Generac The flagship of Generac’s new air-cooled lineup is the industry exclusive 16 kW model with the company’s innovative, patent pending Quiet-Test feature. This breakthrough advance operates the genset at a slower speed during its weekly self-test, making it as quiet as a car at idle. The 16 kW unit is ideally suited for starting [...]
E Instruments Group LLC E Instruments offers the newest Mini Gas Sniffer, a rugged, compact, ergonomic and highly sensitive natural gas detector, which is widely used throughout the HVAC industry. The Mini Gas Sniffer is designed for simplicity and one-hand operation. The unit is equipped with a highly sensitive LED Scale & Beeper to pin-point [...]
Beta Lighting Beta Lighting has expanded its Constellation series to include the first directional LED canopy fixture designed for the petroleum market. The LED Directional model features high output white LEDs installed behind a flat lens. The panel of LEDs can be tilted up to 30 degrees in any direction and rotated 360 degrees to [...]
Clip Strip Corp. Taking an idea from "napkin-sketch" to a fully functioning merchandise display on the retail floor has been made easier with Clip Strip’s new POP Kit. Designers at development meetings are more productive with samples of actual POP display connectors, fasteners, hang tabs, hooks, clips, etc., available for them to manipulate and experiment [...]
Best Practices for Reducing Operating Costs There is a lengthy list of general maintenance items retailers should have to maximize cooler efficiency. Jerry Lawson, national manager for Energy Star Small Business and Congregations Network, a division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, recommended the following no-cost tips that are designed to help reduce [...]
C-store executives charged with marketing to the Hispanic community may be chagrined to find that there is, when all is said and done, no Hispanic community. Instead, there are many Hispanic communities. According to Chicago-based Doyle Research Associates Inc., “Hispanics possess many cultural similarities like common language, Spaniard ancestry and common religion. On the other [...]
Just 24 months ago, anyone who wanted a frontline, hourly worker’s job only needed a pulse to get hired. Now, we are faced with staggering unemployment, massive underemployment and tremendous job dissatisfaction. A new report releases from The Conference Board found that just 45% of workers in the U.S. were satisfied with their jobs, the [...]
When it comes to sanitation and store cleanliness, looks speak for themselves. Whether it’s the front counter, the forecourt or the restrooms, convenience store operators must monitor the message they are sending to customers. “If you’re in this business and want to stay in this business your customer is going to tell you what their [...]
The question of eminent domain may sound scary and far fetched, but as a convenience store owner your land could in fact be seized by a municipality. It happens more than you think, said noted attorney William Goldman, who works with landowners facing this threat to ensure they get what they deserve. Goldman spoke with Convenience [...]
Is there relief ahead for exorbitant credit card fees? The answer is yes. But first, there’s a fight to be fought. According to NACS in Alexandria, Va., credit card payments have grown from 21% of transactions in 1995 to 49% today, with the trend expected to grow to more than 50% by next year. The [...]
From escalating utility costs and credit card fees to labor and looming PCI deadlines, retailers have their hands full with a host of issues that are impacting their businesses. No issue is as complex and timely as PCI compliance. The stakes in the PCI game are high and, as 2010 approaches, c-store operators need to [...]
Though gas prices have dropped significantly from a year ago, forecourt-driven sales are still a challenge for many convenience stores because people aren’t buying gas as freely as they did several years ago. The reason? Our troubled economy makes it tough for many to afford the long car trips. Fewer trips mean fewer opportunities to [...]
Gaining market share has never been more important than it is today, when a tough economy is forcing customers to hang on to their money longer. This means that c-store retailers seeking new customers need to become aware of what specific groups need in order to improve their marketing strategies. One such group is the [...]