CStore Decisions September 2022 Digital Edition is sponsored by Invenco .
Small c-store retailers battle infl ation, supply issues and shifting trends.
Small independent convenience store retailers are not only grappling with the same inflation, supply chain issues and labor shortages as the rest of the industry, but they’re also having to compete against larger chains with fewer resources. Still, small family chains are the backbone of this industry and many independent c-stores are succeeding today despite these obstacles.
Anthony Duran owns and operates two stores in New Jersey: Anthony’s Supermarket, a 4,000-square foot grocery store featuring produce, a meat department, a deli counter, frozen food, groceries and hot food; and International Super Mini Market, a 1,200-square-foot traditional convenience store. Duran got his start in convenience stores when he was just 13 years old helping his uncle, who owned Los Kenton Supermarket in Perth Amboy, N.J. “I started with him working weekends, and I learned a lot from him,”
Duran said. “In (2009) he helped me buy a grocery store, and I started from there. From there I got a loan, and then two years after that I bought Anthony’s Supermarket in Kearny, N.J. Then I sold the first store, and I stayed with Anthony’s Supermarket.”
In 2020, Duran was ready to grow again and acquired International Super Mini Market in Belleville, N.J.
The stores don’t offer fuel, but they do provide foodservice options for customers. International Super Mini Market features a deli program with fresh-prepared cold sandwiches made to order.