Smart technology, government mandates and consumer expectations are changing the face of the vending channel.

VideoMining Corp., State College, Pa., announced the results of two national studies that found shoppers are spending less time in supermarkets and more time in convenience stores.

Manufacturers and retailers continually are searching for ways to optimize shopper satisfaction through category management. But while the overall idea remains the same, the ways manufacturers and retailers go about this process changes as trends evolve.

For decades, TV shows like “Cheers,” “The Simpsons,” “Sex and the City,” and “How I Met Your Mother,” among others, have highlighted the social tradition of meeting friends at a local bar or club for a drink. However, since the Great Recession, consumers seem to be pulling back on this tradition because of their lower levels of discretionary income.

Starbucks Coffee Co., Seattle, announced that through its partnership with Oprah Winfrey, which began a year ago, sales of Teavana Oprah Chai have now raised more than $5 million for youth organizations in the United States and Canada.

Beverage Marketing Corp. (BMC), New York, and Technomic Inc., Chicago, announced a new strategic alliance between the two firms. Through this alliance, BMC and Technomic will provide unparalleled depth of market information to the ever-evolving beverage industry, its suppliers and advisers, the companies report.

Although consumers tend to be loyal to their preferred drug stores, 30 percent are more likely to patronize a drug store if it has a loyalty card that offers savings, thus increasing shopper loyalty, according to Diana Smith, senior research analyst of retail and apparel at Mintel.

During the recession, the countercyclical discount retail channel experienced years of growth, even to the point of becoming one of the fastest-growing retail channels during the time period, according to “Dollar & Variety Stores in the US,” an April 2014 report by IBISWorld.