Convenience Store Decisions articles from March 2004

Convenience Store Decisions archives from March 2004

Leading the revolution.(Editor's Memo)
March 1, 2004... It sounds like something you might read in one of those NACS Future Studies--something so outrageous that you don't see how it could possibly become reality. Something that, when you hear it, makes you roll your eyes, laugh to yourself--and...

Sheetz makes a casting call: aggressive recruiting efforts help Sheetz find, employ and retain some of the industry's most dynamic associates.(FrontEnd)
March 1, 2004... Deb Stevens can't go to a restaurant or bar the same way a "normal" person does. Stevens, manager of recruitment for Sheetz Inc. (Altoona, PA), inevitably ends up engaged in conversation with an exceptionally friendly hostess, a server who...

Retention headaches: turnover is up and training costs remain sky high. Need to start turning things around? Check out this HR top 10.(FrontEnd)(Human Resources)
March 1, 2004... Over time, as economic and business trends come and go, one factor that remains constant is the value of reliable, dedicated employees. The high cost of recruiting and training new workers isn't going down anytime soon, either. Some...

Anyone need an anti Wal-Mart pill? Government repellant? Devices to inspire the uninspired? Retailers offer bold ideas for inventions to fix what's broken.(FrontEnd)
March 1, 2004... The internal combustion engine transformed civilization. For better or for worse, so did the Internet (probably for worse, if you consider its impact on cigarette sales) and the cell phone that snaps pictures. If you could hire your own...

Full-priced brands on the mend?(Trend Trakker)(cigarette sales)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... As evidenced by the Grand Canyon, all it takes to erode a solid foundation is pressure and time. But if you're talking about sales of premium cigarettes in the convenience channel, rising excise taxes also play an increasingly important role....

Quick Chek Food Stores.(Decision Makers)(Mike Murphy, Maria Fidelibus and Don Leech)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Quick Chek Food Stores (Whitehouse Station, NJ) has appointed Mike Murphy senior vice president of operations. Murphy began his career at Quick Chek in 1976 as an assistant store leader. The company has also appointed Maria Fidelibus, most...

Don Allison, chairman of the board of Town & Country Food Stores (San Angelo, TX), has retired after 35 years with the 137-store chain.(Decision Makers)(Lloyd Norris to replace Allison)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Don Allison, chairman of the board of Town & Country Food Stores (San Angelo, TX), has retired after 35 years with the 137-store chain. Vice Chairman Lloyd Norris, who joined Town & Country in 1970 and has held various positions in the company...

TNT Marketing.(Decision Makers)(Bryan Kann, Butch Henderson and Donna Agee )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... National convenience store broker TNT Marketing has added six members to its national sales team: Bryan Kann, Midwest regional manager; Butch Henderson, Northeast zone manager; Donna Agee, Texas and Louisiana regional manager; Tim Asbury,...

PDQ Manufacturing Inc.(Decision Makers)(Josh Kingsley)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... PDQ Manufacturing Inc. has added Business Development Manager Josh Kingsley to its domestic outside sales team. Based in Phoenix, AZ, Kingsley works with PDQ's West Coast distribution to develop new market and customer opportunities....

Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes.(Retailer Spotlight)(promotions go to Fran Duskiewicz, Peter Tamburro, Denise Reed and Matt Paduano)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes (Canastota, NY) has reassigned four company veterans in key management positions. Fran Duskiewicz has been promoted to executive vice president and chief financial officer, overseeing financial matters and cost...

Revolving doors: malternatives, which ruled the cooler recently, have fallen out of the spotlight. Low-carb, reduced-calorie brands are now poised to take center stage.(Beverages/Beer)(Port Charlotte)
March 1, 2004... Pik N Run convenience stores and its customers are engaged in somewhat of a love affair. Five Pik N Run stores thrive on sales of its customers' favorite one-two punch--pizza and beer--and not even the low-carb "revolution" that has affected...

Reinventing the convenience retail business model.
March 1, 2004... What does your brand convey to customer? How can you better define and execute market strategies that support your brand? These are some of the questions convenience retailers are asking in a world where the lines between channels are more...

Living the low-carb lifestyle: led by 7-Eleven, convenience retailers large and small use low-carb alternatives to attract new customers and drive higher transactions.(Cover Story)
March 1, 2004... One day in January, Kennith Fries witnessed a man and a woman stroll into a convenience store in Arlington, TX. Fries watched as the man zeroed in on an endcap and cleaned out a display of snack bars bearing the "scarlet letter"--A, as in...

The executioner: Rutter's Farm Stores' Famous Express Deli program sets the highest standards in quality, promotion and execution. In Jerry Weiner's eyes, all three are an absolute necessity.
March 1, 2004... Most retailers use wireless phones, PDAs and Blackberry devices to help manage their business. Jerry Weiner might offer another gizmo suggestion: a stopwatch. Weiner, vice president of foodservice at Rutter's Farm Stores (York, PA), says...

Poultry's pole position: commitment to consistency and quality-control provide all the fuel these two operators need to give their chicken programs the inside track to profitability.(Calfee Co.)(Dion's Food Stores)
March 1, 2004... Sam Turner, president of Calfee Co. of Dalton Inc. says everyone in the South understands fried chicken. But for the 134-store Dalton, GA, chain and for Dion's Food Stores (Key West, FL), crafting a chicken program customers will line up for...

Wawa brews up brand equity with Sara Lee: "Sara Lee worked with us to develop a product that met our operations and consumer needs at the same time. Sara Lee really offers flexibility and innovation for new programs.".(Products at Work)
March 1, 2004... Wawa Inc. (Wawa, PA) has worked tirelessly to make its proprietary food brands a household name in the Northeast, but it couldn't have done so without the help of suppliers like Sara Lee Coffee & Tea. The chain gave Sara Lee a trial run with...

The S-factor.(New Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... Manitowoc Ice Inc. introduces the new S-Series ice machine. Engineering innovations in sanitation, savings, sound and serviceability have been incorporated into the design to create the next generation of technically superior ice machines. Unit...

Sizzling sandwiches.(New Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... BUMPIE Subs & Salads announces the availability of its new Grilled Sub line, which will include the Ultimate Club; Beef, Turkey and Cheddar; and a grilled Buffalo Chicken Melt. As with all BLIMPIE sandwiches, the ingredients of the new Grilled...

Sweet treat.(New Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... Hershey's 1g Sugar Carb bars deliver the great Hershey's taste in a sweet snack that's compatible with the increasingly popular low-carb lifestyle. Hershey's 1g Sugar Carb bars are formulated with sugar alcohols and fiber in place of...

Family expansion.(New Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. introduces Pall Mall Ultra Lights box in a nationwide rollout to add to its Filtered Pall Mall family, which includes Full Flavor. Lights and Lights Menthol. Ultra Light is a popular segment that currently makes...

Sunny shaving.(New Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... BIC introduces Soleil, a triple-blade shaver that comes in four vibrant suntoned colors and features a curvy, non-slip handle. The shaver includes a built-in lube strip that dispenses soothing aloe and vitamin E moisturizers for sensitive skin....

Brew time.(New Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... Expanding the growing BrewWise coffee brewing system line for BUNN, the new Single ThermoFresh coffee brewer features a compact option for limited counter space. Only 12" wide, the Single TF brews 11.4 gallons of perfect coffee per hour. This...

Monkey business.(New Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... KoKo's Confectionery & Novelty introduces Monkey Business Candy, which comes in three colorful barrel containers. Each barrel holds 28g of dextrose candy (about 12 monkeys). The four flavors and colors include Blastin' Banana, Radical Blue...

Muffin bluffin'.(New Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... To appeal to the estimated 32 million carb-watching consumers, Bake'n Joy has developed CarbSubtract 3.33-oz. Predeposited Frozen Muffin Batters, Now available as part of the FreshBakes freezer-to-oven line of predeposited frozen batters, these...

Ice-cold deal.(New Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... Follett Corp. announces a promotional price of $6,995 for Ice Pro, an automatic ice bagging and dispensing system with up to 1,000 lbs. of ice storage, This offer will be available to end users through 2004. Ice Pro stores and automatically...

Eye-opening ovens.(New Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... MIWE offers the Backcombi, a combination of MIWE's Condo and Aeromat ovens, in which retailers have the advantage of both circulating and stationary baking. A baking control system allows each baking chamber to be regulated separately. And the...

Five flavor frenzy.(New Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... Kraft's 5 Flavor Life Savers is rolling out new flavors for the first time in more than 68 years. The new version of 5 Flavor Life Savers introduces Raspberry and Watermelon in addition to the original Pineapple, Orange and Cherry. To maximize...

Promo in motion.(New Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... PromoWorks, LLC introduces PromoPull, a cost-effective coupon dispenser that can he installed inside or out. PromoPull dispenses coupons, rebates, sweepstakes entry forms, recipes, product information and more. Each PromoPull holds 50, 75 or...

Big dipping.(New Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... Herschel Walker's Famous 34 line offers six new dipping sauces available in convenient portion cups. The six flavors Overtime Sauce, Sweet Mustard Sauce, Chillin' Cucumber Sauce, Coolin' Down Sauce, Tartar Sauce and Barbecue Sauce--join the...

Black pack.(New Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... Natural American Spirit Perique Blend Filter Cigarettes--the world's only authentic Perique tobacco cigarettes--will now be avail able in hard packs. Grown exclusively in the rich, black soil of St. James Parish, LA, authentic Perique, a dark,...

(Bread)stick around.(New Stuff!)
March 1, 2004... Piccadilly Circus Pizza introduces its new Double Dippers Breadstick program as part of the new Freezer to Oven foodservice concepts currently being developed to help retailers control labor and grow the bottom line. Double Dippers Breadsticks...

On the Run hits 1,000!(BACK ROOM)(Exxon Mobil Corp.'s newest On the Run convenience store)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Exxon Mobil Corp.'s newest On the Run convenience store in Elmira, NY, is a converted unit operated by On the Run Regional Franchise Developer Petr-All Petroleum Consulting Corp. (DeWitt, NY). Did we also happen to mention the store is...

Is this a toy or a training tool?(BackRoom)(McDonald's toy drive-thru center)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Retailers routinely say finding good help remains their biggest and most frustrating challenge. But QSR chain McDonald's might have something on its hands that can help. The burger chain lent its likeness and image to Creative Designs...