One customer’s purchase of a miscellaneous object is a retailer’s high-margin sale. By Pat Pape, Contributing Editor Products that fall outside of the cash-cow categories of tobacco, fuel and foodservice are often dismissed as nice-to-have income, but for many convenience store and travel center operators, the general merchandise category is a big boost to their…
Salty Snacks Boost Demand
Consumers’ propensity for all things snacking is good news for c-store operators. By Pat Pape, Contributing Editor The idea of three balanced meals—once a normal American lifestyle—is slowly going the way of rotary phones and television rabbit ears. These days, almost everyone who eats is a perpetual snacker. According to the Hartman Group, a research…
Bakery Drives Local Demand
When it comes to creating a successful baked goods program, inspiration is found in the most unlikely places. Just ask Ryan Krebs, director of foodservice for Rutter’s Farm Stores, based in York, Pa. The annual York Fair, the oldest fair in America, attracts thousands of visitors annually. It was there that Krebs was inspired to…
POS Grows With the Times
Point of sale innovation will continue to improve the customer experience. By Pat Pape, Contributing Editor Russell Gibson knows technology. As manager of marketing technical services for Sinclair Oil Corp. of Salt Lake City, Gibson is aware of the latest tech trends in most retail channels. But he was wowed recently at a restaurant in…
EMV Deadline for Pumps Extended Until 2020
Issues with regulatory-compliant EMV hardware and software to enable most upgrades by 2017 prompted shifting the compliancy deadline. By Pat Pape, Contributing Editor Citing technological and regulatory challenges, Visa, MasterCard and American Express recently announced that the U.S. deadline for installing EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) chip-card readers at automated fuel pumps has been extended…
Game of Thrones
Presenting patrons clean and comfortable restrooms is an important part of any convenience retailer’s customer service planning. Some c-stores, however, do it better than others. Pat Pape, Contributing Editor Buc-ee’s 37 convenience stores, all located in Texas, are popular for plenty of reasons: caramel-coated snacks known as Beaver Nuggets, dozens of gas pumps per location…
Don’t Be Camera Shy
Advanced surveillance and security products today offer convenience stores more high-tech options. By Pat Pape, Contributing Editor U.S. retailers suffered an average shrink rate of 1.38% in 2015, the National Retail Federation (NRF) said this past June. Despite the fact that this is the lowest recorded rate in the past 24 years, that figure represents…
Health Bars Enjoy Boost
Clean labeling and diverse options bolster category sales, attract new customers. By Pat Pape, Contributing Editor Each day after Jen Morton’s workout, she reports back to her husband on what snacks her fellow health enthusiasts brought to the gym that day. In turn, Ryan Morton, category manager for snacks, HBA and grocery at Maverik of…
Containing Utility Costs
Today, there are many ways for convenience stores to reduce their utility bills. By Pat Pape, Contributing Editor Scott Zaremba likes to experiment with new ideas. The owner of three Zarco USA convenience stores in Lawrence, Kan., Zaremba grew in the fuel and convenience store industry and is constantly searching for ways to boost his…
Roller Grill a Lot to Relish
Roller grill programs may change, but that often keeps customers coming back. By Pat Pape, Contributing Editor All nine c-stores in the Bethlehem, Pa.-based Square One Market chain have a roller grill, but the company’s management team wants to give the category a facelift. “We have a grill program because everyone else has one,” said…