Retailers are creating a buzz with new foodservice concepts— with some help from vendors and suppliers. There’s more than one wayto skin a cat, just like there’smore than one way to run a convenience foodservice program.Some retailers don’t know where to start,so they team up with branded conceptsthat lay everything out for them. Othersknow what [...]
Boosted by new flavors and additional varieties, cigars continue strong incremental sales growth. While tobacco has long been a backbonefor the industry, pulling millions in individualunit sales as well as boosting the profit from theaverage smoker’s market basket, it has not come without its problems. Consistent tax increases and society’s dour view on cigarette smoking [...]
With a short life, big margins and a susceptibility to promotions, lighters can illuminate sales with the right variety and display. Lighters were once a ways toa mean—to light up a cigarette,ignite a candle or fire up a birthday cake—but they’ve evolved into a form of self-expression. David Dill,vice president of sales and marketing forJacksonville, [...]
The type of equipment and its efficiencies play a major part in the success of a foodservice offering. Forget that crusty, old buttered roll grandpa picked up atthe corner store to complementhis morning coffee back in the day.Forget about those tiny bags of pretzelsor chips that used to suffice as a “meal onthe go” during [...]
Stop-N-Go Stores executes unparalleled customer service because it never loses sight of its most important asset: its people. Stop-N-Go Stores has been a convenience beacon in Medina, ohio foralmost half a century, but the 10-store chain has become a force to be reckoned with ever since Becky Shotwell took over theoperation from her parents, Ruth [...]
While market swings of a few cents may have little impact on inventory replacement, the industry has become accustomed to larger and more frequent price movements. Cathy Duncan, Senior Product Manager, DTN Refined Fuels Just a few short years ago, therewere a handful of petroleum products sold in retail outlets across thecountry. Fast forward to [...]
Patience doesn't come easy, but it can haveits rewards. Nowhere is that more evident thanby observing the foodservice programs at Exxon Mobil Corp. and Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes. Bothchains have refined their food segments over severalyears to come up with the right menu to meet the needsof core customers, and that's why Convenience StoreDecisions [...]
7-Eleven Inc. is embarking on anew marketing vision by naming DougFoster its first chief marketing officer (CMO). Promoted from his mostrecent position as 7-Eleven's vice presidentof marketing, Foster brings more than 13years of professional advertising experienceto the new role, as well as an acute understanding of the 7-Eleven family culture. Joe DePinto, 7-Eleven's president andCEO, [...]
It has been said time and again that youcan’t put a price on having an outstanding imageand offering great service. For BP, however, thatprice is $36 million–that’s what the oil supermajor is investing in a long-term advertising campaignto reach out to convenience store and petroleum customers with giveaways, in-store promotions and topromote its emphasis on [...]
Summer is quiCkly approaChing, bringing withit relaxed nights on the porch, trips to the beach andweather hotter than the grill at a Fourth of July barbeque.To complement their fun in the sun, customers want to wrap their hands around a couple of cold ones, and they will becounting on their local convenience store to satisfy [...]
JAIL magazine is not only full of local criminal mug shots, it’s also flying off the shelves of the c-stores that sell it. Forget those glamour shots andfamily portraits that cause people tospend hours primping their hair andmake-up. A new school of photography has taken the top spot on the popularitypedestal: mug shots. That’s right—thoseunkempt [...]
Busy year brings growth to c-store owner. Susser Holdings Corp., the Corpus Christi-based convenience store and gasoline distribution giant that operates Stripes stores, reported an 8.8% increase in merchandise sales and an increase in revenue for the first quarter. On Wednesday, the company reported a first-quarter net loss of $2.4 million, a 39% improvement from [...]
New store in Downtown Dallas opens with a bang. 7-Eleven is kicking off the grand opening of its new store off of Routh St. in Downtown Dallas with a party celebrating its new store and corporate offices. The new store and offices represent a new opportunity for the chain to become acclimated with its home [...]
Schnuck Markets Inc. and its Schnucks Express fuel center is stretching out to the Memphis area by acquiring two convenience stores formerly operated as Fill ‘n Stations. The sales of stores were finalized May 14. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The move comes as part of the company’s strategic expansion. “The Schnucks Express [...]
Combining ACH networking technology with an established loyalty program can divert customers from paying with plastic. by Michael Ferrari ____________________________________________ Cash, in its green, paper form, is being phased out. Customers are relying more and more on credit cards to make most of their transactions. And why shouldn’t they? Cash can be cumbersome to have [...]