Verc Enterprises, a Duxbury, Mass. company with 20 c-stores in the New England area, is planning to convert its Exxon stations to the Gulf brand by the end of this year. The move is being made to get a better wholesale deal on fuel, Verc CEO Leo Vercollone said. "I think Exxon is a more…
P&G Plans Car Washes in Ohio, Kentucky
After seeing strong sales at two test locations, Procter & Gamble is planning to open up to seven more Mr. Clean Performance Car Washes in southern Ohio and Kentucky. Procter & Gamble plans to test several full-service locations in the Cincinnati area before deciding to launch a national chain, though the company has yet to…
Finding Success with Divesting Dealer Sites
I’ve devoted several articles over the past few years to the necessity of implementing a network rationalization strategy whereby marginal retail sites are divested and proceeds redeployed to improve chain quality. Heeding the call, several marketers have enlisted our support to find optimal solutions for their unique retail circumstances including both direct store operations and…
Marathon Commits To Alternative Fuels
Marathon Oil Corp. said that 16 terminals located in five Midwestern states will convert to ethanol-blended fuel by May 1. Unblended gas products will no longer be offered at any of the terminals. Seven of the terminals are in Michigan, five are in Ohio and two are in Indiana. The remaining terminals are in Louisville,…
Consumers Crunch Their Coins
A portrait of 1 in 2 American consumers at the dawn of 2008: cash-strapped, bargain-hungry and fuel-fatigued. So says research by The Nielsen Co., where 49% of U.S. consumers surveyed said they were slicing spending to compensate for rising gas prices. The high price of regular gas in December 2007 was $3.06 per gallon, and…
Retailers Salute Their Leading Suppliers
Despite the much-ballyhooed growth of chains like Walgreens, Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and Wal-Mart, it is convenience stores that remain an important daily stop for the nation’s busy consumers. As a result, convenience stores represent a powerful sales opportunity for product and service supplier companies, CSD set out to find the industry’s top performers as identified…
Servicing the Customer
You pick up on a few things after 15 years in a business, but nothing more important than this: Always listen to the customer. “We’re getting more and more inquiries every day about customers that want alternative fuels in their stores,” said Brian Beggs, owner of Walt’s Petroleum Service in Schofield, Wis., the company he…
Car Washes & Car Care Equipment
TOP PERFORMERS RYKO Manufacturing Co. Mark VII Equipment Inc. PDQ Car Wash HONORABLE MENTIONS Autec Inc. Ecolab Inc. With high gasoline prices squeezing fuel margins, the addition of a car wash can turn a major profit for operators looking to make up some of the revenue lost at the pumps. It all comes down to…
Dealing with Drive-Offs
With the onset of spring, retailers can count on a segment of their "consumers" filling up and driving off without paying. Increased gas prices haven’t helped the situation, but it is improving. Typically, convenience stores can experience a few gasoline thefts a week. But when prices increase, some stores see several gas thefts a day.…
Road Ranger Takes on CITGO
Road Ranger, the Rockford, Ill.-based operator of approximately 75 convenience stores and travel centers in five Midwestern states, filed claims against Venezuelan-owned CITGO Petroleum Corp. for breach of contract and violations of the Petroleum Marketing Practices Act caused by CITGO’s "unnecessary failure to supply gasoline to Road Ranger gas stations, for damaging the CITGO brand…