In a gala befitting the industry’s oldest and most prestigious retail award, Convenience Store Decisions and more than 150 industry retailers and suppliers honored Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes as the 2009 Convenience Store Chain of the Year at the Wynn Hotel’s venerable Daniel Boulud restaurant in Las Vegas. Nice N Easy, the Canastota, N.Y.…
Pennington Prospers with Pizza
Inside the Numbers What do one million personal-size pan pizzas add up to? According to the folks at Hot Stuff Foods, about 550,000 pounds in all. It includes 250,000 pounds of dough, 150,000 pounds of custom blended cheese and 62,500 pounds of sauce, plus the meat toppings and vegetables. One million personal-size pan pizza boxes,…
Lessons Learned from Challenging Year
There’s no doubt that 2009 will go down as one of the most challenging years ever for the convenience store and petroleum industry. Combined with the poor economy that plagued marketers all year, credit card fees and tobacco regulations added fuel to a fire that, quite honestly, was already burning out of control. For this…
Fuel Rises Regionally
Brian L. Milne, Refined Fuels Editor, Telvent DTN Retail gasoline prices in California gained during the Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend, and are poised to move higher after wholesale prices in the state’s fuel market moved up sharply on aggressive buying. The increase in the Golden State’s gasoline prices halts a trend for decreasing values…
Kum & Go Helps United Way Campaign
Kum & Go was among 14 central Iowa companies and organizations that increased its yearly contributions to the United Way campaign this year-collectively the companies increased donations 10% compared to last year, the Des Moines Register reported. Pacesetter organizations, such as Kum & Go, conduct early campaigns and pledge to increase their United…
Couche-Tard Acquires Arizona Fuel Terminals
Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has signed an agreement through one of its subsidiaries to acquire 16 fuel terminals in Phoenix from BP West Coast Products LLC. “The Phoenix Terminal is an excellent asset with outstanding employees who manage a very high quality operation. Strategically, this acquisition will add efficiencies in our fuel supply chain…
MetroSplash Welcomes New CEO
MetroSplash Systems Group Inc., a leader in fuel-based loyalty solutions, has appointed Patrick Cummiskey as its new chairman of the board and CEO. A MetroSplash board member since November 2008, Cummiskey is well-known in the industry and has expertise in transaction processing for the supermarket, convenience store and petroleum markets. “MetroSplash is…
7-Eleven Taps RKF as Exclusive Leasing Representative
Robert K. Futterman & Associates LLC (RKF), an independent real estate firm specializing in retail leasing, investment sales and consulting services, has been retained as the exclusive retail leasing representative in Manhattan for 7 Eleven Inc. 7-Eleven, the world leader in convenience retailing, is expanding its presence in the New York metro area…
Frontline Reversal of Fortune
EDITOR’S NOTE: CSD AND HR CONSULTANT MEL KLEIMAN WILL PRESENT THE SECOND ANNUAL HR STUDY, FEATURING EMPLOYEE TRENDING DATA AND A STORE EMPLOYEE SALARY OVERVIEW, IN THE JANUARY 2010 ISSUE OF CONVENIENCE STORE DECISIONS. Just a short 18 months ago, most convenience retailers were desperate for frontline workers and, on most days, priority one was to…
Could Philip Morris Be Considering E-Cigarettes?
Philip Morris, the biggest maker of tobacco cigarettes in the U.S., reportedly is in talks with Ruyan Group, which manufactured the original electronic cigarette in 2005, OfficalWire reported yesterday. Now that the FDA has the authority to regulate the tobacco industry, Philip Morris could be looking to gain controlling interest over the products…