont law that goes into effect July 1. And although the law only applies to Vermont, the two companies said they will label GMOs on product packaging nationwide.

Many of the positive merits that satisfy consumer demands for fresh, local and seasonal food and beverage also “carry risks of their own,” according to The Hartman Group.

Two recent Hartman reports, “Diners’ Changing Behaviors 2015” and “Transparency 2015,” uncover those risks and help to determine the most important attributes for consumers to consider as they decide which food and beverage products to purchase. 

Do you know the new-product success rate? According to a Booz, Allen and Hamilton study, for every seven new product ideas, about four enter development, 1.5 are launched and only one succeeds. The convenience retailing industry acts as an incubator for many of these success stories. In that spirit, for the 13^th consecutive year, CSP magazine is calling for submissions for the 2016 edition of its Retailer Choice Best New Product Contest.

No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you; that Giant Pixy Stix isn’t nearly as giant.

Nestlé reformulated the product—and many others—to meet the company’s sugar guidelines, which align with recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) that consumption of added sugars be limited to no more than 10% of daily calorie intake.