“We’re responding to repeated requests from area residents who have been asking us to open a Parker’s in Rincon,” says Parker’s CEO. Parker’s Convenience Stores recently announced plans to build a new state-of-the-art convenience store in Rincon, Ga. The newest Parker’s, located at the site of the former Springfield Ford dealership on Hwy. 21, will…
blu Cigs Arrive in Canada’s Couche-Tard Stores
“We are interested in products that are on the cutting edge,” says Jean-Marie Bourque, Couche-Tard category manager. On the heels of an impressive 2011 retail expansion, blu Cigs has started 2012 by boosting the number of U.S. retail locations carrying blu to nearly 20,000. Now, the e-cigarette company is celebrating another milestone—expansion into the Canadian…
Sunoco Adds 11 Retail Locations
Latest acquisition strengthens Sunoco’s position as fuels retailer and convenience store operator in Florida. Sunoco Inc. has acquired 11 retail locations in Daytona, Fla., and the surrounding communities in Volusia County from First Coast Energy L.L.P. Each location will be company operated and include an APlus convenience store. “We continue to grow in areas where…
7-Eleven Converts Wilson Farms Stores
Nine Wilson Farms stores are changing banners this year, with the rest scheduled for rebranding next year. Contractors are refurbishing; new signs are rising, and Slurpee machines are moving in as 7-Eleven Inc. undertakes the first of many equipment upgrades at Wilson Farms stores in western New York, converting them to the 7-Eleven banner. Starting…
Is Your Land At Risk?
The question of eminent domain may sound scary and far fetched, but as a convenience store owner your land could in fact be seized by a municipality. It happens more than you think, said noted attorney William Goldman, who works with landowners facing this threat to ensure they get what they deserve. Goldman, and his…
Cultivating Loyal Customers
Savvy c-store operators are using customer loyalty/scan-data-analysis programs to improve merchandise planning, forecasting and point-of-sale (POS) data management, and to provide a technology platform for long-term growth. When done well, the inevitable result is to empower store personnel to react quickly, make more informed decisions and improve cost effectiveness, so they can simplify customers’ lives.…
When One Size Fits All Doesn’t Fit
I have always been a c-store guy, I just did not realize it until I became affiliated with this publication and started paying more attention to the intricacies of the segment. Thanks to my wife, I rarely go to the grocery store anymore–she actually likes the experience. I also rarely take the time to enjoy…
Java Jolts Beverage Sales
According to a recent study from the National Coffee Association, more coffee-drinkers than ever before say their favorite brew improves mental focus and provides health benefits. Not surprisingly, consumption of coffee now surpasses that of soft drinks—and while the gap is still narrow, daily consumption of coffee is pointing directionally higher. Young adults are the…
Marketing the Forecourt
When it comes to convenience stores, every square inch of selling space is precious real estate. And when the inside of a store is fully merchandised, the only place left to go is the forecourt area. Some convenience store retailers have always made good use of the forecourt area—whether or not it featured fuel pumps—to…
Operations Wake-Up Call
Tougher economic times are pushing convenience retailers to look at how they can improve operations. While cutting costs may be one common theme, savvy retailers are also looking at other avenues to help them stand out among the competition. “The economy changed and that changes how people are buying,” said Brooks Blair, owner of Bells…