Convenience Store Decisions articles from May 2005

Convenience Store Decisions archives from May 2005

Righting the responsibility ship.(Editor's Memo)
May 1, 2005... This little nugget might have escaped your radar. In October 2003, fast feeders in the U.K. learned that lawmakers were considering punishing them for trash dumped by their irresponsible customers. Parliament had called for QSRs to pay for the...

In the Q: anchored by Starbucks and other powerful food brands, Canadian Tire's "Q" concept could have a dramatic effect on the retailing landscape north of the border.(FrontEnd)
May 1, 2005... Canadian Tire Petroleum has sold gasoline since 1958, but even the company's president will admit that its traditional convenience store offer has been less than imaginative--until recently. Canadian Tire Petroleum's retail ops absorbed a jolt...

Payback with interest: are you boring your associates right out the door? Trim turnover by keeping employees stimulated.(The Labor Pool: "Come on in, the water's fine!")
May 1, 2005... Which item on the following list of job benefits is most important when it comes to keeping great convenience store employees on the payroll? a.) Money b.) Recognition c.) Respect d.) Interesting Work If you answered...

Drive-thru goliath: this "natural descendant of the c-store" intends to offer everything from lottery tickets and liquor to groceries and fast food--all in a drive-thru format.(FrontEnd)(AutoCart LLC )
May 1, 2005... Stephen Beardsley wants to out-convenience the c-store industry. Beardsley is president of AutoCart LLC (Las Cruces, NM), a company that plans on building a $13 million to $18 million "Drive-Thru Supercenter" that will enable Bubba to shop for...

At their fingertips: Huck's Food & Fuel uses handheld technology to improve company communications and get a better grasp on gas pricing decisions.(FrontEnd)
May 1, 2005... Huck's Food & Fuel (Carmi, IL) is no stranger to big ideas. The company's latest brainstorm has the chain saving on phone calls made from stores to regional and district managers. It's also getting operations staffers more involved in the...

Fired up! What began 60 years ago as a small one-pump station in Texas Hill Country has evolved into Rudy's Country Store & Bar-B-Q's growing chain of crossbreed restaurants.(Cover Story)
May 1, 2005... Barbecuing brisket wasn't anywhere on Rudolph Aue's agenda in 1929, when he opened his one-pump country store D in the tiny community of Leon Springs, TX, just a few miles west of San Antonio. In fact, it wasn't until 60 years later, when Aue...

No ordinary Joe.(grocery stores)
May 1, 2005... Part Jimmy Buffett, part Rainforest Cafe and part Wegmans, Trader Joe's has built an almost cult-like following for its grocery stores. Yet these small (some would say cramped) but unbelievably successful stores--the chain's 2003 sales tipped...

Casing the deli: some O'Connell Oil stores receive upwards of 30 "call-ahead" orders per day. Store-made sandwiches are popular, but deli meats and platters are the big draw.
May 1, 2005... Which came first, the deli or the sandwich program? Pittsfield, MA-based O'Connell Oil may be in the minority, but it was trying to become a destination for deli meats long before it ever sold a sandwich. With 15 of its O'Connell Convenience...

Casework: rotisserie chicken. Cold sandwiches. Pizza. Fresh fruit. Display cases boost the sales potential of any food item.(Well Equipped)
May 1, 2005... Display cases hold and merchandise products effectively and offer customers a quick showing of the operator's menu selections. The idea is to give Mr. Customer the opportunity to view the retailer's fare--and increase the likelihood of him...

Pilot takes control; Pilot Travel Centers adapts to its growth by streamlining its payroll and human resources systems.
May 1, 2005... Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. As Pilot Travel Centers grew to 50 c-stores and 262 travel centers in 40 states with 14,000 employees, it became imperative for the company to streamline its payroll and human resources processes....

Roll reversal: smokeless tobacco sales rise with the tide at the 19 stores run by California's Humboldt Petroleum. Much of the segment's recent growth comes from bargain brands.(Category Manager's Notebook: Smokeless Tobacco)
May 1, 2005... Eric Dean remembers walking into a store as a child with a note from his mother saying, "Please sell my son a pack of Pall Malls for me." Things have changed a lot since then. Retailers have become much more responsible, for instance, by taking...

NCA's 2005 All Candy Expo: June 14-16, 2005 McCormick Place Lakeside Center * Chicago, Il.(NCA ALL CANDY EXPO: It's Candy Time!)(National Confectioners Association)
May 1, 2005... The candy bar. It's an American icon, symbolic of an entire category. And if its performance over the last year is any indication of the rest of the category, the past 12 months were great for candy. Total chocolate candy bar sales in the...

Lipton's new look.(New Stuff!)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The Pepsi-Lipton Tea Partnership introduces a new formula and package graphics for ready-to-drink Lipton Original Iced Tea as well as an entirely new version of ready-to-drink Lipton Iced Tea. Sold in 16-oz. glass bottles and sporting a new...

Patriotic name change.(New Stuff!)
May 1, 2005... After months of planning, research and preparation, Made-Rite Sandwich Co. has replaced its primary retail brand, Made-Rite, with Great American Deli. With everything from breakfast sandwiches to subs and burgers, the Great American line is set...

Table topping.(New Stuff!)
May 1, 2005... Eagle Foodservice Equipment offers LIFESTOR high-density polymer undershelves for stainless steel and tubular-based dishtables and worktables. Designed to optimize worker efficiency and sanitation, these adjustable undershelves feature...

Peppered perfection.(New Stuff!)
May 1, 2005... Teens crave the spicy, bold flavor of pepperoni--and ConAgra Foods is bringing that intense flavor to its meat snacks with the introduction of new Pepperoni-flavored Slim Jim meat sticks. Pepperoni--the newest flavor to "snap into" the Slim Jim...

Point-click-profit.(New Stuff!)
May 1, 2005... With 60% of U.S. households using one-time-use cameras, a retailer can become a destination by offering a two-time-use camera. HPI International offers the CAM 54, a motorized disposable 35mm film camera, for a price point comparable to...

Balmy sales.(New Stuff!)
May 1, 2005... The Jones Soda Co. has formed an exclusive agreement with Lime Lite Marketing, which includes the creation of Jones Soda flavored lip balm. For the initial launch, Lime Lite has created four Jones Soda flavored lip balms--green apple, fufu...

Food innovation.(New Stuff!)
May 1, 2005... Autofry has two new innovative product introductions that will drive foodservice sales. The "Oh-Dog" is a hot dog that, when prepared in a fryer, blossoms into a circular delectable delight. The round-dog is then placed on a gourmet roll and...

Prepaid partnership.(New Stuff!)
May 1, 2005... PaySpot Inc., a leading prepaid provider in the U.S., announced a multiyear agreement with CJK Inc., the largest prepaid phone card distributor in southern California, to sell electronic prepaid services through POS terminals in more than...

OTP introductions.(New Stuff!)
May 1, 2005... Swedish Match introduces a bevy of new products to enhance its reputation as an OTP partner. Longhorn Long Cut Mint, made with a quality tobacco blend and a strong yet smooth peppermint flavor, answers the rising consumer demand for a great...

Popsicle's new twist.(New Stuff!)
May 1, 2005... SoLongSucker!--a long, twisty, tingly grape-flavored ice pop with a sour black cherry-flavored center--is the latest addition to the Popsicle brand. The SoLongSucker! is one of the first products Unilever has developed using a proprietary...

Single-level structure.(New Stuff!)
May 1, 2005... Versatility and function are the keys when it comes to Structural Plastics' Solid-Top Single-Level Displays. They'll find a home anywhere retailers have some extra space. The displays will serve well as an economical place to display everything...

Refreshing flavor injection.(New Stuff!)
May 1, 2005... IZZE Beverage Co. launched its newest and most versatile flavor--Sparkling Pomegranate--with a clean, light and refreshing taste, initially, available in a 12-oz. glass bottle, IZZE Sparkling Pomegranate joins existing flavors Sparkling...

Fun guide.(New Stuff!)
May 1, 2005... Gold Medal Products announces its 61st Edition 2005 FUNFOOD Catalog. This full-color, 112-page catalog showcases the widest range of equipment and supplies in the concession industry. Everything necessary for money-making producers such as...

Steam cleaning.(New Stuff!)
May 1, 2005... The new SteamChef 6 from Cleveland Range is a high-speed electric convection steamer that's both easy to use and easy to clean. The unit's patented KleanShield cooking compartment is designed to automatically collect and remove waste, keeping...

Tea time.(New Stuff!)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Fetco introduces a line of tea dispensers and brewers so user-friendly and easy to clean that even the busiest operators will be able to offer specialty iced tea flavors. The new FETCO ITD30 3-Gallon Iced Tea Dispenser features an easily...

'Lighten' the mood.(New Stuff!)
May 1, 2005... Beta Lighting has added two new models to its Constellation series of luminaries for the petroleum industry--a Sag Lens model and a Directional model with a flat lens. The Constellation with Sag Lens allows for additional sparkle without glare,...

By the numbers.(Back Room: "stuff you need hat we didn't have room for anyplace else")(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... 10,000 * The square footage of Sheetz's second Convenience Restaurant, this one in Raleigh, NC. The store, which opened on March 10, is similar to Sheetz's inaugural Convenience Restaurant in its hometown of Altoona, PA (see Menu Driven,...

NOCO Express Shops.(Decision Makers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... NOCO Express Shops (Tonawanda, NY) has added Dave Agnello and Kevin Girasole to its team of retail district managers, joining current DM Janet Hehr. Also, longtime NOCO executive Rick Klyczek has been named manager of the company's dealer...

Petro-Canada.(Decision Makers)(appointments)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Petro-Canada (Mississauga, Ontario) has made some changes to two of its key director positions. Howard McIntyre, formerly senior director of convenience retailing for the chain, has become senior director of planning and performance. Deborah...

New York Association of Convenience Stores'.(Decision Makers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... For their achievement and service to New York's convenience store industry, Case Marshall, vice president of Pit Stop Convenience Stores (Weedsport, NY), and the late Cad Tripi of Buffalo-based wholesaler Tripifoods, will become the 19th and...

ChevronTexaco.(Decision Makers)(appointments)
May 1, 2005... ChevronTexaco has added Ronald D. Sugar, chairman, CEO and president of defense company Northrop Grumman Corp., to its board of directors.

PerformanceRetail.(Decision Makers)(appointments)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Web-based software solutions provider PerformanceRetail has added Marsha Mathis, a 23-year veteran of the convenience retail industry, as director of professional services. Mathis is responsible for overseeing the implementation, training and...

Hershey Foods Corp.(Decision Makers)(appointments)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Hershey Foods Corp. has named Michele Buck senior vice president of the corporation and president of its recently formed U.S. Snacks Group. Buck joins Hershey from Kraft Foods, which she served as senior vice president and general manager of...

Miller Brewing Co.(Decision Makers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Miller Brewing Co. has appointed Tom Long executive vice president and chief marketing officer. When he joins Miller on July 1, he'll succeed Bob Mikulay, who is retiring after 30 years of service to Miller and former corporate parent, Philip...