Convenience Store Decisions articles from July 2004

Convenience Store Decisions archives from July 2004

An unlikely coffee companion.(Sheetz Inc.,)
July 1, 2004... Being in this business makes you do some weird things. I never imagined in my good judgment that I would one day scarf down a bowl of creme brulee for breakfast. And I certainly never would have guessed I'd be eating creme brulee that I got at...

Menu driven: Sheetz spent three years and about $7 million creating its first "Convenience Restaurant," a food-focused hybrid store.(Front End)
July 1, 2004... Sheetz Inc.'s 300th store looks like no convenience Store ever conceived. But that's the point, according to Steve Sheetz, the company's chairman of the board and one of the "conceptual architects" Sheetz's new direction. The company designed...

7-Eleven Inc.(Decision Makers)(appointments)
July 1, 2004... 7-Eleven Inc. (Dallas, TX) has named Gary Rose chief operating officer and appointed six new vice presidents. Rose, who also holds the title of executive vice president, is responsible for the execution of the company's strategy at the store...

RKA Petroleum Cos.(Decision Makers)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... CSD mourns the death of Roger Albertie, president of RKA Petroleum Cos. (Romulus, MI) and longtime member of the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA). Memorial contributions can be sent to the American Association of...

Open Pantry Food Marts of Wisconsin.(Retailer Spotlight)(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Open Pantry Food Marts of Wisconsin (Pleasant Prairie, WI) has announced three key changes to its executive staff. Jim Schutz, formerly of BP Amoco, has been promoted to director of foodservice, while filling the role of regional sales leader...

TNT Marketing Inc.(Decision Makers)(Kennith Fries appointed)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... National convenience store broker TNT Marketing Inc. has named Kennith Fries its president. Ides, former snack category manager for 7-Eleven (see Living the low-carb lifestyle, March '04, p. 28), will oversee all company operations. Having...

New York State Association of Convenience Stores.(Decision Makers)(appointments)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Joe Callahan, founder of C-Chex Compliance Co. has been elected 2004-05 chairman of the associate board of directors of the New York State Association of Convenience Stores. He succeeds David Keeney of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. as head of the...

Master-Bilt.(Decision Makers)(Michael Alsman appointed, Lynn Burge promoted)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Refrigeration systems manufacturer Master-Bilt has promoted Lynn Burge to advertising and promotions manager, and hired Michael Alsman as product manager at the company's New Albany facility. Burge has been with Master-Bilt for seven years....

National Executive Personnel and Marketing Group LLC.(Decision Makers)(George Benson appointed)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... George Benson has joined National Executive Personnel and Marketing Group LLC as vice president, sales and marketing recruitment. He has specialized in retail petroleum and convenience store sales and marketing management since the 1970s....

Engineered convenience: just outside of Boston, the famed Massachusetts Institute of Technology fortifies its food operations with a growing number of on-campus convenience stores.(Front End)
July 1, 2004... A diverse, multi-ethnic cast of characters attends the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. Roughly 10,000 students--6,000 graduate students, 4,000 undergrads--call the campus and its surrounding areas home, with about 3,100...

NCSAG Fall Conference & new profit center showcase.(Navigating with Confidence)(National Convenience Store Advisory Group)
July 1, 2004... Welcome to the Idea Factory * What are the biggest challenges you face as a convenience store retailer? Is it finding new gross profit dollars to replace anemic fuel margins? Is it squeezing more profits from the inside of your stores?...

Quick decisions: Quick Chek's culture helps employees become better decision-makers. District leaders--liaisons between stores and the home office--lead the way.(Quick Chek Food Stores Inc.,)(Cover Story)
July 1, 2004... A couple of years ago, Michelle Owens received a voicemail late on a Thursday night. She knew it was somebody calling from the store with a problem. But she also knew something else: No matter what the problem was, the person delivering the...

Monkey business: customers go bananas for one of Irving Oil's signature bake-off items, as the retailer's homemade Banana Bread rises to cult status.(Irving Oil's Corp.,)
July 1, 2004... Some of history's best innovations almost never were. Similarly, one of Irving Oil's most popular prepared-food items--Banana Bread--was born almost by accident. Early in its existence, the Portsmouth, NH-based retailer began offering...

Speaking out: 7-Eleven ups the ante with a home-grown wireless program called 7-Eleven Speak Out. The prepaid program gives more flexibility to 7-Eleven and its customers.(Category manager's notebook: prepaid services)(7-Eleven Inc.,)
July 1, 2004... In its never-ending quest to be "First, Best, Only" and to better serve the customer, 7-Eleven Inc. (Dallas, TX) has developed its own prepaid wireless service. The retailer partnered with leading hardware and airtime suppliers, offering...

Shell's gift card keeps on giving.(Category manager's notebook: prepaid services)(Shell Oil Products Co.,)
July 1, 2004... Shell Oil Products US did about $70 million in Gift Card sales in 2003. But a few "tweaks" to the program should help Shell increase Gift Card sales by as much as 30% this year, according to Manager of Credit Cards and Loyalty David Bunch. The...

The magic touch: the use of touchscreen orderpoints has grown beyond big chains. Smaller retailers are now investing in the technology to boost sales and profits.
July 1, 2004... In its search to streamline and improve foodservice sales, Thorntons (Louisville, KY) let its fingers do the walking by dialing up its peers at Sheetz Inc.. "We really respect Sheetz and Wawa and what they've done with foodservice," says...

More gravy for your potatoes? Do you run canopy lights during daylight hours? Do you "re-lamp" stores at the same time? Do you know if your stores qualify for rebates from your utility company? You could be leaving money on the table.(retail trade)
July 1, 2004... Convenience retailers sell convenience profit. And those profits are a retailer's sustenance--your "meat and potatoes," so to speak. But nowadays the portion size is getting smaller and smaller. What's a retailer to do? For some, the answer is...

Piccadilly: a different kind of suitor for Magness Oil: "Whether it's [Piccadilly's] cinnamon rolls or the hot wings flying out of our stores, they've all sold well. Piccadilly has made us money and that's the bottom line.".(Products At Work)(Magness Oil Co.,)
July 1, 2004... It's late Friday afternoon and Mike Magness has a problem with a warmer for one of his Piccadilly Circus programs. He makes a call to his Piccadilly rep and leaves a message because he knows he won't have to wait until the next day or, heaven...

Light-hearted.(New Stuff!)
July 1, 2004... Masterfoods USA unveils its new "trick" for Halloween. For the first time ever, its best-selling, fun-size brands--Snickers, Skittles, M&Ms milk chocolate candies and M&Ms peanut candies--will glow in the dark, thanks to a new technology...

Return of the sting.(New Stuff!)
July 1, 2004... Put the sting back in HBC sales as the "hero" of dietary supplements is back with a strong new ephedra-free formula. Super Stingers combines vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, caffeine, guarana extract, green tea extract, yarba mate extract and...

Counter measure.(New Stuff!)
July 1, 2004... Federal Industries presents the new Counter Top Self Serve Refrigerated Display Case. This specialty merchandiser features modern styling and affords easy access to a wide variety of products. It combines attractive curved glass, adjustable...

Wrap it up.(New Stuff!)
July 1, 2004... Subway Restaurants, the only quick-service restaurant to offer Atkins-endorsed menu items, has a new addition to its popular line of wraps: The Atkins-Friendly Turkey Breast & Ham Wrap, which has 10 grams of net carbs. In addition, if customers...

Combo usage.(New Stuff!)
July 1, 2004... JE Adams' new 26000 series offers more services in less space, creating up to six times the earning power over a single unit. Models include two and three motor vacuums, carpet shampooer, carpet spot remover, three fragrance options and an air...

Line expansion.(New Stuff!)
July 1, 2004... Solo Cup has completed the acquisition of SF Holdings Group Inc. (Sweetheart Cup, Hoffmaster Tissue and The Fonda Brands). The combined company, which will retain the Solo Co. name, brings together two leading suppliers of disposable packaging...

Cold case.(New Stuff!)
July 1, 2004... Master-Bilt presents the redesigned BLG Low Temperature Glass Door Merchandiser, which contains new T8 high-output electronic lighting inside the merchandiser, yielding approximately 50% energy savings over the previous model. In addition, the...

Ready-made foodservice.(New Stuff!)
July 1, 2004... The Kraft Diner and Tombstone Automated Pizzeria provides retailers with an automated restaurant that offers hot, delicious meals cooked fresh in less than a minute and a half with the push of a button. Representing a real breakthrough in...

Poppable perfection.(New Stuff!)
July 1, 2004... Arcor USA launches Rocklets, lentil-sized candy that comes in chocolate coated and peanut-and-chocolate-coated varieties. Rocklets will be available in Halloween and Christmas seasonal packaging that includes: snack size bags (20 x 15 grams and...

Deep-frying solutions.(New Stuff!)
July 1, 2004... Autofry introduces a new non-stick coated fry basket, which will now be incorporated into every Autofry model at no additional charge. The addition of the new fry basket will make clean-up even easier by preventing food particles from sticking...

Flavorful change.(New Stuff!)
July 1, 2004... Goetze's Candy Co. introduces a new flavor of Cow Tales: StrawberriCream. This new line item, featuring a delicious strawberry flavored caramel wrapped around a creamy center, can be sold for 25 cents a piece. The 1-oz. sticks will be...

Front and center.(New Stuff!)
July 1, 2004... FETCO wants to help retailers make a name for their coffee programs by creating unique systems that are adapted to the specific needs of c-stores. Fitted vinyl or plastic wraps with branded artwork attached to thermal dispensers create an...

Gold-standard snacking.(New Stuff!)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Gary West Meats has teamed up with Certified Angus Beef LLC to manufacture Certified Angus Beef (CAB) steak strips. The strips start with whole muscle CAB brand inside rounds. They are carefully trimmed for uniform sizing, marinated in...

Power up.(New Stuff!)
July 1, 2004... Pit Bull Energy Drink is a lightly carbonated beverage with a great lemon/lime ginger ale taste. Pit Bull combines the best of today's ingredients and stands as the leader in the urban energy drink market. The packaging has an urban and...

Are your restrooms a competitive disadvantage?(Back Room)(Seat-B-Clean wipes)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Many travelers today have little faith in the cleanliness of the nation's 100 million public restrooms. A negative washroom experience often becomes a negative experience overall in the customer's mind--and that can be a "silent killer" of...

A real lifesaver.(Back Room)(The Rescue Facts Information Pack)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... Anyone behind the wheel of a car runs the risk of getting involved in an accident. But a new and simple device can give police and emergency medical technicians critical information that can help save a driver's life. The Rescue Facts...