CITGO is offering a helping hand to small independent business owners in the convenience store and petroleum sector with its expanded CITGO Buying Group program.
The program offers customized business solutions for the daily challenges facing independent owners and is available to each of the CITGO marketers and the nearly 7,000 locally owned CITGO stations. The Buying Group provides industry leading rebates, savings and incentives on products and services to help businesses grow. Since the group’s inception, these services have given back more than $7 million to CITGO station owners and operators.
CITGO has recently expanded its program with the CITGO Buying Group to help local marketers and retailers meet their business goals and flourish even in the current economic downturn. The CITGO Buying Group offers classroom and computer-based training for a range of key issues including customer service skills for owners and employees, eliminating employee theft, new employee orientation and training, reducing net operating costs, improving CITGO mystery shop scores and eliminating vendor theft. The group engages marketers and retailers with pragmatic services and training programs based on their individual needs.
“In the current economy, it is more important than ever for service station and convenience store owners to have the best knowledge and tools to run their business,” said Pam Romeli, vice president with the CITGO Buying Group. “Our goal is to provide the operational intelligence on everything from basic business skills, such as loss prevention and employee retention, to training and industry analysis so that CITGO retailers gain a competitive edge.”
“Our classroom and computer-based training programs were developed by experienced professionals, who have operated stations and have walked in the retailers’ shoes. They know what tools and skills are needed to run a more profitable business,” added Romeli.
Through a partnership with the CITGO Buying Group and Petroleum Equipment Company (PEC), CITGO retailers and marketers can earn additional discounts on purchases of fuel dispensers, point-of-sale equipment and other tools vital to business operations. PEC provides customized equipment solutions to meet the individual needs of retail locations and will work one-on-one to negotiate competitive deals. Working with CITGO Buying Group and PEC, CITGO retailers and marketers can obtain the most up-to-date equipment at affordable prices.
CITGO is encouraging its retailers and marketers to speak with a CITGO Buying Group specialist to identify the most appropriate programs to benefit their business.