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Are We in the Midst of a Beverage Revolution?

October 8, 2025 by Margaret Sotrop – We’re watching an interesting beverage trend some of our c-store clients have embraced.

It feels a lot like what happened when Starbuck’s started to make waves almost 30 years ago, using their own language to introduce old world coffee to Americans. Coffee service is still in the mix, so is the fountain and they’re frequently in the same 32-ounce cup with lots of ice.

The drive-thru stores from 7 Brew, Dutch Brothers, Caribou, Scooter’s and Swig moved in, just down the street from Starbuck’s and Dunkin. We saw an established chain store lose its perpetual drive-thru line to its upstart across-the-street competitor. Store launch and promotions were nearly all online. How will this play out?

Are We in the Midst of a Beverage Revolution?

Given that c-store shoppers (somewhere between 30% to 60%, depending on whom you ask) buy beverages, this has the potential to either bring in shoppers or lose customers. I think it’s time to step up the conversation.

The under 30 crowd breaks the rules at the fountain, and this is fun. They’ll take a diet drink, add a squirt or two of flavoring syrup and then mix in some cream from the coffee service area, and swirl it up. It’s called “dirty soda,” and the smart c-store chains out West promote it on social media. The $1.29 fountain offer looks pretty good next to the $4.00 drive-thru deal.

And then there’s the “refresher” drinks, which can include anything: fruits, teas, coffees, energy drinks and coconut water. It’s creative, fun and tasty.

Are these fads or will they stick around? One of my team members is certain this is here to stay. “Mixing up your own drink is an extension of your personality, just as a double decaf skinny latte was for Mom.”

Is “dirty soda” on your radar? It’s on mine, and I know it’s on my clients’ too.

Our Brand Story

GSP started as a printing company in1978. We found our niche supplying in-store signage for convenience stores when retailers guessed quantities they needed. This led to overage, waste and expense. To solve this, we developed software to guarantee on-time delivery of “the right size sign, to the right store, every time.”

In 2014, we started AccuStore with a dedicated team. As software helped drive our growth, we realized that new printing and fulfillment sites near customers could drive business and improve sustainability. We acquired companies that fit GSP’s technical excellence and superior customer service models.

First was Great Big Pictures in Madison, WI in 2015. They lead the field in large format printing and visual merchandising for iconic fashion retailers. Their standards for customer service include award-winning sustainability programs, and expertise to bolster retail environments services.

In 2020, GSP acquired Custom Color in Lenexa, KS. The company supplies printed graphics to leading retailers. Custom Color’s stellar quality in fabric printing also aligns with GSP’s values.

GSP provides branding and marketing services with a focus on site-specific execution to help transform our customers’ growth strategies into store-level success. We design retail environments to engage shoppers and provide superior customer experiences. AccuStore powers our retail marketing, execution and digital display technologies and ensures stores get only what they need. GSP is a forward-thinking company that’s here to serve retailers now, with a focus on their future.

GSP delivers graphics and digital marketing to over 75,000 retail locations. Our experts provide retail branding and marketing services, focused on site-specific execution. Our methods ensure stores get only the POP they need, at the lowest cost. Our Retail Environments team creates and deploys amazing, in-store shopping experiences.