C-Stores Struggling

Dear Client: One good early indicator and barometer of our industry is the performance in the convenience store channel, the beer industry's largest channel. And this channel has been hit hardest by the headwinds against the industry: higher payroll taxes, sluggish economy, and bad weather in some markets. March c-store volumes are down nearly 6% in IRI for the four weeks to March 24. Year-to-date volumes are down 4.3%, so the declines got worse as the year wore on. The