The prepaid market is booming as retailers begin to capitalize on seasonal opportunities and serving the underbanked. By John Lofstock, Editor. The gift card market is rosy and analysts are poised for another strong year in 2012. In 2011, 80% of consumers planned on buying gift cards for the holiday season, up from 2010, and…
Out-of-Stocks Drive Customers To Your Competitors
Nearly one-third of U.S. shoppers found empty shelves this holiday season, an Aldata survey finds. Holiday shopping wasn’t a cheerful experience for many Americans this holiday season. According to a new survey of more than 1,000 U.S. in-store shoppers, 31% discovered that the product(s) they were looking for this holiday season were out of stock.…
NOCO Express Donates To Food Bank of Western New York
“Fighting hunger in Western New York is important 365 days a year, but the need is especially great during the holidays,” says NOCO executive vice president. Tonawanda-N.Y.-based NOCO Express Stores presented representatives from the Food Bank of Western New York with a donation of $2,126 to help feed those in need this holiday season. From…
Starbucks Launches Holiday App
New Starbucks Cup Magic App, skinny peppermint mocha and holiday Starbucks Petites debut on Nov. 15, alongside returning seasonal favorites. Starbucks Coffee Co. is celebrating the holiday season with an innovative new mobile app. This year, Starbucks will make the season come alive with Starbucks Cup Magic, an augmented reality app customers can download for…
Meeting the Demand for Convenience
Even during the holiday season customers expect their local c-store not only to be open, but to meet their diverse needs. Every year during the holidays I have cashiers tell me that customers ask them why our stores are open on days like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Customers often remark, “It’s a…
Tri-State Petroleum Offers Holiday Cheer
Tri-State Petroleum Corp., a family-owned convenience store operator and wholesale distributor of motor fuels in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, is making the holidays very merry for some of its lucky customers. The company raffled off a six-foot-tall Christmas stocking filled with games, toys, puzzles and other gifts at 30 of its locations-25 stores and…
Milwaukee CITGO Stations Support Toys for Tots
Forty-four CITGO gas stations across southeastern Wisconsin are joining together this holiday season to light up the lives of children in need. In partnership with local radio station FM 106.1, participating CITGO stations will be collecting toys from Nov. 22 to Dec. 12 in support of Toys for Tots. Individuals from across the community are…
Kroger Partners With Salvation Army
The Salvation Army’s iconic Red Kettles are once again scheduled to ring in the season at The Kroger Co.’s family of stores. Customers and associates generously support the campaign each year, helping provide food, clothing, toys and social services in the communities where funds are raised. “We couldn’t do what we do in communities nationwide…
‘Joe to the World’ Returns For Black Friday
When alarm clocks ring Friday, Nov. 27, waking thousands from their after-turkey slumbers to hit those early morning holiday sales at their local malls, Quick Chek, the family-operated chain of more than 120 fresh food store locations throughout New Jersey and southern New York, will offer these early risers complimentary medium coffees to help jump…
CITGO Leads Food Drive
Local CITGO retailers are partnering with the Plymouth Whalers and WCSX radio to collect food for needy families this holiday season. The first 10 people who donate 10 non-perishable food items at the WCSX Van hits will receive a $10 CITGO gift card, a free pair of Whalers tickets and a raffle ticket for a…