DID YOU KNOW? After several years of decline, the frozen novelties category was up close to 2% for the 52 weeks ended Dec. 27, 2009. Retailers can expect to see more customers eating at home, searching for value on purchases and buying more healthful food items, according to the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA).…
Marketing Cigars in Tough Times
Despite the SCHIP tobacco taxes that hit on April 1, 2009, cigar sales continue to persevere. The federal taxes on large cigars rose from 20.719% of the wholesale price with a tax cap of 4.875 cents per cigar to 52.75% of the wholesale price with a tax cap of 40.26 cents per cigar. The tax…
Putting the Back-Office to Work
Inside the Numbers: Zarco 66 8 Number of stores. $35 million Total annual systemwide revenue. $20,000 Cost of its new POS/back office system on the front end. $70,000 Cost of its new POS/back office system on the back end. 25% Percentage of store sales from foodservice at the chain’s first store with the new system…
Realizing Prepaid’s Potential
The major prepaid areas c-store retailers are going to want to watch over the next year are general purpose reloadable cards (GPR), both open and closed loop gift cards, and cards for digital media, game and ring tones. The economy especially has spurred the growth of GPR products. “You’re going to see more folks buying…
Protecting Against Theft
RETAIL THEFT 2009 Employee theft accounted for 35.2% of shrink dollars. 41.2% of retailers worldwide experienced a significant increase in shoplifting in 2009, attributable to the economic downturn. Shoplifting and employee theft in the U.S. cost retailers $42.2 billion from June 2008 to June 2009. Every American family was forced to pay an additional $435…
Lighting the Way
Making money in tobacco accessories—lighters, cigar cutters, humidors, pipes, rolling machines, rolling papers and even hookahs—during the months ahead may not be easy, but it can be done. Three ways to do it: offer novel items, stay on the cutting edge of trends and let customers roll their own. The payoff in 2010 could be…
Capitalizing on Coffee
Opportunity for Growth 54% of the overall adult population drank coffee beverages daily in 2009. Coffee preparation at home is up five percentage points, with 83% of past-day coffee drinkers reporting that they made coffee at home the day before. 80% of coffee drinkers are doing nothing different despite the economic downturn. 17% are visiting…
Driving Prepared Food Sales
Inside the Numbers: Rutter’s FARM Stores 200+ Number of prepared food combinations available at any given time. 6 New prepared food items added to Rutter’s menu in February 2010. 5 Prepared food items dropped from Rutter’s menu in February 2010. 20% Store sales from prepared foods in the 37 Rutter’s locations equipped with order kiosks.…
Flexibility Fuels Chicken
TOP FIVE U.S. Chicken producers Average Weekly Production (in million pounds) Market Share % Pilgrim’s Pride 146 20.30% Tyson Foods 144 20.00% Perdue Farms 55 7.60% Sanderson Farms 42 5.80% Wayne Farms 34 4.70% Investing in foodservice is a big step for any c-store chain, but if it’s done right, the…
Perfecting Pizza
THE POWER OF PIZZA $38 Billion Estimated total annual sales in pizza restaurants. 70,000 Number of pizza restaurants across the country. $19.6 Billion Total revenue accounted for by the top four pizza chains (Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Papa John’s, Little Caesars) Source: National Association of Pizzeria Operators To do well in 2010 with pizza, convenience store…