Convenience Store Decisions articles from June 2007

Convenience Store Decisions archives from June 2007

Taming the morning rush: a solid bakery program is key for building breakfast daypart sales. Two chains discuss how they are able to satisfy consumers while simultaneously enhancing their coffee programs.(Category Managers Notebook)
June 1, 2007... WHILE STARBUCKS WAS A rude awakening for the convenience industry, competition for morning traffic has further increased as quick service restaurants and fast feeders, like McDonald's, have begun offering better cups of coffee for 69 cents,...

Relief from credit card costs: processing and interchange fees are severely capping the industry's profit potential. CSD explores a few of the options that stand to alleviate the problem.(Feature Technology)
June 1, 2007... IT'S NO SECRET THAT the cost of accepting credit cards is reaching dire new heights. According to the most recent National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) State of the Industry (SOI) report, retailers were burned for an estimated $6.6...

Chilling out in the open: open-air coolers coupled with some creativity are helping retailers make the most out of limited workspace.(Feature Operations)
June 1, 2007... WHEN THE AVERAGE CUSTOMER walks into a convenience store--or any retail operation for that matter--items and prices need to form a marriage of value to motivate them to buy, regardless of the purchase. This can be difficult given the...

Butler Capital promotes Hurley.(Decision Makers Spotlight)(Carol Hurley)
June 1, 2007... CAROL HURLEY HAS A long-running convenience career under her belt, gathering experience from major players such as ExxonMobil and Sunoco Oil Co. Her most recent move came when Butler Capital approached her to head up its car care, c-store and...

VERC Enterprises.(Decision Makers)
June 1, 2007... VERC Enterprises has named Dave Proler to the position of district manager, covering six of the company's locations, from Berlin, Mass. to Nashua, N.H. Proler comes to his new post with two years experience in the gasoline and c-store...

NACS.(Decision Makers)(Erin Pressley joins National Association of Convenience Stores)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Erin Pressley has joined NACS as its new editor-in-chief of communications. She will oversee the overall direction and development of NACS' communication vehicles, most notably its monthly NACS Magazine. Most recently, Pressley spent five years...

Chevron Corp.(Decision Makers)
June 1, 2007... Chevron Corp. announced Patricia Yarrington has been named corporate vice president and treasurer, replacing David Krattebol, who is retiring after 36 years with the company. The company also announced a series of senior level appointments....

Bunn.(Decision Makers)
June 1, 2007... Bunn has recently named Desiree Logsdon vice president of marketing. Logsdon is responsible for all marketing communications, association relations and corporate responsibility. She brings a unique understanding of the foodservice industry to...

Success by design.(Editor's Memo)
June 1, 2007... CONVENIENCE STORES ARE NOW major players in the foodservice business. In a few short years, the industry has shattered many of the perception problems that marked its initial foray into the food business and, if anything, it is driving the...

Thinking outside the cup: frozen beverages can be a powerful supplement to an existing dispensed program or a sturdy standalone category for building profit margins.(Feature Foodservice)
June 1, 2007... OVER THE PAST FEW years, many retailers have revamped their food offerings. As those foodservices grow, so do the other categories that strongly supplement them, such as frozen beverages. However, some frozen beverage offerings are starting to...

Rutter's speeds up gas.(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... RUTTER'S, the York, Pa.-based marketer, has invested more than $200,000 to upgrade the speed of its gas pumps to the fastest allowed by state law: 10 gallons per minute. Rutter's is touting its fast gas pumps and a number of other amenities...

Casey's comes to Tiffin.(Casey's General Stores Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... CASEY'S GENERAL FOOD STORES is setting up shop in Tiffin, Iowa and will be opening the doors to a new store by this summer. For the past few weeks, Casey's has owned and operated the Suburban BP Amoco in Tiffin. By the end of the summer, the...

PCA acquisition.(Petroleum Consolidators Of America Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... PETROLEUM CONSOLIDATORS OF AMERICA (PCA) INC., a gasoline station and facilities consolidator, has completed the second of a series of planned acquisitions for 2007. The new site in Miami is currently branded as a CITGO station and includes...

Wholesale firms on the block.(PetroProperties & Finance LLC)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... PETROPROPERTIES & FINANCE LLC of Coral Gables, Fla., is coordinating the confidential sale of the companies in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas. Citing confidentiality agreements, Mark Radosevich, president of PetroProperties...

Murphy Oil acquires Wal-Mart property.
June 1, 2007... MURPHY OIL USA INC. reached a deal with WAL-MART STORES INC. and its subsidiaries to purchase a number of properties it currently leases from Wal-Mart for its Murphy USA retail gasoline stations. Under the terms of the agreement, the conveyance...

Village Pantry disconnects from Marsh.
June 1, 2007... Florida-based SUN CAPITAL PARTNERS has taken charge of MARSH SUPERMARKETS INC., which previously was used as a representative umbrella for several chains controlled by the company, and separated it from the Village Pantry convenience store...

Tesoro closes on USA gasoline deal.
June 1, 2007... TESORO CORP. has completed the purchase of the USA Gasoline brand and 138 operating stations from USA PETROLEUM CORP. Tesoro assumes operational control of the retail assets effective today. The company used cash on hand to fund the $273...

The Pantry cools acquisitions, inks new branding agreement.(Pantry Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... After a year packed with acquisitions, THE PANTRY plans to slow its current pace. The move comes after a set of mixed results for the second quarter of 2007 was posted. CEO Peter Sodini blamed the decline on "unstable conditions in the retail...

Strong leadership begins at the top: NACS President and CEO Hank Armour discusses the State of the Industry and the association's efforts to reduce credit card processing fees.(Front End: Publisher's Q&A)(Industry overview)(Interview)
June 1, 2007... THE CONVENIENCE STORE INDUSTRY REPORTED SALES OF MORE THAN $569 BILLION IN 2006, MAKING IT ONE OF THE most dominate retail channels in the U.S. But with escalating credit card processing fees and volatile categories, such as gasoline and...

Let the good times roll: roller grills are turning out large profits with the help of visual promotions and dedicated suppliers.(Feature Foodservice)
June 1, 2007... WHEN A CUSTOMER WALKS into their neighborhood convenience store, there are a few staple items they instantly look for--the soda fountain, the beverage coolers and the roller grill. The roller grill has proven to be one of those steadfast...

Finding your foodservice niche: NACS' State of the Industry numbers show the food category is growing, but it's also getting more competitive. Convenience retailers must exceed consumers' expectations to capture their "fare share.".(Cover Niche)(Industry overview)(Cover story)
June 1, 2007... The good news for convenience store owners is that industry foodservice sales continued climbing in 2006 and the forecast for the upcoming year is just as strong. The bad news, however, is that other retail channels are keying in on food sales...

Food for thought: product sampling and a thorough understanding of customers helps form an effective foodservice marketing plan.(Column)
June 1, 2007... I remember my first managerial job in foodservice retail. The year was 1987 and I was a manager trainee for Little Caesars Pizza. I had just completed an eight-week apprenticeship and was named company store manager in Northbrook, Ill....

Employee interviews: how to get the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.(Column)
June 1, 2007... WHILE THE INTERVIEW WILL always be the heart and soul of the hiring process, if you're not doing the pre-interview, screening work (completed applications and testing for the needed capacities, attitudes, personality or skills), you're not...

Eco-friendly cups.(New Stuff: 2007 Foodservice)
June 1, 2007... QwikStock.com added a new line of compostable paper hot cups to its assortment of online disposable packaging. Ecotainer cups provide a more environmentally sensitive alternative to traditional disposables. Sourced from fully renewable...

Brilliant brews.(New Stuff: 2007 Foodservice)
June 1, 2007... Brewing the richest, most consistently flavorful coffee just got easier thanks to Curtis' Alpha G3 Automatic Coffee Brewing Systems. Equipped with exclusive Curtis Generation Three (G3) Technology, the revolutionary Alpha line of decanter...

Better-for-you chicken.(New Stuff: 2007 Foodservice)
June 1, 2007... Chester's International has embarked on a system-wide transition to 100% trans fat-free operations. This change emphasizes Chester's commitment to providing the highest quality ingredients to produce the highest quality fried chicken. The...

Digitally do-able.(New Stuff: 2007 Foodservice)
June 1, 2007... Adding digital signage to stores is now easier than ever with the latest products from Innovation Marketing Systems Inc. (IMS). Requiring no additional software or hardware to operate, the IMS Digital Signage products are truly user friendly....

Potatoes with pizzazz.(New Stuff: 2007 Foodservice)
June 1, 2007... Satisfy customers' cravings for variety with the hearty goodness of Lamb Weston brand Oven Roasted Potatoes. Made from the finest redskin and russet potatoes, the Oven Roasted line is low in fat, big in taste and offers zero grams trans fat per...

Solo and go.(New Stuff: Show Special)
June 1, 2007... With a printing area that starts under the roll rim and goes all the way to the bottom, Solo's new Trophy Go Cup is like a walking billboard. Superior graphic capabilities give operators the ability to maximize their advertising dollars by...

Cool cutlery.(New Stuff: Show Special)
June 1, 2007... Dixie Foodservice released its SmartStock cutlery dispenser and refill system, offering the foodservice industry's premier solution for single cutlery dispensing. The new dispensers, which provide an individual piece of single-use cutlery at...

Cool and simple.(New Stuff: Show Special)
June 1, 2007... Hoshizaki KMD Modular Series Ice Makersfit on beverage dispensers producing crystal-clear, individual cubes on its patented stainless steel double-sided ice making surface, which will never chip, flake or peel, yielding more ice than...

Loyalty with ease.(New Stuff: Show Special)(Website overview)
June 1, 2007... Outsite Networks announced the launch of a new Website designed to link vendors and advertisers to retailers that utilize Outsite Networks In-Touch loyalty marketing system. The VendorLink Website offers vendors and advertisers the opportunity...

Packaged promotional punch: a new Coke program is helping smaller retailers compete with--and even overtake--their more powerful counterparts.(Category Manager's Notebook)
June 1, 2007... THE COOLERS IN CONVENIENCE stores today are a great deal different than they were 20 years ago. While carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) used to hold the top spot, they've slowly given way to energy drinks, bottled water, enhanced waters and teas....

All in the family: Terry Gallagher, Jr.: Smoker Friendly International LLC.(Rising Stars)
June 1, 2007... TERRY GALLAGHER, JR. MAY very well have oil in his blood. The first and only president of Boulder, Col.-based Gasamat Oil Corp. dba Smoker Friendly International LLC, Gallagher grew up pumping gas and washing windshields under his father's...

Around the world in 24-7: CSD takes a look at the c-store culture's rise in Japan.(Back Room)
June 1, 2007... What if the average American consumer took a step off of U.S. soil and into foreign territory? Would there be a big difference between the convenience industry he's used to and the way it's operated overseas? CSD captured a glimpse of what...

Fast facts: coffee.(Back Room)
June 1, 2007... ACCORDING TO THE 2007 National Coffee Drinking Trends study conducted by the National Coffee Association, 57% of coffee drinkers between the ages of 18 and 24 drink coffee away from home everyday. The total daily coffee consumption for that age...