Convenience Store Decisions articles from March 2006

Convenience Store Decisions archives from March 2006

Big moves at Nice N Easy: company president John MacDougall announces major staff changes as he turns is attention to real estate development.(BackRoom: "Stuff you need that we didn't have room for anyplace else")
March 1, 2006... John MacDougall is on a first-name basis with all of his employees and a great many of his customers, too. Well, when customers see him in his Nice N Easy stores and recognize him from the chain's radio and television promotions, more often...

Washing away lost margins: the carwash has matured from an ancillary service to a major profit center that could easily exist on its own.
March 1, 2006... Matthew Jadali has it all figured out. Operating his third different Mobil location in the past dozen years, like most convenience store owners, he's doggedly battling the deterioration of gas margins. His weapon of choice: carwash. Much...

Irving Oil fights back.
March 1, 2006... Irving Oil Ltd. (Saint John, New Brunswick) said it "will vigorously defend" a class-action lawsuit alleging that the chain overcharged consumers on fuel taxes in 2004. The suit was filed in February by Option Consommateurs, a Canadian...

WashTec acquires Mark VII.(WashTec AG)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Mark VII Equipment LLC (www.markvii.net) has announced that WashTec AG (www.washtec.com) of Augsburg, Germany-a world-leading supplier of carwash equipment-entered into an agreement to acquire the business. Mark VII has been the exclusive...

E-ZPass offered at NOCO.(NOCO Express Shops)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... NOCO Express Shops (Tonawanda, N.Y.) has partnered with the New York State Thruway Authority to begin selling E-ZPass tags through its new E-ZPass On-the-Go program, making it the first retailer to do so. Upon purchasing an On-the-Go tag,...

Miller unveils new bottle fridge pack.(trade advertising)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Miller Brewing Co. (www.milleradvantage.com) has launched a bottle Fridge Pack configuration that will be available in the Miller Lite and Miller Genuine Draft brand nationwide. The new bottle 12-pack offers consumers easy storage of bottles in...

Flash Foods chooses Pinnacle's EPM.(Enterprise Performance Management)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The Pinnacle Corp. (www.pinncorp.com) has announced that Flash Foods (Waycross, Ga.) has purchased Pinnacle's Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), a recently launched Web-based business intelligence suite. EPM is a dynamic analytical tool...

Kum & Go.(chief acquisitions officer)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Kyle Krause, CEO of Kum & Go announces the promotion of Brian Thompson as chief acquisitions officer. Thompson will be responsible for developing the company's Grow Business department, an area responsible for all convenience store acquisitions...

The Pantry, Inc.(Decision Makers)
March 1, 2006... The Pantry, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Terry L. McElroy and Mark D. Miles to each serve as a director of the company. Prior to joining The Pantry, McElroy had an illustrious career with McLane Grocery Distribution,...

BUNN-O-Matic Corp.(sales team)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Two seasoned sales executives have been named to BUNN-O-Matic Corp.'s sales team. Greg Fisher has been named senior vice president, national accounts, and Joe Sturm has been named vice president, sales administration and customer support....

The choice is yours.(Editor's Memo)
March 1, 2006... Convenience Store Decisions celebrates its first annual Reader's Choice Awards issue by recognizing the Top Performers in two dozen categories and subcategories. The awards are a significant milestone for CSD as we move forward with our...

Brewing a beer strategy: regional marketers discuss hot trends in the cold vault.(Category Update: Beer)
March 1, 2006... Variety and pricing are the keys to building the beer business, according to a Convenience Store Decisions survey of regional marketers. "We're seeing strong sales in imports, as well as the flavored alcoholic beverages," said Doreen Lewis,...

Software solutions at work: Whitehead Oil and Sprint Food Stores' new POS and back-office systems liberate employees from labor-intensive tasks.
March 1, 2006... Kent Jaggers roved the NACSTech show at Opryland last May, hunting for software that could tie directly into the chain's existing POS and back-office systems and assemble detailed reports that would help him, company President Mark Whitehead...

Juice beverages and teas.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... Seventy-one key decision makers buying for 23,360 stores reported that the juice/tea category represented $1.01 billion in sales for the year. Arizona, Campbell Soup Co. and Pepsi's SoBe made strides in product quality, while Arizona also...

Soft drinks.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... The 72 decision makers surveyed about the soft drink category reported the category represented $1.02 billion for the year. While Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola were clear leaders with a number of new products brought to market, other companies were...

Isotonics/energy drinks.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... Sales of energy drinks are on the rise, according to the 72 decision makers surveyed--the category represented $749 million in sales last year. It's showing so much growth that retailers like Terrytown, La.-based Danny & Clyde's Food Store Inc....

Ice cream/frozen novelties.(marketing for the 65-store chain)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The 55 key decision makers surveyed about the ice cream/frozen novelties category reported that the category represented $398 million in sales last year. While Nestle, M&M/Mars and Ben & Jerry's are big names in the freezers, brand names don't...

Bottled water.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... The 72 key decision makers surveyed make buying decisions for 18,765 stores. The bottled water category represents $728 million in sales per years for those stores. Aquafina (Pepsi) and Coke (Dasani) were leaders in the category when it...

Beer.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... Anheuser-Busch continues to be the overall category leader among beers, ranking first in every survey question asked in the CSD Sales Tracking Study. Nearly 60% of retailers polled said they considered Anheuser-Busch to be their best...

Chocolate candy.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... For effective overall sales programs, Hershey has maintained its lead from last year (from 55% in 2004 up to 62% in 2005), but M&M/Mars has gained some considerable ground (from 14% in 2004 up to 31% in 2005). Part of Hershey's success can...

Non-chocolate candy.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... The innovation that has ignited the chocolate candy category in Marty Anderson's eyes is the same thing keeping Appco Convenience Stores' non-chocolate candy category constantly refreshed. "Whenever gum vendors come to visit they always...

Packaged snacks.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... Packaged snacks represent $390 million in sales per year for the 69 surveyed in the CSD Sales Tracking Study. Frito-Lay sits atop the category in terms of promotions (60% of respondents rated it the best for 2005, up from 46% in 2004), delivery...

Cigarettes.(cigarette prices and sales)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Few surprises in the cigarette category as Philip Morris, manufacturer of category leader Marlboro, was named the top cigarette supplier by 54% of the 73 chains participating in the 2005 CSD Sales Tracking Study. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco,...

Cigars.(2005 CSD Sales Tracking Study)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Boosted by its Swisher Sweets, Optimo and King Edward brands, Swisher International heads the list of cigar Top Performers, according to the 2005 CSD Sales Tracking Study. Of the 63 chains to participate in the cigar survey, 35% identified...

Smokeless Tobacco.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... Skoal and Copenhagen carried U.S. Smokeless Tobacco to the head of the smokeless Top Performer list. The Greenwich, Conn.-based company, which estimates its sells more than 1.7 million cans of moist smokeless tobacco per day, was considered the...

Dispensed beverages cold.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... Few categories have the margin potential of cold dispensed beverages. The category's two components, the soda fountain and frozen carbonated beverages, accounted for $2.3 billion in overall sales in 2004, according to the NACS State of the...

Dispensed beverages hot.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... Coffee has evolved into a major profit center for convenience store retailers, and the numbers prove it. Virtually all convenience chains (97.1%) offer hot dispensed beverages helping the category ring up more than $4 billion in sales in 2004....

Branded fast foods.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... The difference between the convenience channel's early experiences in branded foodservice and where the channel is today is like the difference between the clumsy guy with two left feet and no sense of rhythm, and the suave, smooth,...

Prepared foods.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... One foodservice category manager says the biggest difference he sees in the foodservice vendors he uses is that they are investing more time and energy than ever in understanding the special needs of the convenience channel. One vendor even...

Fully prepared hot & cold sandwiches.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... What do foodservice managers want in a sandwich vendor? The same things any other category manager wants: products and programs that simplify their lives and those of the store-level personnel that operate the food program on a daily basis. ...

Fresh bakery.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... With its strong direct store delivery distribution system and free product displays, Bon Appetit was voted the top fresh bakery supplier, according to the CSD Sales Tracking Study. Bon Appetit garnered 23% of the vote from the 40 retailers...

ATMs.(Reader's Choice)
March 1, 2006... ATMs is a new category to the CSD Sales Tracking Study for 2005 and Triton earned honors as the top supplier from 33% of the retailers participating in the survey. Top Performers also included Cardtronics (17%) followed by Lynk Systems,...

Cleaning Systems Inc.(New Stuff! Special)
March 1, 2006... Booth #1608 Lustra Professional Car Care Products introduces its newest technological breakthrough--LustraShield-Total Surface Gloss. Utilizing the latest brightening polymers, LustraShield reflects otherwise unseen white light while...

Sunshine Rooms Inc.(New Stuff! Special)
March 1, 2006... Booth #1474 Sunshine Rooms Inc., a leading manufacturer of glass structures for more than 25 years, announces the release of its latest product line--Crystal Structures car wash buildings. The attractive all-glass buildings create a...

J.E. Adams Industries.(New Stuff! Special)
March 1, 2006... Booth #2614 J.E. Adams Industries introduces the ULTRA Series 29000, a turbo vacuum, shampoo and spot remover all in one expertly designed combination unit. The control panel boasts a large digital display and Mars 2000 bill acceptor that...

PDQ Manufacturing.(New Stuff! Special)
March 1, 2006... Booth #1215 #1416 PDQ Manufacturing has relaunched its SpectraWash brand of conveyorized tunnel car wash equipment as SpectraWash+ with the introduction of two complete line extensions incorporating friction and hybrid technology. For 20...

Jim Coleman.(New Stuff! Special)
March 1, 2006... Booth #1800 #1810 Jim Coleman's Entry Wizard welcomes customers to the Water Wizard 2.0 with a vibrant greeting and gives instructions on how to select and pay through a brightly colored touch-screen. All forms of payment are accepted and...

D&S car wash.(New Stuff! Special)
March 1, 2006... Booth #1027 #1229 For a soft, precision-clean car wash, discover the new Odyssey Soft Touch from D&S. Constructed of durable aluminum, the Odyssey gently glides on overhead rails for a clean open-bay appearance and features...

Pur-clean.(New Stuff! Special)
March 1, 2006... Booth #1265 The knowledge of quality water and responsible water management is a vital component to a successful car wash operator in today's highly competitive world of vehicle washing. The Pur-Clean Spot-free Rinse system with its...

Mark VII.(New Stuff! Special)
March 1, 2006... Booth #2408 The AquaJet GT series of carwashes provide the highest-quality touchfree wash available at a competitive price. Simplified maintenance, outstanding reliability and future expandability are all part of the design. AquaJet GT...

Saluting the industry's top suppliers: Convenience Store Decisions' Reader's Choice Awards honor the top performers in more than 20 in-store categories.(CSD 2006 Reader's Choice Award)
March 1, 2006... "Honesty," "integrity" and "committed to the industry." These were just a few of the glowing accolades industry retailers had for their supplier partners in Convenience Store Decisions' first annual Reader's Choice Awards. "We...

Crowd pleaser.(Rising Stars)
March 1, 2006... Like a lot of high school boys, one of David Dill's first jobs was at a local service station. Little did he know this would be the first step of his illustrious career with Jacksonville, Fla.-based Gate Petroleum Co. "When I first started...

Wrapped to perfection: sheetz increases efficiency 13% at its Pa. distribution center using stretch wrappers.(Front End)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Sheetz Inc. understands that speed and innovation are differentiators in the convenience industry. The family-owned Altoona, Pa.-based chain proved it by being one of the first retailers to integrate touchscreen ordering into its Made-to-Order...

McLane to service Town & Country.(McLane Co. Inc)(service agreement )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Town & Country Food Stores Inc. reached a deal with grocer McLane Co. Inc. on a distribution service agreement that will run through 2008. The deal covers all 159 of Town & Country's convenience stores and travel centers in Texas and New...

Getty Realty adds 18 Arrow Mart locations.(Front End)
March 1, 2006... Getty Realty Corp. acquired 18 convenience store properties from privately-held Arrow Mart Convenience Stores for about $16 million. The real estate investment trust said the newly added store properties, which are being leased out to Yellow...

Family Express honored.(Indiana Chamber of Commerce)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Family Express Corp. was honored by its peers in Indiana with the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award. The award, bestowed for the first time by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, is designed to honor small business in the state that are making big...

Chew on this: motivated by the growing deep-discount price segment of moist smokeless tobacco, Fas Mart is using premium products to drive volume and maintain store profitability.
March 1, 2006... Since the late 90s convenience store retailers have experienced the rapid expansion of a deep-discount price segment, often referred to as the sub-price value segment, in the moist smokeless tobacco category. While the category's growth is...

A touch of controversy: a growing profit center for c-stores, Iowa's TouchPlay machines have triggered a statewide clash that might mean the program's removal.(Front End)
March 1, 2006... The controversial TouchPlay machine, which has sparked a lottery vs. casino debate throughout Iowa, is smacking the convenience store owner where it hurts most--the pocketbook. Consider Larry Bentler, president of Houghton, Iowa-based Jet...

Dipping into new profits: premium products driving the moist smokeless tobacco business, U.S. Smokeless Tobacco says.(Category Update: Smokeless Tobacco)
March 1, 2006... An influx of deep-discount products is forcing retailers to change the way they merchandise moist smokeless tobacco (MST) products and experts are concerned that these changes are adversely affecting moist smokeless profitability. As the...