Despite a global pandemic and looming economic recession, the convenience store industry continues to grow sales at record numbers. But the stakes have never been higher as storeowners face competition from multiple retail channels, regulations that are threatening foundational categories like gasoline and tobacco and a labor crunch that is crippling chains of all sizes.…
What’s in Store for Technology in 2023?
The National Advisory Group (NAG) is an association driven by convenience store retailers for retailers. It is an organization committed to building profits and relationships for members. Convenience store retailers have leaned on NAG for more than 35 years to help them grow sales, cut costs and generate new ideas in the competitive convenience store…
How to Secure Customer Loyalty for Your Small Business
Business owners are always seeking ways to distinguish themselves from their competitors. Staying ahead of the competition is a formidable challenge. Still, building customer loyalty is additionally crucial for brick-and-mortar businesses that rely heavily on long-term, repeat customers. When a business owner wants to build customer loyalty, they should consider a few factors. It is…
How Artificial Intelligence is Impacting Convenience Stores
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can provide a wide range of powerful, impactful opportunities to improve the management of modern convenience stores already equipped with closed-circuit television cameras that are mostly used for after-the-fact incident analysis. By shifting to the real-time analysis and data gathering, these stores can achieve significant improvements in all areas of performance that…
Foodservice Continues to Drive Traffic
Thanks to an increasingly busy lifestyle, today’s convenience store customers regard food prepared away from home as a necessity, and the industry’s top-quartile retailers have benefited handsomely from meeting the growing demand for fresh foods. For the past decade, the convenience store industry has consistently posted yearly sales gains in foodservice. Retailers are to be…
How to Leverage Your POS System to Grow Your Business
Small business owners with limited budgets can find it difficult to compete with big-box retailers and leverage their company’s growth. However, small businesses can successfully compete with even the largest corporations, by implementing smart marketing strategies, providing excellent customer service, and offering innovative products and services. Elie Y. Katz, President and CEO of National Retail Solutions…
How to Manage Your Business During an Inflation Crisis
Inflation is hitting many small businesses facing supply chain issues, product price increases, and changing inventory levels. The economy is experiencing record-high inflation, with the consumer price index at 8.3% this year. Inflation can impact a business’s operations and services, resulting in loss of customers and reduced sales. Despite these challenges, there are ways to…
How Online Reviews Can Help Your Store Grow
Whether you are the owner of a new or existing business, online reviews are an important part of growing your store. Online reviews allow current and potential customers to hear from those who have used your product or service. There are a multitude of benefits from having these comments from consumers available. Elie Y. Katz,…
CStore Decisions Partners with SparkCognition on Landmark AI Study
CStore Decisions, a leading convenience store industry publication, and SparkCognition, a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) software solutions perfected for business, announced a partnership and call for participants for a study using visual AI to understand electric vehicle customers’ behavior at convenience stores and gas stations. Using SparkCognition’s cutting edge AI technology, the study…
Peter Tamburro to Receive NAG’s Lifetime Award
Through the years, many individuals have selflessly dedicated their time and energy to ensuring that the National Advisory Group (NAG) succeeds and holds a special place with convenience store retailers. NAG is committed to honoring these individuals with the NAG Lifetime Award for Convenience Retailing. Peter Tamburro is atop the list of retailers who have…