Chris Daniels

Contributor, Convenience Store News Canada + OCTANE

Author Profile

Chris Daniels reports on breaking news and pens features and special reports for CSNC. He is a respected Toronto-based business journalist who also contributes to CSNC's sister magazine, Canadian Grocer, and has written for Business Insider, The Globe and Mail, PRWeek and Time magazine. His work has been cited and excerpted in academic textbooks at the post-secondary level.

ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR

5/12/2026
What's all the fizz about? Brands invest in fountain innovations
From touchscreen soda machines to new retail programs, beverage companies are betting big on fountain drinks.

Chris Daniels
5/12/2026
Plugged into profit: Mobile accessories as a high-profit retail category
Mobile accessories are a valuable and growing category, as impulse buys and travel needs drive demand.

Chris Daniels
4/23/2026
Scaling new heights
Spurred by smart technology, flexible store formats, a new distribution partnership and a passionate leadership team, INS Market is focused on national growth, with plans to open 50 stores in 2026.

Chris Daniels
4/12/2026
Convenience channels pushes back against "misleading" Nova Scotia beverage alcohol report
Despite a government-commissioned study showing limited public support for private retail expansion, c-store owners and stakeholders point to Ontario’s success as proof that modernization could save rural businesses, improve customer choice.

Chris Daniels
4/1/2026
Ontario c-stores gain in-store buying access at The Beer Store
New option gives operators more flexibility to quickly replenish shelves and respond to local demand between LCBO deliveries.

Chris Daniels
3/30/2026
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario waives license fee increase for convenience stores
Move designed to encourage growth in the number of stores selling alcohol.

Chris Daniels
3/29/2026
KaleMart24 expands its “wellness meets convenience” concept
KaleMart24 recently soft-launched its eighth location and aims to have 20 stores open by autumn, spanning Montreal, Ottawa, southwestern Ontario and Toronto.

Chris Daniels
3/26/2026
Nicotine's new frontier: 2026 Tobacco + Vaping Report
As traditional tobacco volumes slide, contraband persists and federal regulations tighten, Canada’s convenience channel is navigating a high-stakes transition.

Chris Daniels
3/24/2026
GMS goes offline as LCBO prepares new platform
As LCBO transitions to a new ordering and claims platform, convenience stores will use a new active platform for alcohol ordering and claims.

Chris Daniels
2/17/2026
Ontario government cancels wholesale beer price bump for 2026
LCBO getting ready to roll out its new wholesale pricing model on April 1, 2026.

Chris Daniels