With its farmer’s market and original grilled peanut butter menu, Scotty’s Convenience Store and Grill, at the University of California Riverside (UCR) has won the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) “Best in the Business” award for excellence in marketing and merchandising. Scotty’s was one of 38 entries in the competition, which…
The Many Hats of a Marketing Manager
As the sales and marketing manager for Jaco Oil Co., which runs 53 Fastrip stores in California and Arizona, Fred Faulkner’s job is a busy one. Faulkner holds the responsibility of buying for all categories, selecting in-store equipment from deli cases to fountain machines, shaping the deals for purchases, creating the point-of-sale for promotions and…
Taking Convenience to a New Level
The milkman is making his rounds in Mountain Top, Penn. Good2Go is enhancing its convenience offering by providing residents the option of having fresh, all-natural and organic products delivered directly to their front doors. When partners Awais Ahmad, V.J. George and Thomas Job opened the store in September 2008, they had no idea how popular…
Tracking the Trends
An otherwise tough year for convenience stores was balanced out by strong retail fuel margins from the unprecedented drop in wholesale fuels prices during the fourth quarter of 2008, according to National Association of Convenience Stores’ (NACS) 2009 State of the Industry report. However, credit card fees continue to take a toll on industry profitability.…
C-stores Poised for Huge Growth Through 2013
In the midst of a cavalcade of negative news about the down economy, RNCOS Inc., a research firm, offers some positive news for c-store operators. The firm found that with help from increasing motor fuel and in-store sales, the U.S. c-store industry is expected to skyrocket in growth between 2009 and 2013. In it’s newly…
Driving Car Wash Sales
Doggy Drive Throughs One of the faster growing car wash trends is the do-it-yourself dog wash, which appears largely driven by financial considerations on the part of dog owners. No wonder: With dog grooming salons charging anywhere from $25 to $100 to bathe Fido these days, a $5 or even $10 self-serve alternative is a…
Understanding the Hispanic Market
Describe your perfect customer. No doubt it would be someone who shops at convenience stores more often, spends more money during each trip and buys across more categories. According to the Greenfield Online/Mintel Hispanic Consumer report, you have just described the Hispanic consumer market. As the current recession continues to put a strain on retailers,…
Kum & Go Opens Missouri Stores
In celebration of the grand opening of its newest stores in southwest Missouri, Kum & Go, one of the nation’s leading convenience store chains, will give away a 2009 Harley Davidson Nightster motorcycle to one of its loyal customers. “The Harley Davidson giveaway is a perfect opportunity for us to get to know our newest…
Recovering With New Tax Breaks
Shortly after last November’s election, Thomas Zaucha, president and CEO of the National Grocers Association (NGA) called upon the President-elect to kindle the economy with a stimulus package that included “tax incentives used by retailers and wholesalers to invest in technology, energy saving equipment and trucks for their businesses.” President Obama’s reply, The American Recovery…
New Jersey ExxonMobil Dealers Unite
By John Lofstock, Editor When ExxonMobil Corp. announced last June that it was getting out of direct-store operations, dealers of its venerable retail brands found themselves at a crossroads. They could either be on the receiving end of the deed to their own properties or be forced to work with a new master and an…