By John Matthews, founder and president of Gray Cat Enterprises Inc. Feb. 11 was a milepost of sorts – I turned 50! As I enter the second half of my life [sic], I look back at the first 50 years with a great sense of pride and exuberance. I have been blessed with the opportunities…
iSIGN, ADCENTRICITY, Team to Target Customers
Partnership drives customer engagement at point of decision at MAC’s convenience stores. Deepening its long-term relationship selling the Mac’s Couche-Tard digital network with a combined offering with iSIGN, ADCENTRICITY now provides retailers with the first-ever end-to-end value solution. iSIGN Media Solutions Inc., a provider of interactive mobile advertising solutions that serves advertisers, manufacturers, retailers and…
CITGO Introduces Loyalty Bucks Program
Partnering with Exclusive Connection$, CITGO looks to make the loyalty experience streamlined and easy. CITGO Petroleum Corp. knows that when it comes to its network of approximately 6,000 locally owned locations, a “one-size-fits-all” is not always the most effective approach for its brand programs. That is why the company developed its new CITGO Loyalty Bucks…
NCR, VendorNet Integrate In-Store Pick Up With POS Software
Integration of product inventory to point-of-sale software helps retailers drive sales across channels and preserve margin in an increasingly competitive market. NCR Corp. and VendorNet Inc., a provider of cross-channel fulfillment technology, have entered into a strategic agreement that will see NCR integrate VendorNet’s cross-channel StoreNet In-Store Pickup fulfillment technology into its NCR Advanced Store…
TA Adds New High Tech Laundry Equipment
Drivers can be notified by text message when their laundry is complete. TravelCenters of America LLC (TA) has begun its rollout of the most modern laundry facility equipment on the highway. TA’s 190 laundry rooms in company-operated locations today contain nearly 2,000 washers and dryers; all of these machines are expected to be replaced with…
McDonald’s Under Storm
An example of why addressing customer complaints in the age of social media is vital to your business. In today’s social media driven world, customer service is key to positive word-of-mouth, no matter the size of your chain or the scope of the complaint. If you doubt the seriousness of addressing customer complaints in a…
Connecting The Dots
By John Matthews, founder and president of Gray Cat Enterprises Inc. You may think about your business 24/7, but chances are your customers do not. Hard to believe, right? I am a big believer that the successful businessperson is always considering how they can “connect the dots” for their customers more easily so that their…
7-Eleven, Pepsi Partner on Feeding America Campaign
Up to $250,000 to be donated to Feeding America from every Pepsi purchase. 7-Eleven Inc. and Pepsi have partnered to ask consumers to help relieve domestic hunger by purchasing a Pepsi trademark product at participating 7-Eleven locations nationwide, with proceeds of up to $250,000 going to Feeding America. Through Dec. 31, Pepsi plans to donate…
Boosting Fresh Food Sales
Americans are more amenable to buying meals at convenience stores, but won’t budge when it comes to quality, price or convenience factors like portability and packaging. By Howard Riell, Contributing Editor. Takeout food was invented for on-the-go consumers. But a takeout program has to do more than travel at high speeds. Today’s consumers want quality…
Don’t Settle for Employee Mediocrity
Training and preparing employees for advancement is one proven method for attracting and retaining these talented workers. By Mel Kleiman, Contributing Editor. In the course of my more than 25 year’s of consulting and professional speaking work about how to recruit, select and retain the best frontline employees, I have identified one common case of…