Convenience Store Decisions articles from September 2007

Convenience Store Decisions archives from September 2007

Appetite for construction: dash in food stores is poised for growth as it introduces a new store design emphasizing its commitment to a foodservice future.(Cover Dash In)(Cover story)(Company overview)
September 1, 2007... DRIVING DOWN CRAIN HIGHWAY in southern Maryland, motorists are offered many convenience alternatives--7-Elevens, Wawas, XtraMarts--but as they cross into La Plata, a glamorous new store stands out like a beautiful brick beacon. ...

Couche-Tard named Convenience Store Decisions' chain of the year: under CEO Alain Bouchard, the marketer has built an extensive c-store network in the U.S. and Canada.(Front End: The News)
September 1, 2007... IN A YEAR WHERE several top convenience store companies distinguished themselves with new store prototypes, increased sales and strong financial portfolios, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. stood out from the crowd by cementing its position as a...

Growth on tap at gulf: as part of a fuel reimaging campaign, the oil company is launching the new Gulf Express convenience store brand.(CSD ON LOCATION: Destination: Gulf Oil LP: Newton, Mass.)
September 1, 2007... GULF OIL, THE VENERABLE New England fuel brand, is midway through a major branding campaign that will see the oil company convert 11 Exxon travel plazas along the Massachusetts Turnpike. But what is most significant about the Turnpike deal is...

ExxonMobil offers sweet candy promotion: working with Hershey, coffee customers offered free Kit Kat in August.(Front End)
September 1, 2007... AS CANDY MANUFACTURERS ROLL out holiday products, Fairfax, Va.-based Exxon Mobil Corp. is taking advantage of sweet season's start. During August, ExxonMobil ran a special promotion in its On the Run convenience stores throughout the U.S....

The "new" cornerstone on the back bar: retailers and tobacco experts discuss OTPs bright future in CSD's online Roundtable series.(Front End)(Discussion)
September 1, 2007... CIGARETTE SALES ARE STILL one of the biggest draws for convenience stores, but many retailers are gradually shifting their attention to the new king of the back bar: the other tobacco product (OTP) category. It's no secret that OTP...

Paperback profits: newspapers and maps are a given for retailers looking to aid the traveling public, but how they manage the periodicals category will ultimately decide whether it's profitable.(Front End)
September 1, 2007... PERIODICALS CAN BE A slippery slope for the convenience industry. A good magazine title can be just as powerful as an impulse item for teens and adults as well-placed candy items are for kids. But for every one shopper that picks up a title,...

Are you leaving money on the table? Federal and state tax credits are available to employers that hire members of specific, usually disadvantaged, groups.(Column)
September 1, 2007... EVERY YEAR, THOUSANDS OF employers fail to claim their fair share of the billions of dollars in government tax credits and incentive programs set aside for them. If you've never claimed yours, then the question is: "Why?" [ILLUSTRATION...

Candy that cares.(NEW CANDY STUFF: Creations & Innovations to Convenience Products & Services)
September 1, 2007... To help find a cure for breast cancer, dedicated packages of Fruit Punch flavor of Sport Beans jelly beans by Jelly Belly will benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The new pink ribbon packaging includes a pledge to donate 5% of the...

Sweet jewels.(NEW CANDY STUFF: Creations & Innovations to Convenience Products & Services)
September 1, 2007... August marked the 30th anniversary of a jewel of a candy: the Ring Pop. Manufactured by Topps Confections since 1977, the candy ring was originally offered in two flavors: cherry and grape. Kids now choose from more than 10 different fruit and...

Cookie crumbles.(NEW CANDY STUFF: Creations & Innovations to Convenience Products & Services Services)
September 1, 2007... Combine passion for chocolate with the premium reputation of Otis Spunkmeyer and its newest flavors in the the Sweet Discovery cookie dough line--Chocolate Obsession and Double Chocolate Brownie. Made with rich and distinctive Barry Callebaut...

'Seed' with envy.(NEW CANDY STUFF: Creations & Innovations to Convenience Products & Services)
September 1, 2007... Zotes prides itself on finding new ways to impress taste buds and has a full-flavor lineup of sunflower seeds, including Bleu Cheese, Tequila Lime,, Spicy Nacho and many more. The product comes in 5-oz. resealable jars with convenient flip-top...

Bubble blasts.(NEW CANDY STUFF: Creations & Innovations to Convenience Products & Services Services)
September 1, 2007... Farley's & Sathers is expanding the Super Bubble 36-oz. tray changemakers to include "Super Tasting" grape flavor. This big 8-gram piece of bubble gum comes in a 36-oz. tray packed nine to a case. Each tray contains approximately 180 pieces....

Tootsie roll.(NEW CANDY STUFF: Creations & Innovations to Convenience Products & Services Services)
September 1, 2007... Tootsie Roll Industries just sweetened the pot for consumers on sugar-restricted diets with the unveiling of new Sugar-Free Tootsie Roll Midgees! This chewy, chocolatey treat, sweetened with Splenda, offers the same great taste and texture as...

Special attention.(NEW CANDY STUFF: Creations & Innovations to Convenience Products & Services Services)
September 1, 2007... Perfetti Van Melle will launch a ground-breaking promotion with DC Comics with a specially created comic that features Superman and the Airheads' "Balloon Guy." This eight-page custom comic will be inserted into 500,000 DC Kids comic books this...

Speedy treats.(NEW CANDY STUFF: Creations & Innovations to Convenience Products & Services Services)
September 1, 2007... Put an exciting spin on kids meal combinations with the M&M's-branded NASCAR kids' meal carrier, inspired by the fastest-growing spectator sport in America. With the power of the M&M's brand plus a tasty menu offerings, this fun and brightly...

Quite corny.(NEW STUFF: Creations & Innovations to Convenience Products & Services)
September 1, 2007... Brakebrush Brothers has added yet another fun and yummy product to its already successful line of Kids Klassics chicken: Mini Chik'N Corn Dogs. The new corn dogs are a novel breast-meat chicken nugget with a dip-able shape and kid-friendly,...

Sweet seating.(NEW STUFF: Creations & Innovations to Convenience Products & Services)
September 1, 2007... Leisure Craft introduces a new line of tables. Designer's choice of round, square, oval or other shapes are available. The recent acquisitions of some high-tech cutting and forming machinery allow Leisure Craft to custom fabricate tables out of...

Smarter snacking.(NEW STUFF: Creations & Innovations to Convenience Products & Services)
September 1, 2007... Peeled Snacks will debut its newest line, Fruit Picks and Nut Picks, 100% natural, healthy treats in portion-controlled single servings. Using only premium organic and natural fruits and nuts, Fruit Picks and Nut Picks help people meet their...

Dispense with formalities.(NEW STUFF: Creations & Innovations to Convenience Products & Services)
September 1, 2007... FBD (Frozen Beverage Dispensers) delivers extreme capacity and options. The 560 series, built on a platform featuring the Scroll compressor, delivers optimal capacity as its recovery time is one of the fastest in the industry. Whether it be the...

Name spreading.(NEW STUFF: Creations & Innovations to Convenience Products & Services)
September 1, 2007... Keep up with the competion and increase sales while keeping advertising costs in line by imprinting logos or messages on cups from Printed Cup Co. Branding on cups helps develop loyalty patterns and gives the perception of value and quality....

Growing with the business.(Rising Stars)
September 1, 2007... Alan Drake Kwik Stop Colorado AS ALAN DRAKE GREW up in central Colorado, he found himself working for a local convenience store through high school. At the time, Kwik Stop had just one store operating out of its headquarters in Penrose,...

CSD honors three with NCSAG scholarships: students receive $1,000 grants to help further their education.(Back Room)
September 1, 2007... COLLEGE TUITION CAN BE a big financial burden, but Convenience Store Decisions is committed to offsetting that burden for its National Convenience Store Advisory Group (NCSAG) members. The NCSAG Scholarship Fund--created for employees or...

Sweet alternatives.(Category: Managers Notebook)
September 1, 2007... AS THE QUEST FOR healthier foods in c-stores continues, manufacturers are taking note of the growing trend. Sconza Candy Co. is giving serious consideration to resizing its line of all-natural candy snacks specifically for convenience stores....

The sweet life: with the help of seasonal items, novelty candies and healthy alternatives, confectionery is outperforming other categories.(Category: Managers Notebook)
September 1, 2007... BOOSTED BY BACK-TO-SCHOOL AND holiday shopping, autumn creates many new sales opportunities for convenience store owners, with the confectionery category being among the most heavily promoted. The category is booming with demand from...

White gold: retailers nationwide are struggling to keep their gallon milk prices down, but don't point the finger solely at ethanol production--it's not the only culprit.(Category: Managers Notebook)
September 1, 2007... LAST MONTH, CSD OFFERED a story about Fast Phil's, a retailer in North Carolina that consistently goes head-to-head with supermarkets on its bread, milk and egg prices. The 12-store chain still maintains its price war, but with the recent rise...

Strive for excellence.(Editor's Memo)(Geo. H. Green Oil)
September 1, 2007... THERE ARE MANY COMMON characteristics of excellence, but none more important than giving your very best at everything you do. Take Geo. H. Green Oil in Fairburn, Ga., for instance. Last month, Green Oil's Director of Marketing Jim Callahan...

Service to the fleet: proprietary cards aimed at the trucking industry help retailers increase volume and in-store sales, while fending off costly processing fees.(Feature Operations)
September 1, 2007... RETAILERS ARE CAUGHT IN an endless battle at the gas pumps--fending off high pay-at-the-pump processing fees on credit cards, while trying to keep their customers from floating over to lower-priced big-box competitors. To do this, retailers are...

Pricing for the future: town & country is among the chains investing in price optimization software to manage fuel sales.(Feature Operations)
September 1, 2007... GASOLINE RETAILERS ARE CURRENTLY facing an unstable market, where prices are in a constant flux and the slightest miscalculation can cost them dearly. To stay on top of their game, retailers are investing in new price optimization software...

Getting then most out of fuel consumers: the 2007 NACS Consumer Fuels Report found that price is the biggest driver of fuel sales, so as retailers shave margins to attract customers, they need to develop programs to drive in-store sales.(Feature Marketing)
September 1, 2007... "HIGH GASOLINE PRICES HAVE not changed Americans' driving habits but they have significantly changed their purchasing habits, as price is by far the No. 1 reason why drivers select a specific gas store. In fact, more than one out of four...

Star'buck'-ing the system: convenience concepts are spreading to coffee houses, supermarkets and even drug stores, and retailers have every reason to be concerned.(Feature Foodservice)
September 1, 2007... IT'S NO SECRET THAT c-stores have "borrowed" ideas from outside channels. Thanks to Starbucks, c-store operators learned that customers would pay $4 for a cup of coffee as long as it was a high-end brew. So it should come as no surprise that...

Cutting credit card fees: knowledge is power for getting better rates and limiting exposure to unnecessary processing costs.(Feature Technology)
September 1, 2007... CREDIT CARD PROCESSING FEES remain one of the top three concerns for convenience retailers--and though it seems reasonable to expect that improving data security at the point of sale would cut charges because it lowers transaction risks,...