While some experts say a rewards program that also reduces credit card fees is too good to be true, Wawa and Wesco beg to differ. Creating a loyal customer base hasalways been a concern for retailers. But more recently, highinterchange rates on Visa andMasterCard purchases have been at theforefront of retailers’ minds. While theywant to…

With all of the competitionconvenience store retailers arefacing these days, they can take some comfort that they are not going atit alone. Wholesalers and suppliershave a vested interest in their success.Quite simply, when retailers succeed,the folks that produce and supply theirproducts also succeed. Of the three primary modes of storedistribution—wholesalers, direct storedelivery (DSD) and self-distribution—convenience…

Ad valorem state taxation maintains a growing and competitive marketplace for moist smokeless tobacco. by Joseph R. Augustus, Senior Vice President of External Affairs for Swisher International Inc. Tobacco Taxation Counterpoint — This is the second of a two-part series on smokeless tobacco taxation.Part one ran in the Dec. 2006 issue of Convenience Store Decisions.…

Company Name McLane Company Inc. States of Operation All states, every zipcode # of C-stores Distributed To 30,000+ Top C-Store Accounts 7-Eleven, Chevron, The Pantry, Hess, Holiday Companys, Exxon Mobil, BP, Sunoco, Mapco, Murphy USA Est. 2006 Sales $21 billion 2005 Sales $19.5 billion Web Site www.mclaneco.com Contact person Steve Brady, Director of Business Development,…

The 1998 Master Settlement Agreement continues toimpact tobacco sales. Since the agreement went intoeffect almost a decade ago, tobacco retailers continue to be shackled by heavy regulations and constantly increasingtaxes. While taxation is hurting convenience store retailers andtobacco manufacturers by making products more expensive topurchase, regulation is the force that is really bringingheadaches to an…

There’s good news and bad news for conveniencestore marketers concerned that other retail channels arecannibalizing their candy sales. A Dechert-Hampe &Co. report on candy found that confectionery sales atnontraditional outlets are on the rise, but, unlike some recentreports, these sales are not coming at the expense of convenience stores sales. Ray Jones, managing director of…

Piedmont Petroleum and its Corner Mart stores keep customers loyal by keeping things simple. Different companies havedifferent ideas of what itmeans to be at their best. Tosome, it means being the biggest in the market. To others, itcould mean having the highest sales.However, to Kenneth Cosgrove andhis family, owners of the PiedmontPetroleum Corp. and Corner…

Weight-Based Taxes Level the Playing Field and Preserve Retailer Profits By Robert L. Shepherd with Shepherd, Williams & Associates LLC Without question, moist smokeless tobaccois a profitable, growing and dynamic category.However, category and retail profits are at risk due to customer down-trading from premium to price-value products.Opponents of weight-based taxes have done much to muddy…

When it comes to making hiring decisions, trust your instincts in the interview process. What is the most important buying decision you’llever make? When youchoose a new site? Buying category management software?Adding a carwash? Does somethingelse come to mind? Well, no matter what it is for you, there is a well-defined, proven systemthat ensures you…

Mayor appoints new task force to protect stores and owners. Houston officials are uniting to combat crimes against convenience stores. City Mayor Bill White has put together a task forcededicated to reducing these crimes and making stores safer forboth employee and customers. “We’re going to be looking into various crime prevention plansto help c-store owners,”…