93 January | February 2026 abasto.com A Key to Hispanic Store Growth The expanding assortment of foods inspired by glo- bal cuisines aligns directly with the tastes and sho- pping habits of Hispanic consumers, creating broad c r o s s - m e r c h a n d i s i n g opportunities. The underlying messa- ge of the 2025 NACS Show was a strong push toward international flavors and in-store merchandising strategies designed to en- courage immediate con- sumption and impulse purchases. The most important les- son I took from Chicago for readers of this column is that integrating healthier snacks, leveraging digital marketing and experimen- ting with bold, nostalgic flavors are essential to sus- taining growth for Hispa- nic convenience stores. Innovations in Candy, Snacks And Beverages A convenience store conference would not be com- plete without an extensive offering of candy, snacks and beverages and now prepared foods as well. Companies such as Ferrara and Mars are investing heavily in the freeze-dried confectionery trend. Snack innovation reached record levels, with bold flavors and cross-category collaborations such as Reeses with Oreo boosting sales and brand visi- bility. There was also a noticeable increase in energy drink brands compared with last year, with compa- nies such as Nutrabolt (C4) and Monster featuring some of the most eye-catching booths at the show. Pepsi also introduced notable new flavors, inclu- ding Dirty Dew, which blends Mountain Dew with cream soda. FOOD INDUSTRY EN LOS PASILLO DE LA EXPO 11. Mazuma. 12.United Exchange Corporation. 13. Sigma Fiorucci. 14.Savia. 15. Pocas International. 11 12 15 14 13