After a successful test of a proprietary chicken program at 60 stores, the chain is preparing a company-wide rollout. With over 150 stores,Fas Mart and Shore Stop’smarket strategy focuses onspeed, quality and convenience for its customers. Its primary goalis to continuously improve the speed andthe quality of goods it offers consumers. Throughout its growth and…
convenience 101
The average collegestudent has evolved. What was once stereotypedasanacademic pauperliving off nothingmore than pocketchange, ramen noodles and pizza crustshas transformed intosomething more: afast-paced, health-conscious studentlooking to get themost bang out oflimited bucks. Whilemost universitiesoffer extensive campus food programsfor students, many are opting for quickand simple solutions to accommodate students’ lifestyles through campus-operatedconvenience stores. College C-stores:…
optimizing everything
Fifteen years ago, a young physicist named KenOuimet saw a strong correlation between the behaviorsof consumers and atoms. The analogy led him to developsoftware based on mathematics developed in theoretical physics that forecasts human buying behavior and incorporatesnew evidence in real time to update the forecast. Thus was priceoptimization software (POS) born. Today, Ouimet’s software…
exxonmobil nice n easy honored with best in class foodservice awards
“The majority of ‘new’ ideas are simply new interpretations of old ideas,” said Louie Sheetz, vicepresident of marketing for Sheetz Inc. “Over thelast 30 years, we’ve taken advantage of opportunities like this Foodservice Show and NACS to learn from others. Alot of success in this industry is capturing an idea you’ve seen andchanging it to…
reaching beyond the pumps
For a lot of customers, the firstand last thing they see when theyapproach a convenience store arethe gas pumps. Unfortunatelyfor some retailers, the pumps may also bethe only part of the store a customer seesduring their visit. Thanks to the combination of low fuel margins and high creditcard fees, selling only gasoline is a no-winproposition…
employee interviews how to get the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth
While the interview will always be the heart and soul of the hiring process, if you're not doing the preinterview, screening work (completed applications and testing for the needed capacities, attitudes, personality or skills), you're not using all the resources available to you. Why jump into interviewing when you don't know if the applicant even…
finding your foodservice niche
The good news for conveniencestore owners is that industry foodservice sales continued climbingin 2006 and the forecast for theupcoming year is just as strong. The badnews, however, is that other retail channelsare keying in on food sales and are keenlyfocused on diverting your customers totheir coffee bars, quick-service restaurants(QSRs) and supermarkets. Predicting just how long…
food for thought
Product sampling and a thorough understanding of customers helps form an effective foodservice marketing plan. I remember my first managerial job in foodservice retail. The year was1987 and I was a manager trainee forLittle Caesars Pizza. I had just completed an eight-week apprenticeship andwas named company store manager inNorthbrook, Ill. Northbrook is a well-to-dosuburb of…
relief from credit card costs
It’s no secret that the cost of accepting credit cards is reaching dire newheights. According to the most recentNational Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) State of the Industry (SOI)report, retailers were burned for an estimated $6.6 billion dollars in credit cardprocessing fees—an increase of over $1 billion from the prior year. Accepting credit cards has…
a novel idea
The novelty category provides retailers with a uniqueopportunity to capture customers’personal hobbies and interests ina single, high-margin item. Whether it isa mother searching for the perfect Disneykey chain for her daughter or a young car enthusiast looking for a hat to wear to the big race, novelty items run the gamut andconvenience stores are faced…