Cigarette sales are still one of the biggest draws for convenience stores, but many retailers are gradually shiftingtheir attention to the new king of the back bar: the othertobacco product (OTP) category. It’s no secret that OTP products—moist smokeless tobacco (MST) in particular—have been red hot over the past two years, showingvolume growth as high [...]
Working with Hershey, coffee customers offered free Kit Kat in August. As candy manufacturers roll out holiday products, Fairfax,Va.-based Exxon Mobil Corp. is taking advantage of sweetseason’s start. During August, ExxonMobil ran a special promotion in itsOn the Run convenience stores throughout the U.S.A free Kit Kat barwas given with the purchase of any size [...]
As part of a fuel reimaging campaign, the oil company is launching the new Gulf Express convenience store brand. Gulf Oil, the venerable New England fuel brand, is midway through a major branding campaign that will seethe oil company convert 11 Exxon travel plazas along theMassachusetts Turnpike. But what is most significant aboutthe Turnpike deal [...]
Under CEO Alain Bouchard, the marketer has built an extensive c-store network in the U.S. and Canada. In a year where several top convenience store companies distinguishedthemselves with new store prototypes,increased sales and strong financialportfolios, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.stood out from the crowd by cementing itsposition as a dominant marketer in the U.S.and Canada. As a [...]
For an iconic neighborhood c-store, Short StopMarket's current owner hasstepped up its foodservice and beverage programs. Situated behinddoors that have guarded the same structure that has stood in Sarasota, Fla. for 50years is a blend of dedicated convenienceand undeniable class. Ali Molavi took over ownership of thesingle Short Stop Market in February 2002,bringing his wife [...]
The inFlux oF summer tourism isa boon for many c-store operators.That’s why adjusting merchandiseto meet vacationers’ last minute needs has proved to be a winning strategy. One area that has proved to be especially profitable is health and beauty care(HBC). Retailers report that while categorysales typically hold its own for the first partof the year, [...]
CSD: The NACS 2007 State of the Industry report had some mixed results. Sales surged, but industry profits decreased. Is this an area of concern? Armour: The strong sales growth is validation that the industry is satisfying thegrowing and ubiquitous consumer demandfor convenience. Perhaps the clearest evidence of that is the chart showing ourindustry’s inside [...]
Product sampling and a thorough understanding of customers helps form an effective foodservice marketing plan. I remember my first managerial job in foodservice retail. The year was1987 and I was a manager trainee forLittle Caesars Pizza. I had just completed an eight-week apprenticeship andwas named company store manager inNorthbrook, Ill. Northbrook is a well-to-dosuburb of [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
While market swings of a few cents may have little impact on inventory replacement, the industry has become accustomed to larger and more frequent price movements. Cathy Duncan, Senior Product Manager, DTN Refined Fuels Just a few short years ago, therewere a handful of petroleum products sold in retail outlets across thecountry. Fast forward to [...]
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 [...]
While manufacturers race to remove trans-fats from snacks, c-store staples with a twist are earning some retailers robust sales. The salty snack category, with its fat-laddened chips and processed flavors, has never conjured ideas of healthy eating. The category took a hit when the Atkins diet burst on the scene, but consumers have since returned [...]
E-Z Mart Inc. has a long historyof being an innovator in convenienceretailing. When conveniencestores in the early 1970s onlystayed open until 6 p.m., founder JimYates kept his doors open until 11p.m. That kind of forward thinkinghelped the Texarkana, Texas-basedoperator grow operations to morethan 500 stores in the late 1990s.But the company suffered heartbreakingadversity in 1998 [...]
The 1998 Master Settlement Agreement continues toimpact tobacco sales. Since the agreement went intoeffect almost a decade ago, tobacco retailers continue to be shackled by heavy regulations and constantly increasingtaxes. While taxation is hurting convenience store retailers andtobacco manufacturers by making products more expensive topurchase, regulation is the force that is really bringingheadaches to an [...]