By: John Matthews, founder and president of Gray Cat Enterprises Inc. Upon opening their first store, many single-store operators come to an, often premature, conclusion that they are going to franchise. While this may be a noble end-game goal, what is often missing from this proclamation is determining whether or not their concept is “franchishable.” [...]
BP converting the 13 New York and 15 New Jersey sites to the BP brand. BP announced today that it has reached a long-term lease agreement with Getty Properties Corp. to convert a portfolio of up to 28 Getty-branded retail sites in New York and New Jersey to the BP brand. BP intends to operate [...]
Some 15-20 Thorntons stores are scheduled to open in Florida over the next three years. Thorntons is set to debut its first Florida location with a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 5 p.m. The new store is located at 1698 Gulf to Bay Blvd Clearwater. Clearwater Chamber of Commerce members, Tony Harris, [...]
NJOY products are now available at all Cumberland Farms stores; NJOY Kings available in December 2012. Cumberland Farms, a convenience store chain with locations throughout the Northeast and Florida, and e-cig company NJOY have announced a distribution partnership. The partnership includes chain-wide distribution of NJOY’s newest electronic cigarette, the NJOY Kings, to the nearly 600 [...]
Mini meals, a surge in male shoppers and a new appreciation for the frozen aisle to emerge as trends in 2013. Snackable mini-meals and frozen foods take center stage in supermarket aisles this year while dads and Millennials get more comfortable and powerful in the kitchen, said Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert. Lempert, a well-known [...]
Whether it’s implementing emerging technology or promoting a host of new foodservice items, 2013 promises to be an exciting year for convenience stores. By Marilyn Odesser-Torpey, Associate Editor. Thirteen isn’t usually regarded as a fortuitous number, but it takes more than luck to grow a business. Industry experts offered Convenience Store Decisions insights into some [...]
Decline is likely attributed to rising gas prices and ongoing pressures from competitive channels. Total consumer traffic through U.S. convenience stores was down 2.1% in third quarter (July, August and September) 2012 versus the same quarter last year, according to The NPD Group, a global information and advisory services company. NPD’s convenience store market research [...]
By: John Matthews, founder and president of Gray Cat Enterprises Inc. Joining and becoming active in your local chamber of commerce is an excellent way to increase your store’s visibility within your local business area. In addition to meeting a number of key local business contacts who can turn into group sales and individual patrons [...]
When it comes to store perception cleanliness counts, especially if your site offers foodservice. By Erin Rigik, Associate Editor. If your c-store aims to be taken seriously as a foodservice destination, image is everything. Retailers who spend as much time focusing on the cleanliness of their store and maintaining a pristine restroom as they do [...]
New Shopper Experience Innovation Center allows retailers to test concepts in mock stores with real customers. By Erin Rigik, Associate Editor. The Coca-Cola Co. has launched a Shopper Experience Innovation Center (SEIC) in Atlanta. The 15,000-square-foot facility opened last May and contains two retail environments that can be converted from a supermarket to a drug [...]
“At Wawa, coffee is more than a hot beverage,” says Wawa CEO. “It’s a way of life.” Wawa Inc. has launched Wawa Original Blend and 100% Colombian in a single-serve container compatible with the popular Keurig brewing system. These coffee products are now available in all of Wawa’s 604 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, [...]
Paige Anderson brings legislative experience to NACS in her new role. Paige Anderson has joined NACS, effective today—Dec. 3, as its director of government relations. Anderson has extensive experience on Capitol Hill, and has particular expertise in energy policy and cyber-security. She most recently served as deputy chief of staff and legislative director for Congresswoman [...]
“We look forward to offering you new, comprehensive and integrated solutions for better profitability, security, reliability and business efficiencies,” the company says. Televent DTN has adopted the Schneider Electric brand name. In 2011, Telvent DTN became part of Schneider Electric. Together the two businesses have offered comprehensive and integrated solutions for the oil and gas [...]
Researchers “found no support that banning tobacco ads throughout the store would discourage kids from trying to purchase cigarettes,” according to the study’s author. U.S. teens are much less likely to buy cigarettes if they are hidden from view, new research suggests. The study tracked the purchases of a group of adolescents as they “shopped” [...]
By: John Matthews, founder and president of Gray Cat Enterprises Inc. Running a small business has its share of ups and downs. When I launched Gray Cat Enterprises nearly nine years ago, running my own small business has been both rewarding and challenging. Gray Cat has enabled me to establish greater balance in my life [...]