Convenience store owners need to work more closely with suppliers and wholesalers to get better supply contracts and offer consumers more competitive prices. Pat Pape, Contributing Editor. Convenience store owners need to work more closely with suppliers and wholesalers to get better supply contracts and offer consumers more competitive prices. A plaque in Ray Johnson’s…
Subway To Be Featured On Undercover Boss
Don Fertman, chief development officer for the Subway sandwich chain, has played a pivotal role in the growth of the Subway brand to become the largest quick service restaurant chain in the world. But recently, while participating in the hit CBS television series Undercover Boss, Fertman was able to get a glimpse at a part…
Elevating Snack Sales
The weak economy has not taken much of a bite out of meat snack sales. Americans are loathe to sacrifice edible indulgences, even in times of financial crisis. All three NACS snacks categories—salty, packaged sweet and alternative—showed increases in average sales per store from 2008 to 2009, and showed gross-margin percentage and average gross-margin-dollar-per-store gains.…
Placement Strategy Helps Prepaid Prosper
As the U.S. economic recession continues, it’s no secret that customers are altering their shopping habits to save a few dollars wherever they can. The silver lining for convenience store retailers could be the resulting affinity credit-crunched customers have developed for the prepaid segment. In a credit weary and increasingly online world, prepaid is helping…
Riding the Hess Express
The first Hess gas station was opened in 1960, and the first Hess Express opened in 1997 in Daytona Beach, Fla. Hess Express was named Chain of the Year nine years ago amidst its aggressive southern retail expansion. “When we were recognized with the Chain of the Year award in 2000, we had about 900…
Strong Outlook for Meat Snacks
Meat snacks—beef jerky, meat sticks, pork rinds and more—are right at home at U.S. convenience stores. And, despite the rough economy and some sales slippage, new products and popular brands continue to excite customers. Paul Lyons, president and owner of Up North Jerky in Troy, Mich., and a partner, with Sam Kassem and Mike Abdullah,…