How innovative bakery programs, customer data analysis, and ‘neo-nostalgia’ are redefining Global Partners’ convenience stores
When customers enter a store that’s part of Global Partners new bakery program, they are instantly greeted with the delicious scent of freshly baked cinnamon rolls and all-butter pastries – products that smell so irresistible, they sell out daily. As a diversified energy and retail company, Global Partners has 300 company-operated retail markets and is an industry-leading owner, supplier, and operator of liquid energy terminals, fueling locations and guest-focused retail experiences. However, it is currently expanding its focus on food innovation, such as the recently launched bakery program, which includes a jumbo doughnut range for Honey Farms stores, made to an exclusive custom specification, as well as introducing Bridor’s freezer-to-oven pastries.
“I’m incredibly passionate about bakery – I can’t help myself,” shares Jac Moskalik, Vice President and Head of Food, Innovation & Strategy at Global Partners, who views bakery as a ‘halo category’ for convenience retail. “Retailers who invest in bakery tend to exude that fresh appearance to the customer the moment they walk through the door. It’s a real point of differentiation for us.” While the retail business uses food rather than fuel as its distinctive selling point, it continues to add to its already impressive portfolio, comprising of Alltown Fresh, Alltown, XtraMart, Jiffy Mart, Wheels, T-Bird and other convenience brands.
Jac reveals her own personal path to Global Partners was quite a long one. “I’ve been in the industry for 28 years and my son likes to remind me that’s a quarter of a century,” she jokes. With a career that has been split between retail, distribution, and supply chain, she says there has been one constant thread: food service and perishables. After beginning at Cormark – one of the largest convenience distributors in the US – a chance conversation at a trade show booth steered Jac into retail with Kum & Go, later leading her to join Global Partners when the previous business was sold – a move that demonstrated a certain symmetry. “Nine years ago, when Global Partners opened its first Alltown Fresh store, I was still working in the supermarket sector,” she explains. “We attended the opening of that store because we were deliberating over a smaller concept and quite honestly, I’d always been intrigued by the company, so when this role came up, I was definitely on board.”
Alltown Fresh remains Global’s premium banner – semi-scratch kitchens, trained chefs, and a hospitality-led experience Jac says she’d never previously encountered in convenience retail. Sitting alongside it is the company’s newest concept, Honey Farms Market, now with four locations open and a newly built store landing in October. Both brands are built on the same four pillars of local, fresh, community, and hospitality, yet Honey Farms leans harder into nostalgia. “It’s more of a hometown market,” Jac tells us. “The food is more comforting, created to make you feel like you’re at home but with some fun, unexpected twists thrown into the assortment.” The menu was deliberately built around a ‘neo-nostalgic’ concept, anchored by a grilled cheese melts program and a fast-growing range of refrigerated snacking products which has resonated incredibly well with consumers. Ingredients across the food program are clean label with no preservatives or additives and the menu weaves in local suppliers, such as Massachusetts-based Fire King Bread – ultimately reinforcing the community focus that runs proudly through both banners.
Data driven
Behind all of this is a growing reliance on customer data. The Bee’s Knees Benefits loyalty app recently passed its first anniversary, and Jac’s team is using it to understand exactly who is shopping which categories and what factors are driving basket size. “We’re eagerly digging into the data we get from those purchases from our VIBs, as we call them,” she continues, emphasizing how it balances the needs of loyal customers against a younger, more omnichannel-minded shopper who expects to see familiar brands in-store. Technology extends far beyond loyalty, with Global Partners also using AI to produce staff training content, investing in tools to predict product movement and maintain consistency across stores, and rolling out digital menu boards with location-specific messaging. Geofencing is also in development, allowing the company to prompt nearby customers with a timely offer.
Data also helps Global Partners decide on new locations. Using real estate metrics first, the company layers consumer insight on top – who lives nearby, what they buy, and what is already competing for their attention. “If it’s surrounded by Quick Service Restaurants, that might not be the best competitive advantage for us,” Jac points out. “It’s all about the location and the community we’re building in.” While the company remains permanently open to acquisitions, its recent growth has developed almost entirely from new-build stores rather than purchased sites.
In addition, Jac sees food safety concerns and a steady drumbeat of product recalls reshaping what customers expect from convenience retail. “Customers are more aware than ever of where they purchase their food from – even a bag of chips,” she notes. “They want to know the story of the product and, understandably, they want to feel safe eating it.” Jac believes this shift and the demand for transparency – largely absent from convenience retail prior to the pandemic – will continue to drive how the business communicates and the concepts it develops, as brands serve two or three distinct customer types rather than one. “Shoppers are going to start demanding quality over quantity, and convenience with a story behind it,” she adds.
With new Honey Farms and Alltown Fresh stores already in the pipeline for 2027, Global Partners has several exciting ambitions on the horizon. “Next year is going to be a ball,” states Jac. “We’re writing out our plans for world domination next year in retail – we’re so excited about the growth that’s happening!” Looking further ahead, she expects the company’s vertical integration across fuel and retail to keep it ahead of the curve: “I think we’re going to continue to be innovative in every vertical possible at Global Partners. The next five years – watching the company grow and thrive – are going to be extremely fun.”
