Study shows that while sales dollars are down, customers continue to purchase gum for numerous reasons, from breath freshening to stress relief. By Erin Rigik, Associate Editor. The gum category has faced an ongoing sales decline since 2010. In 2012, gum saw monthly sales of $954 at convenience stores, with a monthly gross profit of [...]
Grocery purchases lead to fuel discounts for customers in three new markets. By Erin Rigik, Associate Editor. To capture an increased number of fuel customers, Chevron and Safeway have expanded their joint loyalty program to Las Vegas, Northern California and Hawaii. Customers in these regions can now earn gas rewards when they shop using their [...]
Whether it’s embracing healthy snacks or sticking with tried-and-true brands, convenience stores must closely monitor sales data to track what their customers are buying in this important core category. By Howard Riell, Associate Editor Recent consumer research seems to suggest that many convenience store customers looking to buy salty snacks leave the store empty-handed. Knowing [...]
Beginning in 2014, health insurance will be available to individuals and small businesses through state-run “exchanges.” These will require insurance companies to compete for business in the marketplace. By Pat Pape, Contributing Editor. Now is the time for employers to prepare to meet requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Obama administration’s healthcare law [...]
The National Confectioners Association (NCA) is predicting that 2013 will be a strong year for chocolate in convenience stores. Sales were up 3.3% for the last 52 weeks ended March 24, according to SymphonyIRI. By Marilyn Odesser-Torpey, Associate Editor. In 2012, c-store was the only channel to gain in dollars (2.4%) and units (1.2%) in [...]
With beef prices continuing to rise, poultry remains the protein of choice for many Americans. And, with the flexibility of chicken, this means ample opportunity for daypart-spanning sales. By Marilyn Odesser-Torpey, Associate Editor. Since introducing the Charley Bigg’s Chicken and Sauce program into two Friendship Food Stores six years ago and four more two years [...]
Today’s card capabilities surpass the features offered by many checking accounts. These features include managing prepaid purchases through mobile devices and social media accounts and the ability to make person-to-person transfers. By Howard Riell, Associate Editor. Prepaid cards can be tied to financial services such as remittance and bill payments, but that may mean competing [...]
Even small, sustainable initiatives can resonate with customers and improve a convenience store’s bottom line. By Erin Rigik, Associate Editor. The verdict is in: A growing number of customers are becoming environmentally-conscious and they prefer to spend their money at stores doing their part to grow sustainability. Retailers across all channels are beginning to cash [...]
The increasing volume and detail of information captured by business, the rise of multimedia, social media and the Internet will fuel exponential growth in data for the foreseeable future. By Barbara Brynko, Contributing Editor Big data. If you think data is something that only big retailers such as Amazon or Netflix deal with, think again.• [...]
From self-distribution and unique product development to outstanding customer service and social media investments, Gus Olympidis continues to push the boundaries of innovation at Family Express. By John Lofstock, Editor. On a frigid February Indiana morning, about a dozen prospective employees rolled into Family Express’s state-of-the-art learning center in Valparaiso, Ind., to see if they [...]
Convenience store operators must work on improving their training programs so that they can improve sales, customer satisfaction and employee retention. By Jim Callahan. The strained economy has been a little bit of a double-edged sword for the convenience store industry. While customers may be a little tighter with their spending, I’ve found that employee [...]
With a tagline of “fresh energy for life,” Atlas Oil’s latest convenience store concept features Eco-Earth Coffee, LED lighting and a host of recycling initiatives. By Erin Rigik, Associate Editor Atlas Oil launched its new Earth Market c-store concept in February, rebranding its five company-operated stores in the greater Chicago market. True to its name, [...]
“The Millennial generation offers the wine industry the kind of growth potential not seen in 30 years.” C-store retailers can gain points with Millennials and Boomers alike by appealing to a growing love of wine that includes a trend toward flavorization. A breakout session on the wine category, presented by E&J Gallo Winery, at the [...]
Nearly 100 convenience store chains representing more than 12,000 stores offered insights on employee salaries, hiring trends and labor costs. By Mel Kleiman, President, Humetrics. In order to support convenience store operators as they plan and forecast their human resources investments over the next 12 months, Convenience Store Decisions and Humetrics have collaborated on our [...]
With three simple steps, retailers can learn how to grow their businesses. By Erin Rigik, Associate Editor. The NACS/Coca Cola Retailing Research Council (NACS/CCRC) has introduced a powerful new tool for c-store retailers: “Playbook for Success: A Three-Step Guide to Growing the C-Store Business.” “Operators of any size will find this guide to be an [...]