Retailers willing to get more daring with their menus stand to attract more adventurous palates and turn a tidy profit. By Kate Quackenbush, Managing Editor An American Express MarketBrief produced byTechnomic Inc. entitled “Ethnic Foods are in Fashion,”showed that more than half of consumers (51%) reportedpurchasing prepared, ready-to-eat foods from conveniencestores. Convenience stores also showed [...]
Jim Goldade has had an interest in the grocery andretail business since he was 15 years old. That passionhas fueled his dedication to the Coast Guard Exchangestores, where he
Finding the right equipment to merchandise products is one key to selling them. Retailers discuss their successes and concerns about foodservice displays and merchandisers. One of the biggest challengesconvenience store owners continueto face is developing aneffective product assortmentthat fits into a small footprint while makingsure it still meets the customers’ needs.To overcome this challenge, more [...]
The Power 25 By Kate Quackenbush, John Lofstock Driving Innovation. CSD
Credit card processingFees remain one of the topthree concerns for convenienceretailers—and though it seems reasonable to expect that improving datasecurity at the point of sale would cutcharges because it lowers transaction risks,experts say this is not the case. “I don’t know if anyone has ever beensuccessful in presenting improved securityas a reason for getting a [...]
Keeping a cap on consumption can help cut costs and maintain budgets. by Mike Wardle, Roth Bros. Inc. Retailers spend nearly $20 billion annually on energy expenses, according to Energy Star, an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) organization. And, as costs continue to rise, c-store operators need surefire strategies to conserve energy and maintain budgets. A [...]
“High gasoline prices have not changed Americans’ driving habits but they have significantly changed their purchasing habits, as price is by far the No. 1 reason why drivers select a specificgas store. In fact, more than one out of four drivers say they change their behavior to save as little as one penny per gallon.” [...]
Convenience concepts are spreading to coffee houses, supermarkets and even drug stores, and retailers have every reason to be concerned. It’s no secret that c-stores have“borrowed” ideas from outside channels.Thanks to Starbucks, c-storeoperators learned that customerswould pay $4 for a cup of coffee as long asit was a high-end brew. So it should comeas no [...]
Dash In Food Stores is poised for growth as it introduces a new store design emphasizing its commitment to a foodservice future. Driving down Crain Highway in southernMaryland, motorists are offered many conveniencealternatives—7-Elevens, Wawas, XtraMarts—but asthey cross into La Plata, a glamorous new store stands out like a beautiful brick beacon. The 3,200 sq. ft. [...]
Town & Country is among the chains investing in price optimization software to manage fuel sales. Gasoline retailers are currently facing an unstablemarket, where prices are in aconstant flux and the slightest miscalculation can cost them dearly. Tostay on top of their game, retailers areinvesting in new price optimization software technologies to help manage fuelpricing [...]
Proprietary cards aimed at the trucking industry help retailers increase volume and in-store sales, while fending off costly processing fees. Retailers are caught inan endless battle at the gaspumps—fending off high payat-the-pump processing fees on credit cards, while trying to keep their customers from floating over to lower-pricedbig-box competitors. To do this, retailersare taking advantage [...]
Proprietary packaging can push profits. By Julie Crawshaw, Contributing Editor A study conducted by the Wharton School of Researchfound that nearly 70% of all purchase decisions are made atthe point of sale, where packaging is the primary spokespersonfor the product. Using this knowledge to full advantage in your c-store’s foodservice segment calls for developing packaging [...]
Reloadable cards are revolutionizing the prepaid wireless category and reaching out to new consumers. Convenience stores delvedinto the prepaid categoryyears ago by carrying long distance phone cards, long before the explosion of cellular phones. Today,the category has evolved into a distinctwireless display that caters to customerslooking for a commitment-free way to usethe latest cell phones. [...]
After creating a successful financial services program, Great Stops LLC is primed to make it an attainable profit center for other retailers. The idea of cashing $1 million in taxadvance loan checks in a conveniencestore could be daunting to some retailers, but not Great Stops LLC. TheChapel Hill, N.C.-based operation has benefited from having a [...]
After a successful test of a proprietary chicken program at 60 stores, the chain is preparing a company-wide rollout. With over 150 stores,Fas Mart and Shore Stop’smarket strategy focuses onspeed, quality and convenience for its customers. Its primary goalis to continuously improve the speed andthe quality of goods it offers consumers. Throughout its growth and [...]