Convenience Store Decisions articles from January 2004

Convenience Store Decisions archives from January 2004

Two new paradigms for 2004.(Editor's Memo)(issue contents)(Editorial)
January 1, 2004... Here's a New Year's resolution for you: In 2004, you will put yourself out of business. Sound crazy? Not if you're Sheetz, Inc. That's the challenge this chain's leadership continually lays down for its 9,500 employees. Dave Scopinich's...

Extra credit: a wireless credit card acceptor brought Kevin Paige new volume. It came in handy during last summer's blackout.(Front End)
January 1, 2004... Last August 14, the eastern United States and parts of Canada went dark during one of the largest blackouts in North American history. The economic losses totaled more than $6 billion, but while many businesses were losing money faster than...

Be your own landlord: a strip center concept helps Dunmore Oil position its stores as "centers of the universe" in their respective markets.(Front End)(Dunmore Oil Co.)
January 1, 2004... Out of the earth in northeastern Pennsylvania rises a massive structure (by convenience store standards) that seems like the epicenter of the town of Dunmore. A 10,000-sq.-ft, convenience center, anchored by a Joe's Kwik Mart convenience store,...

Outsdoorsmen: the Quinn family, which operates the Jr. Foods chain, finds new sources of revenue selling outdoor advertising on company-owned billboards.(Front End)(Quinn Outdoor Advertising)
January 1, 2004... At least one good thing came out of Jim Quinn's back surgery two years ago. Quinn, vice president and co-owner of Jr. Foods (Jonesboro, AR), had been sentenced to three months of bed rest, and during that time he conceived a new business...

Clean sweep: smart promotions and improved equipment help car wash sales sparkle for these retailers.
January 1, 2004... Car wash has always been a part of Petro-Canada convenience store offer, but in the past 10 years it's evolved into a major profit center. Even though only 30% of the company's 600 company-owned or leased sites feature a car wash, it ranks as...

Battle of the bulge: customers seeking snack foods and other products to help them shed pounds through so-called "all meat, no wheat" diets find a safe haven at Xtramart stores.(Candy/Snack)
January 1, 2004... 7-Eleven Inc. has baited its hook with a tempting "worm" and cast its line into deep and uncharted waters, hoping to land new customers hungry for high-protein, low-carb foods (see pp. 42 43). But the country's largest convenience retailer...

Dried meat snacks: dollar sales vs. unit sales.(Trend Trakker)(Illustration)
January 1, 2004... Dried Meat Snacks: Dollar Sales vs. Unit Sales Dollar Dollar Unit Unit Top 15 Brands Sales Sales % Sales Sales % Chg vs. ...

Food that's Sheetzified! Sheetz takes its boldest steps yet in the quest to diversity--and change how consumers perceive "convenience store food.".(Cover Story)
January 1, 2004... A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR AGO, Start Sheetz stood before his colleagues at an end-of-year management conference and reported that Sheetz Inc. (Altoona, PA) had just completed the most profitable 12 months in its 52-year history. Then, he...

Eat at Joe's: Joe's Kwik Marts has hitched its wagon to a foodservice program that's heavy on quality, light on labor and determined to become a household name in northeast Pennsylvania.(Joe's Kwik Marts)
January 1, 2004... You know you're a somebody when a sandwich carries your name. But Joseph Gentile St., president of Dunmore Oil Co. (Dunmore, PA), doesn't let it go to his head. The "Skinny Joe" hoagie is a favorite at Joe's Kwik Mart convenience stores--and it...

Slice of new life: retailers report significant improvements in branded pizza programs. Upgrades have led to big strides in marketing, labor and--here's the really good part--sales.(Border States Co-Op/Victory Marketing LLC)
January 1, 2004... Some of Kim Sykora's best food customers are old enough to live in a nursing home. Actually, they do live in a nursing home. Sykora, general manager of five Cenex-branded stores operated by Border States Cooperative (Clinton, MN), says one of...

Low-carb revolution: the industry's largest retailer kickstarts the new year with "Better Choices," a menu for the growing ranks of consumers seeking low-carb foods beyond pork skins and beef jerky.(7-Eleven Inc.)
January 1, 2004... 7-Eleven Inc. ushered in 2004 with a healthy foods program that's been on the drawing board for roughly 18 months. "Better Choices, Better Year" offers consumers a lineup of nearly 50 "weight-management" products, headlined by several...

Cashing in at San Diego State: how Aztec Market stores turn 'em fast, turn 'em often and keep 'em coming back.
January 1, 2004... San Diego State University is primarily a commuter school. Of its 35,000-student ertrollment, only about 10% reside on campus. The rest are prey to the city's cacophony of retail shops, restaurants and street vendors until they reach the...

Caffeine specialty.(New Stuff!)
January 1, 2004... Douwe Egberts Coffee Systems, a division of Sara Lee, introduces the C-700 Coffee System, which dispenses a variety of beverages--coffee, espresso, cappuccino, care latte, hot chocolate and hot tea--all at the push of a button. The C-700's...

Kisses go caramel.(New Stuff!)
January 1, 2004... Hershey Foods Corp. adds Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolate Filled with Caramel to its permanent collection of products. Beginning April 2004, the new Hershey's Caramel Kisses will start appearing in stores across the country. They will be...

Jerky gets shredded.(New Stuff!)
January 1, 2004... Pemmican Beef Jerky has taken whole strips of lean beef steak slowly marinated in a variety of seasonings and spices, and then "shredded" it to make Pemmican Shredded Beef Jerky, the most convenient, fun-to-chew and flavor-intensive jerky even...

Bottom's up.(New Stuff!)
January 1, 2004... The Absolut Spirits Co. announces Level, a new super-premium vodka. Level has the perfect balance of smoothness and character, achieved by a unique combination of two distillation methods--producing a new "level" of vodka. Level will be...

Chill out.(New Stuff!)
January 1, 2004... Taylor, a leader in frozen dispensing equipment, introduces the Model C903, an automatic, two-flavor, frozen beverage system. Add ready-to-use, concentrated liquid mix or bag-in-box product, and the completely self-contained unit fills the...

Show off.(New Stuff!)
January 1, 2004... Kellogg's Food Away From Home delivers a 3-oz. snack line offering four leading brands: Cheez-It, Famous Amos, Rainbow Chips Deluxe and Sandies Pecan Shortbread. The versatile pouch packaging (pre-priced at 99 cents/unit) will include a peg...

The cat's meow.(New Stuff!)
January 1, 2004... Luigi's Sourpuss is J&J Snack Foods' newest food service frozen novelty entry. In addition to the extreme sour flavoring, this product redefines the phrase "exploding with flavor." The sour, face-puckering Real Italian Ice is riddled with...

Energetic beverage.(New Stuff!)
January 1, 2004... Energy Drink, which is loaded with B-Vitamins, Ginseng, Taurine and Guarana, doesn't carry the unpleasant aftertaste associated with most energy drinks. It has a great Kiwi-Strawberry flavor and can be spotted by its bright red can, building on...

Shake it up.(New Stuff!)
January 1, 2004... Nestle, the makers of America's No. 1 flavored milk, introduces its new Nesquik Ready-to-Drink (RTD) Milkshakes, a thicker and richer option than Nesquik's traditional flavored milks but with the same nutritional value. Nesquik RTD Milkshakes...

Pour on the profits.(New Stuff!)
January 1, 2004... Wilbur Curtis' Generation Three Primo Cappuccino instant Drink Machine has smooth Euro-styled lines and an impressive, oversized backlit display. It's controlled by the industry's most advanced digital technology--G3 ADS--to dramatically...

Flavor savers.(New Stuff!)
January 1, 2004... Tic Tac Mints have been revamped. Still less than two calories per mint, new Tic Tac Mints will be 30% larger and have more flavor on the outside and longer lasting freshness on the inside. New Tic Tac mints will be offered in all six flavors:...

Size does matter.(New Stuff!)
January 1, 2004... Too Tarts Kids Kandy, the leading brand of Innovative Candy Concepts (ICC), introduces an unprecedented incentive program for retailers called VIP (Very Important Partner) 20" Space Guarantee. This program guarantees retailers will sell more...

Prepaid partnership.(New Stuff!)
January 1, 2004... PRE-Solution, Inc. has enhanced its partnership with Brightstar, the largest wireless distributor and value-added service provider in the Americas. The partnership provides retailers with the most complete end-to-end solution for prepaid...

Speedy snack line.(New Stuff!)
January 1, 2004... Bill EIliott, the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion, has partnered with Championship Group Inc. to form a new company, Elliott Championship Products LLC, to manufacture and distribute a line of snack foods. Elliott Championship Products will...

Drink up!(New Stuff!)
January 1, 2004... BDI Marketing introduces Drinker's Buddy, the newest creation in hangover relief. This product was specially designed to assist in speedy hangover recovery--combining a unique formula of Calcium Carbonate with extracts from Kola Nut and White...

Handee Marts pours on the holiday cheer.(Back Room)(Handee Marts Inc. )
January 1, 2004... Pittsburgh citizens got an extra dose of holiday cheer--not to mention a good cup of free coffee--from Thanksgiving through the end of December. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the busy Pennsylvania metropolis, an enormous gingerbread...

Serving up a wild cup.(Back Room)
January 1, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Jerry Morrow (left), Sara Lee Coffee & Tea s convenience group vice president, and Alex Chakonas, Speedway SuperAmerica's Chicago division coordinator (right), served hot beverages to more than 10,000...