A new all-organic convenience store at Penn State is rankling the feathers of students who say they want traditional offerings as well, according to The Daily Collegian, a student newspaper at the university. The new shop, called Sisu, has angered some students, such as Steve Karolewics and Bennet Huber, who have decided to boycott the…
Polygraph Expert Touts Tactics To Combat Theft
Author James W. Bassett, a certified polygraph expert and sometimes contributor to Convenience Store Decisions, has released a new that provides successful techniques used to identify employees who steal. It also explains how to prevent such incidents. “Solving Employee Theft: New Insights, New Tactics,” by Bassett, is a useful guide that’s written in layman’s terms…
Oil Giants Donate Millions To Hurricane Relief
Exxon Mobil Corporation, Chevron and Marathon have donated millions of dollars to assist in disaster relief efforts in Golf Coast communities ravaged by hurricanes. ExxonMobil donated $5 million, Chevron donated $3 million and Marathon gave $1.5 million. Last week, Exxon also donated $1.5 million for disaster relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Gustav. “Hurricane…
AG’s Investigate Price Gouging
Attorneys General in a number of southern states are investigating potential price-gouging at gas stations and other businesses where prices were raised in the midst of devastation from recent hurricanes. North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper’s office issued subpoenas to seven gas stations, with more expected later this week. The stations in that state allegedly…
Wal-Eye Fishes For Fresh & Easy’s Progress
Wal-Mart is keeping a close eye on the Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market stores in the U.S., Wal-Mart’s chief merchandising officer told Reuters. "We have people in those stores every day, every week," said John Fleming at a Bank of America conference. "We continue to monitor the progress that they make." Tesco has Fresh &…
Gilbarco and SSCS Create Mix-and-Match Program
Fuel and retail management systems provider Gilbarco Veeder-Root has teamed with back-office provider Service Station Computer Systems Inc. (SSCS) to introduce an automated multi-item promotions program. The new solution allows mix-and-match promotions to be managed by combining the Passport POS and SSCS back-office software, the companies said. Passport provides timely sales and discount information, while…
Fast Casual Faring Well
Fast casual restaurant chains are bucking the trading-down trend as they’re buoyed by healthier offerings and a narrowing price gap compared to quick-service restaurants, reported brandweek.com. Two recent studies show fast-casual sales at chains like Panera Bread shot up more than 13% last year, with experts predicting continued growth, brandweek.com said. A report by Chicago-based…
Dunkin’ Donuts Names VP of Consumer Engagement
Dunkin’ Donuts has hired Cynthia Ashworth in its marketing team, where she’ll fill the newly created position of vice president of consumer engagement. In her new role, Ashworth will be responsible for all of Dunkin’ Donuts’ consumer messaging, including advertising, media, interactive marketing and in-store retail. She’ll report to Frances Allen, Dunkin’ Donuts brand marketing…
7-Eleven Customer Wins Visit to NBC Show
A sports fan at a 7-Eleven in Joliet, Ill, was randomly selected this week for a trip to New York City and a behind-the-scenes look at NBC Sports’ “Football Night in America,” a popular Sunday night football show. 7-Eleven customer Garrett Williams scored big in 7-Eleven’s Big Match-Up promotion on Wednesday, winning a VIP behind-the-scenes…
Gulf Coast C-Stores, Refineries Brace For Ike
Convenience stores in the path of Hurricane Ike are bracing for supply disruptions, with many retailers in Gulf Coast states and the eastern coast limiting gas sales for each customer, various news agencies reported. The U.S. Department of Energy said Hurricane Ike could affect fuel supply as refineries in the Gulf of Mexico shut down…