Convenience Store Decisions articles from August 2004

Convenience Store Decisions archives from August 2004

True leadership in a crisis.(Editor's Memo)(Editorial)
August 1, 2004... Convenience stores suffer from a serious image problem. In reporting on this industry, the editors of CSD continually scan the news wires for anything related to the terms "convenience store" or "gas station." Inevitably, typing those words...

Mystery solved: a more robust kind of mystery shop program helps TravelCenters of America get more bang for its buck--and ensures it doesn't "break a deal" with customers.(FrontEnd)
August 1, 2004... In the last two years, TravelCenters of America (Westlake, OH) has received more than 50,000 mystery shopper reports. But these mystery shops aren't quite so mysterious. Why? Because these reports come from real TravelCenters of America (TA)...

'It's me, your customer ...'.(FrontEnd)(Mills Squeegee Fill Station stores)
August 1, 2004... In 2001, Mills Squeegee Fill Stations switched flags--from Amoco to Mobil--at its five stores, thereby becoming the sole Mobil distributor in Nebraska, Initially, the change in brands led to a drop in gallons. At roughly the same time, the...

Extreme convenience!(FrontEnd)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Convenience stores and the extreme sports culture go together like skate parks and concussions--that is, they just make sense. And that's why 7-Eleven partnered with Mountain Dew and ESPN in a joint promotion to coincide with the "rocket...

A grand slam for White Hen.(FrontEnd)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... On Juno 10, Chicago Cubs fans at Wrigley Field got to watch their beloved Cubbies trounce the St. Louis Cardinals, 12-3. But the first 10,000 people entering the park got another treat: lots of free stuff, including flavored coffee samples from...

Celebrity skins.(FrontEnd)(Price Oil Celebrity)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Price Oil sure knows how to throw a party. But the 2004 Price Oil Celebrity was much more than just a good time. In late March, sports and entertainment A-listers converged on the Florida Panhandle town of Destin for three days of fun in the...

Motiva Enterprises LLC.(DecisionMakers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... * Moliva Enterprises LLC has named William "Bill" Welte successor to John Boles as president and CEO of the company. Boles, who announced his retirement earlier this year, stepped down on August 1 to pursue personal interests. Welte has worked...

ConocoPhillips.(DecisionMakers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... * ConocoPhillips (Houston, TX) has named President and CEO James J. Mulva to the additional post of chairman. Mulva succeeds current chairman Archie W. Denham when he retires on Sept. 30. Mulva replacing Dunham is consistent with the terms of...

McLane Foodservice Inc.(DecisionMakers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... * McLane Foodservice Inc. has named general managers of distribution centers in Kentucky, California and Georgia. Danny Austin is now general manager of McLane's Cincinnati distribution center in Hebron, KY. Before joining McLane Foodservice,...

Miller Brewing Co.(DecisionMakers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... * Miller Brewing Co. has appointed Bob Littlefield senior director-convenience stores. Littlefield comes to Miller Brewing with more than 25 years of sales and marketing experience, most recently as vice president of retail sales at Veryfine....

Boyd Coffee Co.(DecisionMakers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... * Boyd Coffee Co. has appointed Vickie Grimes to the newly created position of convenience store channel manager. Grimes will be responsible for the development and implementation of strategic programs that further define sales and marketing...

Gray Cat Enterprises Inc.(DecisionMakers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... * Former Clark Retail Enterprises Vice President John Matthews has launched Gray Cat Enterprises Inc., a consulting and marketing services firm targeting the retail industry. Most recently president of quick-serve restaurant chain Jimmy John's...

Follett Corp.(DecisionMakers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... * Follett Corp. has appointed Diane Nowakowski product marketing manager for the ice and water dispenser line. In this role, Nowakowski will identify and prioritize opportunities for new and existing products. Follett has also announced changes...

Collier Shannon Scott.(DecisionMakers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... * Industry law firm Collier Shannon Scott has added John Dunlap as government relations advisor. Based in Sacramento, Dunlap will help clients navigate California's political and regulatory climate by working with the governor's office,...

PDQ Manufacturing Inc.(DecisionMakers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... * Car wash manufacturer PDQ Manufacturing Inc. has promoted Rob Lewis to sales manager, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. In his new position, Lewis will be responsible for building sales and marketing efforts in these regions. Lewis has been...

National Executive Personnel and Marketing Group LLC.(DecisionMakers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... * Sara Glasgow has joined National Executive Personnel and Marketing Group LLC as recruiting specialist. She has more than 15 years of government involvement with Boeing, Halliburton, Kellogg Brown and Root and the military. In addition, Scott...

Valvoline Instant Oil Change.(Decision Makers)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... * Valvoline Instant Oil Change has promoted Tom Beggs to regional manager and appointed Mark McDowell regional marketing manager. Beggs will be based in Minneapolis, while McDowell will be based in Detroit.

Feeling the burn: high taxes and intense competition in an increasingly uneven playing field have pushed Nice N Easy to trim inventory and find other ways to maximize its tobacco investment.(Tobacco)
August 1, 2004... New York tobacco retailers looking to make a profit on cigarettes face what Matt Paduano, vice president of information for Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes (Canastota, NY), calls a "quadruple whammy." "Since the sharp rise in taxes in 2001, the...

Road Trip 2004 Up & Comers.(Cover Story)
August 1, 2004... An old gypsy truism says one must never travel the same road twice. Similarly, the 2004 Up & Comer Award winners--VALDAK Corp., BC Oil Co./Fastrack Stores LLC, and Tops Petroleum Corp.--have taken different paths to reach the same destination:...

Unsinkable: North Dakota's Valley Dairy excels with hands-on service and a willingness to experiment at its stores and car washes.(Road Trip 2004 Up & Comers)
August 1, 2004... Monica Schmidt-Musich, president of VALDAK Corp., remembers the 500-year flood of 1997 as a turning point in the history of her company and its hometown of Grand Forks, ND. The retailer had been doing just fine before the deluge, but when the...

Track star: six-store Fastrack keeps pace with competitors by building--and keeping--a loyal customer base in the Bluegrass State.(Road Trip 2004 Up & Comers)(BC Oil Co. Inc)
August 1, 2004... Bill Collins doesn't waste time when it comes to making decisions. His family moved to Greensburg, KY, from Southern Illinois when he was 11, and he knew after just two days he would plant his roots in the small town about two hours south of...

Top performer: in the heart of "c-store central," North Carolina's Tops Petroleum relies on technology and a commitment to the basics to stay ahead of the curve.(Road Trip 2004 Up & Comers)
August 1, 2004... If there's a better way to get something done, Bill Wicker and his crew will find a way to do it--and technology will lead the way. Since joining Tops Petroleum Corp. (Chapel Hill, NC) in 1989 as a systems manager, Wicker has helped the...

Wash-zilla: Georgia drivers can get a clean car and much, much more at Autoindulgence, the "monster" of all car washes.(Industry Overview)
August 1, 2004... Celebrities and dignitaries need clean cars, too. When comedian Jeff Foxworthy or pop diva Whitney Houston visit north-central Georgia looking for a quality car wash, they usually end up at Autoindulgence in Alpharetta, a 40-minute jaunt from...

Dispensing wisdom: today's customer demands speed, convenience and quality from a c-store beverage center. Can your equipment deliver?(Well Equipped)
August 1, 2004... In most c-store operations, it's no longer acceptable to offer just four to six fountain flavors. Newer, jumbo-size fountain dispensers are at least twice as big. A 44" unit can have up to 12 soda valves, two ice dispensing points and an ice...

Flash Foods finds a new view with FKI: "Image Vault offered the opportunity to research [questionable transactions] effortlessly. Managers or supervisors can pull up actual events, and it presents red flags for internal theft.".(Products At Work)
August 1, 2004... Until recently, spending hours scanning through poor quality videotapes was the only way Flash Foods could investigate "questionable" transactions in its stores. The company wanted to maintain a "presence" at the point-of-sale to deter...

Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh!.(New Stuff!)
August 1, 2004... Popsicle will bring multi-media phenomenon Yu-Gi-Oh! to life... or rather ice. Yugi's Millennium Puzzle medallion from the popular animated television series is now available as a blue raspberry and cherry-flavored soft ice pop with a gumball...

Light it up.(New Stuff!)
August 1, 2004... Amerlux Lighting Solutions revolutionizes retail lighting with the introduction of the Imperia T6 line of compact, low-wattage ceramic metal halide track luminaries. The Imperia T6 features both spot and wall wash fixtures and utilizes the...

Operations control.(New Stuff!)
August 1, 2004... Success Systems, Inc., introduces a cost-efficient solution for single locations called Store Manager, which includes features such as scanning, fuel management, inventory control, daily bookkeeping and EDI to many food wholesalers. Success...

Duck and cover.(New Stuff!)
August 1, 2004... Monitor Inc. has been manufacturing canopies for well over 45 years and can be depended upon for quality materials, engineering, production and timely shipments to all 50 states. Monitor strives to always give the best price, and its canopies...

Primo cappuccino.(New Stuff!)
August 1, 2004... The Curtis G3 Concept Series Primo Cappuccino machine is designed with an impressive, oversized backlit display to stimulate impulse sales while also simplifying the cappuccino blending process. Featuring Curtis' exclusive G3 technology, they...

(Bread)stick around.(New Stuff!)
August 1, 2004... Piccadilly Circus Pizza's Double Dippers Breadstick program is a freezer to oven foodservice concept to help retailers control labor and grow the bottom line. Double Dippers Breadsticks come in three mouthwatering flavors--Garlicsticks,...

Hummers for hire.(BackRoom: "stuff you need that we didn't have room for anyplace else")(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Convenience retailers are rolling out the heavy artillery. Taking a cue from the U.S. military, inventive operators like Sheetz Inc., Open Pantry of Wisconsin and Autoindulgence are adding souped-up versions of the mighty Humvee multi-terrain...