Convenience Store Decisions articles from April 2007

Convenience Store Decisions archives from April 2007

Applauding the QT culture: built on a solid foundation of outstanding service, employee recognition and giving back to the community, the Oklahoma retailer has carved out a special niche in the retail market.(Cover QuikTrip)(Company overview)
April 1, 2007... SPEND JUST A FEW minutes inside a QuikTrip convenience store and one thing becomes immediately clear: there seems to be a vibrant energy that is shared between customers and employees. This is no accident. The privately held Tulsa,...

Songs in the key of "C": looking for word-of-mouth advertising? Some popular songs may already be doing the work for you.(Back Room)
April 1, 2007... BACK IN THE MID 1990s, during a time when they were considered to be at the pinnacle of "selling out," the Rolling Stones began shilling the rights to its most famous tunes to the likes of McDonald's and Microsoft for millions in advertising...

Publix pincher causes maximus pain.(New Lows in C-store Crime)
April 1, 2007... PUBLIX MARKETS IN SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLA. were recently caught in the grasp of a serial buttocks grabber (no, you read that right). In January, several women shopping at the supermarket reported being groped by a man between the ages of 18 and...

Splashin' and grabbin' epidemic plagues Philly area stores.(Back Room)
April 1, 2007... AUTHORITIES IN THE PHILADELPHIA and Southern New Jersey area have recently apprehended a prime suspect behind a series of splash-and-grab robberies that have occurred in the past month. What exactly is a "splash-and-grab" robbery? The c-store...

Satisfying summer shoppers: with increasing traffic from vacationers, retailers adjust inventories without losing their most valuable commodity: convenience.(Category Managers Notebook)
April 1, 2007... The influx of summer tourism is a boon for many c-store operators. That's why adjusting merchandise to meet vacationers' last minute needs has proved to be a winning strategy. One area that has proved to be especially profitable is health...

BP Sells off Chicago Stations.(Front end: The News)
April 1, 2007... BP is selling 36 of its gas stations in an attempt to further expand its am/pm franchise brand. The stores are located in Chicago, with some in the south and southwest suburbs. The company said it has hired Chicago-based NRC Realty Advisors to...

Circle K moves into Okla. City.(The News)
April 1, 2007... Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. has signed, through its subsidiary Circle K Stores Inc., an agreement to acquire 53 stores in Oklahoma City from Star Fuel Marts LLC. The 53 convenience stores currently operate under the All Star banner and are...

Wooten selling 12 stores.(Front end: The News)
April 1, 2007... Wooten Oil Co., a petroleum marketing, distribution and convenience store company headquartered in North Carolina, is offering to sell 12 company-operated convenience stores through a structured sale process to be managed exclusively by Matrix...

Berry-Hinckley Sells to Terrible Herbst.(Front end: The News)
April 1, 2007... Berry-Hinckley Ind. of Reno, Nev. has entered into a contract to sell the company to Jerry Herbst, owner of the Terrible Herbst service station chain. Herbst will acquire the existing Nevada businesses of Berry-Hinckley including 33 Winner's...

7-Eleven offers its Texas stores.
April 1, 2007... 7-ELEVEN INC. IS OFFERING Texans the opportunity to own a piece of a long-time, iconic business brand based in the Lone Star State. The company has started converting 188 of its company-run stores into franchised operations, a first for its...

Kum & Go's fresh face.(Decision Makers: Spotlight)
April 1, 2007... GREG TORNBERG HAS RETURNED to his roots at Hampton, Iowa-based Kum & Go as the new vice president of fresh foods. Tornberg was recently promoted after returning to the company in 2004 from The Pantry Inc., when Kum & Go made a compelling offer...

Open Pantry Food Marts of Wisconsin Inc.(appointed Nicole Stone )(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... >> Open Pantry Food Marts of Wisconsin Inc. has added Nicole Stone as its human resources manager. Stone will direct Open Pantry's training and retention initiatives while furthering the company's overall strategic growth plans, and also keep...

Hot Stuff Foods, Des Hague.(left the company)(John Fontana joins as CEO)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... >> After four years as chief executive officer at Hot Stuff Foods, Des Hague has left the company. John Fontana, a former managing director for Allied Capital and chief operating officer of Electrolux was named the new CEO. Fontana will work...

Butler Capital.(Front End: The News)
April 1, 2007... >> Carol Hurley has joined national lender Butler Capital as head of the company's car care, convenience and gasoline financing units. In her role at Butler, Hurley will develop relationships with U.S. manufacturers and distributors of...

Leroy Kelsey joined NACS as its manager of industry analytics.(Front End: The News)
April 1, 2007... >> Leroy Kelsey joined NACS as its manager of industry analytics. Kelsey will contribute to the analysis of the industry's most comprehensive database of information, and will also conduct surveys and develop new tools and metrics to benefit...

A people company.(QuikTrip Corp.)(Editorial)(Cover story)
April 1, 2007... Many companies profess to be all about their customers and employees. Spend anytime at QuikTrip, the subject of this month's cover story, and you'll see its devotion to these two vital retail components is sincere and palpable. I was...

An enlighting solution: retailers concerned about daylight-saving time changes could have a bright future with Web-enabled lighting control.(Feature Technology)
April 1, 2007... Lighting control is a must for convenience store owners and managers, but it can also be a source of frustration due to required maintenance of mechanical and electronic time clocks that have been used for decades to automatically turn lights...

The price of loyalty: CSD's latest Webcast explores what goes into--and comes out of--developing a successful loyalty program.(Front End)
April 1, 2007... IF THERE WAS ONE message to come out of Convenience Store Decisions' loyalty Webcast it's that there is a loyalty solution for everyone, regardless of chain size and the financial investment. CSD's "Building and Integrating a Loyalty...

Snacking variety.(New Stuff: Creations + Innovations to Convenience Products and Services)
April 1, 2007... Kellogg Co. is bringing a wide variety of products appealing to consumers of all ages. Kids will enjoy fun, new taste variations to some of their favorite brands, while adults will appreciate several new healthy and convenient meal and snack...

ID in a snap.(New Stuff: Creations + Innovations to Convenience Products and Services)
April 1, 2007... Card Scanning Solutions announces its newest product-line addition, the Snapshell IDR Camera Scanner. The Snapshell IDR is a revolutionary new kiosk tool for capturing driver's license information quickly and accurately. Powered by software...

Tornado of taste.(New Stuff: Creations + Innovations to Convenience Products and Services)
April 1, 2007... Ruiz introduces an El Monterey "Meat Lovers" dream-the Supreme Omelet Tornado. The El Monterey Tornados continue to satisfy the consumer's desire for delicious 'hot-to-go' foods that are perfect for any meal or snack. The Surpreme Omelet...

Putting the Q in car wash.(New Stuff: Creations + Innovations to Convenience Products and Services)
April 1, 2007... D&S Car Wash Equipment Co. officially launched the Quicksilver Touch-free vehicle wash system, nicknamed "Q", which is the company's next generation vehicle sizing automatic wash. Constructed of aluminum, stainless steel and fiberglass, the Q...

Light'em up!(New Stuff: Creations + Innovations to Convenience Products and Services)
April 1, 2007... Calico Brands Inc. line of Hot Rods sparkwheel lighters feature sleek images of vintage Hot Rods. The five-design line represents America's affection for automotive speed and style. The Hot Rod lighters are sure to spark interest among classic...

Fresh-brushed feeling.(New Stuff: Creations + Innovations to Convenience Products and Services)
April 1, 2007... The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. continues to grow the successful Orbit franchise with the debut of Orbit Mint Mojito and Orbit Raspberry Mint, the 10th and 11th flavors of the No. 1 selling gum brand in the U.S. The new introductions coincide with the...

Cube producer.(New Stuff: Creations + Innovations to Convenience Products and Services)
April 1, 2007... Hoshizaki American Inc. introduces the KM-650M-H Modular Crescent Cube Ice Machine, producing up to 680 lbs. of ice per 24 hours, or stack two units side by side for ice production of 1,360 lbs. per 24 hours. The slim line modular design is...

Sweet & slow roast.(New Stuff: Creations + Innovations to Convenience Products and Services)
April 1, 2007... Lettieri's Inc. has launched one of the American consumer's favorite sandwiches-Lettieri's new BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich. The BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich is made from slow-roasted pork simmered in a mouth-watering tomato-based barbeque sauce,...

Fashion and function.(New Stuff: Creations + Innovations to Convenience Products and Services)
April 1, 2007... Celebrity designers Nicky Hilton and Nicole Miller have created the ultimate fashion accessory-York Mints Designer Tins-to benefit the Young Survival Coalition. The intricately designed tins house the latest mint offering from York's: a soft...

Fuel saver.(New Stuff: Creations + Innovations to Convenience Products and Services)
April 1, 2007... Fuel Rescue is a revolutionary new product for the underground storage tank industry that saves gallons and gallons of otherwise lost fuel product while protecting the environment. Fuel Rescue slips tightly over a fuel tank measuring stick and...

The calorie burner.(New Stuff: Creations + Innovations to Convenience Products and Services)
April 1, 2007... Enviga, the sparkling green tea proven to burn calories, will make its national debut from Beverage Partners Worldwide, Nestle S.A. and The Coca-Cola Co. Enviga is designed to work with bodies to increase calorie burning, providing an optimum...

On frozen pond: CSD and Wilsons Fuel Co. teamed up to participate in the World Pond Hockey Championships in Canada.(Front End)
April 1, 2007... If you freeze it, they will come, and that was certainly the case for the CSD-Wilsons Fuel Ice Dawgs. Convenience Store Decisions' Editor John Lofstock teamed with Bill McMackin and Sterling Tozer of Wilsons Fuel Co., and Jean-Guy...

Shining Star: Star Scientific's dissolvable tobacco products are generating incremental sales and expanding the OTP category.(Products At Work)
April 1, 2007... Kennie Peregory readily admits that smoking legislation and tobacco taxes are taking a toll on sales. So when the opportunity arose to test market Star Scientific's dissolvable tobacco products, which have mass crossover appeal to cigarette...

Are convenience stores in Wal-Mart's future?(retailwire: Plugged In)
April 1, 2007... A number of reports suggest that Wal-Mart has hired David Wild, a former international managing director of Tesco, for the purpose of getting into the U.S. convenience channel and cutting off the British with its Fresh & Easy format. ...

Golden Arches banned by royal decree.(retailwire: Plugged In)(poll on obesity)(McDonald's Corp.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2007... The Prince of Wales recently suggested that obesity in Arab Gulf states could be dealt with if those countries would just shut down McDonald's. The chain was not pleased that a Royal tried to use it as a scapegoat in what many see as an issue...

Has Starbucks lost its soul?(retailwire: Plugged In)
April 1, 2007... Howard Schultz of Starbucks wrote that people are calling the company's stores "sterile, cookie cutter, no longer reflecting the passion our partners feel about our coffee... It's time make the changes necessary to evoke the heritage,...

Entrepreneural spirit.(Rising Stars)
April 1, 2007... Russ Scaramella Arizona Oil Holdings LLC RUSS SCARAMELLA MAY NOT have had a specific career in mind growing up, but he's always had a passion for business and working with people. Scaramella channeled that passion into something positive...

Thinking outside the safe box: four of the industry's leading cash management suppliers offer tips to help retailers manage cash flow more effectively.
April 1, 2007... Retail safes, or "smart safes" as they're often referred, are quickly becoming a regular component of secure, successful stores. And with their increasing regularity in the industry comes expanded options and technology for retailers to take...

How smart is your safe? Retailers are using safe technology to secure profits and keep an eye on employees.(Feature Operations)
April 1, 2007... One minute, maybe two. That's all it takes for an armed robber to come into a convenience store, jam a gun in a clerk's face, clean out the register and flee like the wind into the night. It takes even less time if the store is being robbed by...

Battle of the bulge: while manufacturers race to remove trans-fats from snacks, c-store staples with a twist are earning some retailers robust sales.(Category Managers: Notebook)
April 1, 2007... THE SALTY SNACK CATEGORY, with its fat-laddened chips and processed flavors, has never conjured ideas of healthy eating. The category took a hit when the Atkins diet burst on the scene, but consumers have since returned to the full-flavor,...

Packaged beverage dilemma: McLane is aggressively working to offset increased costs from growing bottled water consumption without hurting retailers' bottom lines.
April 1, 2007... THE CONSUMPTION OF BOTTLED water is steadily increasing and it benefits convenience retailers to meet that demand. Not a bad problem to have as bottled water often retails between $1.19 and $1.39, and has a high gross margin. But because...

A-B imports a beer strategy: the world's largest brewer adds popular European brands Bass, Beck's, Stella Artois and Boddington's to its distribution network following a deal with InBev.(Category Update: Beer)(Company overview)
April 1, 2007... Beer sales are hot right now and driving the push are specialty brews and imports. In both cases, Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. has a message for retailers: "We've got you covered." In February, St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch became the...

Working smarter, not harder: W.E. Willis gains scanning capabilities while streamlining its operations with Success Systems Inc.(Category Update: Technology)
April 1, 2007... Nearly three years ago, W.E. Willis of Traveler's Rest Inc. sought to improve its business through technology. The six-store chain had been operating in the Greenville County, S.C. area for more than 35 years, and realized that it first needed...

Designing a tank strategy: thanks to emerging technology, fuel operators have many choices when installing or upgrading USTs.(Column)
April 1, 2007... TODAY'S UNDERGROUND storage tank (UST) installation is a far cry from those of the past. With the intricacies of environmental regulation, liability concerns and the high value of fuel, it is more important than ever for petroleum retailers to...

Raising the visibility of underground storage tanks: what every retailer should know when it comes to UST release detection.(Column)
April 1, 2007... FINES FOR LEAKING STORAGE tanks are on the rise, data retention for storage tank compliance is getting longer, reporting frequencies are increasing and criteria for meeting compliance are growing. Whether you are the owner of a convenience...