CSP

What CSP does

CSP (Convenience Store News & Petroleum) is a B2B trade media brand and division of Informa Connect (part of London-listed Informa PLC, ticker INF), serving the U.S. convenience store and petroleum retailing industry. Founded in February 2013, CSP operates a multi-platform content portfolio comprising CSP Daily News (cspdailynews.com), CSP Magazine, the At Your Convenience and Retail Daily podcasts, and the C-Store TEC Talks video series. Its core technology is a digital-first publishing platform delivering news, analysis, special reports, podcasts, webinars, and proprietary industry research to convenience channel decision-makers.

The company's product portfolio spans editorial content, premium membership (CSP+ at $19.99/month or $199/year), enterprise subscriptions, special reports including the annual Top 202 Convenience Stores ranking and the award-winning Category Management Handbook, and a sizable events business including the Center Store Forum, Foodservice Forum, Retail Media Network Forum, Dispensed Beverages Forum, Outlook Leadership Conference, and Convenience Retailing University. CSP also runs industry award programs including the Bevvy Awards (in partnership with Supermarket News and Technomic) and the Retailer Choice Best New Products Contest. The company employs 101–250 people, is headquartered in Chicago, and serves as the de facto information infrastructure for the U.S. c-store and fuel retailing sector.

CSP's revenue model is hybrid: recurring subscription revenue from CSP+ individual and enterprise tiers, advertising sold against a specialized c-store audience (sold via advertise.cspdailynews.com), event sponsorship and registration fees from its forum portfolio, and content licensing for proprietary research and rankings. Customer segments include c-store operators and retailers (primary), CPG companies and suppliers (primary), and distributors/wholesalers such as McLane, Core-Mark, and Sysco. Distribution is direct via digital channels (website, email, podcasts, social), with in-person events concentrated in major U.S. cities. Strategic partnerships with Informa Connect, Technomic, NexChapter, Supermarket News, and the Specialty Coffee Association extend CSP's content, research, and event capabilities across the c-store value chain.

Name

CSP

Legal name

CSP Daily News

Website

https://cspdailynews.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CSP is a B2B trade media brand and Informa Connect division serving the U.S. convenience store and petroleum retailing industry via news, magazines, podcasts, premium subscriptions, proprietary research, and a portfolio of annual industry forums and awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. CSP+ Subscriptions: CSP+ subscription model providing unlimited access to premium content including award-winning editorial analysis, exclusive interviews with industry stakeholders, in-depth industry examinations, and the members-only newsletter. Monthly subscription at $19.99 or annual at $199 (save 20%).
2. Enterprise Subscriptions: Enterprise plans for organizations requiring multiple licenses for leadership teams, providing personalized news and content tailored to company needs.
3. Advertising: CSP monetizes its digital properties and audience through advertising opportunities for CPG brands, technology providers, and industry suppliers targeting convenience store retailers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CSP is a B2B trade media brand that publishes daily industry news, a print magazine, podcasts, video, and exclusive research reports covering the convenience store and petroleum retailing industry. The company operates the CSP+ paid subscription membership and produces high-profile industry events and award programs that convene retailers, suppliers, CPG companies, and technology providers. Revenue is generated through subscriptions, advertising, and event participation.

Product overview

CSP (Convenience Store News & Petroleum) is a media and publishing company serving the convenience store and petroleum retailing industry. The company operates a multi-platform content portfolio consisting of CSP Daily News (digital news website), CSP Magazine (print publication), podcasts including 'At Your Convenience' and 'Retail Daily', and C-Store TEC Talks video series. CSP+ premium membership provides unlimited access to premium content and exclusive reports including the bi-annual State of the Convenience Industry report from Technomic. The company produces industry research including the annual Top 202 Convenience Stores ranking and Category Management Handbook. CSP also organizes major industry events including the Center Store Forum, Foodservice Forum, Retail Media Network Forum, Dispensed Beverages Forum, and Outlook Leadership Conference. The company hosts award programs including the Bevvy Awards (in partnership with Supermarket News and Technomic) and the Retailer Choice Best New Products Contest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CSP+: Premium subscription membership offering unlimited access to premium content and members-only newsletter
• At Your Convenience
• Retail Daily
• C-Store TEC Talks

Products and services

• CSP Daily News Primary digital news platform providing daily coverage of convenience store and petroleum retailing industry news, including company news, category news, special reports, podcasts, and webinars. Targeted at c-store operators, suppliers, and CPG companies.
• CSP Magazine

Quantifiable outcome

• CSP won 2 National Azbee Awards for editorial excellence in business media
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Supermarket NewscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2026CSP partnered with Supermarket News and Technomic to announce the 2026 Bevvy Awards, an industry award program recognizing excellence among convenience retailers and fuel marketers in five beverage retail categories.
• TechnomiccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2026CSP partners with Technomic (a Winsight Company and sister firm) on industry research and reports including the bi-annual State of the Convenience Industry report, the 2026 Bevvy Awards program, and various foodservice and beverage trend analyses.
• NexChaptermajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 June 2026CSP partners with NexChapter for the Retail Media Network Forum, bringing together retailers from convenience, dollar, drug, and specialty channels with CPG companies and technology providers. NexChapter provides consulting expertise in retail media network strategies.
• Cogknition AnalyticsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026Cogknition Analytics CEO Arjun Chakravarti presents at CSP's Center Store Forum, providing research on consumer spending patterns and economic outlook for the convenience industry.
• Informa ConnectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026CSP and Informa Connect, both part of London-based Informa PLC, co-host multiple industry events including Center Store Forum, Retail Media Network Forum, and other conferences for the convenience store industry. Informa Connect provides the platform and operational infrastructure for CSP's event portfolio.
• CircanaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2026Circana senior vice president David Portalatin presents at CSP's Foodservice Forum, sharing research on c-store targeting higher-income consumers and competitive dynamics with QSRs.
• TechnomicminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026Technomic researcher Julie Heseman presents competitive research at CSP's Foodservice Forum, highlighting that 57% of c-store operators identify QSRs as primary competitors.
• Specialty Coffee AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026CSP partnered with the Specialty Coffee Association for its Dispensed Beverages Forum, featuring SCA CEO Yannis Apostolopoulos discussing specialty coffee trends and their importance in driving customer loyalty for convenience stores.
• GooglemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Google is a featured speaker at CSP's Retail Media Network Forum, presenting on AI, data and measurement advancements relevant to retail media networks in the convenience channel.
• IABmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) participates in CSP's Retail Media Network Forum to present on industry measurement standards and frameworks for retail media.
• Love's Travel StopsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Love's Travel Stops is featured as an operator presenter at CSP's Retail Media Network Forum, sharing insights on building retail media networks in the convenience channel.
• Dollar GeneralmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Dollar General participates as an operator presenter at CSP's Retail Media Network Forum representing small-format retail perspectives on retail media strategies.
• Circle KmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026Circle K is featured as an operator presenter at CSP's Retail Media Network Forum, sharing expertise on retail media network development in convenience retail.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Restaurant Business: Restaurant Business is a Winsight brand and one of the leading B2B trade publications for the US restaurant industry, with magazines, events, and research products. It is directly comparable to CSP in business model, target audience (operators plus suppliers), and monetization mix.
• Winsight: Winsight is a sister company within Informa Connect that operates B2B media brands (Restaurant Business, Winsight Grocery Business, CSP) covering retail and foodservice. It is the most structurally comparable peer given shared parent, shared B2B trade media model, and overlapping event and data products.
• NACS Magazine: NACS Magazine is the flagship publication of the National Association of Convenience Store Owners, the dominant c-store industry trade association. It is a direct peer because it serves the same operator audience with similar content, research, and event-driven engagement.
• Convenience Store News: Convenience Store News is the longest-running competing trade publication dedicated to the US convenience store industry, with overlapping editorial coverage, awards programs, and event activity. It competes head-to-head with CSP for c-store operator and CPG reader attention and advertising dollars.
• Supermarket News: Supermarket News is a sister Informa Connect brand providing B2B trade media for the grocery channel, and co-produces the Retail Daily podcast and Bevvy Awards with CSP. It is directly comparable as an adjacent-vertical trade publication with identical business model and parent.
• Foodservice Director: Foodservice Director is a B2B trade publication serving non-commercial foodservice operators, with content and events covering menu innovation and operator trends. It is comparable to CSP's Foodservice Forum in audience and content focus, and shares the B2B trade media business model.

Emerging players

• Retail TouchPoints: Retail TouchPoints is a digital-first B2B media brand covering retail innovation, technology, and customer experience across multiple retail formats. It is comparable to CSP as a B2B retail media property, though with a broader, less c-store-specific focus and a primarily digital, lighter-events model.
• Industry Dive: Industry Dive is a B2B digital media company operating vertical-specific publications across multiple industries including retail and foodservice. It is comparable to CSP as a B2B trade media model with a more digital-native, lighter-events approach and broader industry coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Insider Intelligence (eMarketer): Insider Intelligence, formed from the merger of eMarketer and Business Insider Intelligence, is a leading subscription-based B2B research and media business covering digital marketing, advertising, and commerce. It is comparable to CSP+ as a paid B2B intelligence subscription, though covering a far broader market.
• Adweek: Adweek is a major B2B trade media brand covering advertising, marketing, and media across industries. It is comparable to CSP as a B2B publishing model but is much larger, broader in scope, and focused on the agency/marketer side rather than a specific retail vertical.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CSPDailyNews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cspdailynews
• Facebookfacebook.com/CSPDailyNews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/csp-daily-news
• Instagraminstagram.com/cspdailynews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CSP