upgrading the kitchen

upgrading the kitchen

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 [...]

customer focused

customer focused

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 [...]

food for thought

food for thought

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 [...]

711s new marketing man

711s new marketing man

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, [...]

bp refocuses its customer commitment

bp refocuses its customer commitment

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 [...]

a picture is worth 1000 reward

a picture is worth 1000 reward

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 [...]

susser reports first quarter earnings

susser reports first quarter earnings

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 [...]

schunks readies grander retail strategy

schunks readies grander retail strategy

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 [...]

clearing the house of credit card fees

clearing the house of credit card fees

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 [...]

how to get employees to play by the rules

how to get employees to play by the rules

The best way to ensure cooperation is to have rules that make sense. by Mel Kleiman ____________________________________________ Every time I leave for a speaking or training engagement, I take the same route to the airport and, 98% of the time, in the same spot, parked on the same side of the freeway, I pass the [...]

the dep comes down on getty

the dep comes down on getty

Reports of a gasoline leakage trigger strict regulations. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) this week ordered Getty Realty Corp. and Getty Petroleum Marketing to investigate and correct soil and groundwater contamination from three underground storage tanks at the Getty gas station located at 2100 Market St., Linwood, Penn. “Residents of this community need to [...]

the pantry increases its credit facilities

the pantry increases its credit facilities

Company renegotiates terms and ups capacity. The Pantry Inc. has completed the expansion and renegotiation of certain terms of its senior secured credit facilities. The facilities include a $350 million term loan, increased from approximately $304 million previously, and a $225 million revolving credit facility, increased from $150 million previously. In addition, the agreement includes [...]