It’s not easy standing out in today’s marketplace. Consumers have many choices for food and fuel, and the pandemic has raised expectations for cleanliness and safety. Winning in this new paradigm requires more than consistent execution — retailers also have to communicate their commitment to excellence.
Lockport, N.Y.-based Crosby’s Stores is in the process of being awarded Safe Shop Assured certification. Implementation of Safe Shop branding will be completed at each of its 81 locations in the first quarter of 2021.
“Everyone wants to feel good about where they shop or work,” said Frank Beard, director of Safe Shop. “Unfortunately, it can be difficult to determine which retailers are committed to safety and which ones cut corners. Safe Shop Assured certification bridges this communication gap. It’s a simple and intuitive way to show customers that your stores are truly best-in-class.”
Serving communities with a personal touch has always been at the heart of Crosby’s Stores. With humble beginnings as a dairy farm in 1902, the first convenience store was opened in 1966 at the site of a former milk plant. The first fuel pump was added to the growing chain in 1972, and a proprietary foodservice program was established in 1996. Reid Petroleum, a family-owned company that began as a one-pump gasoline station in the early 1920s, acquired Crosby’s Stores in 2004 and continued to expand its footprint in Southwest New York and Northwest Pennsylvania. Today, the company operates 81 stores in alignment with its founding values: honesty, trustworthy, customer focus, team spirit, cost-consciousness and entrepreneurship.
“At Crosby’s, we have always taken pride in providing our customers and our associates with a clean and safe environment to work and shop,” said Doug Galli, vice president and general manager of Crosby’s. “With the implementation of Safe Shop Assured we will be better able to communicate to everyone that our stores are Crosby’s Clean. Everyone who enters our stores can work and shop with the highest level of confidence that we are keeping them safe.”
Safe Shop is an industry-driven initiative to recognize operators that raise the bar for excellence. In order to earn Safe Shop Assured certification, retailers must satisfy a 10-point checklist of essential safety standards as identified by a panel of retailers, suppliers, and industry experts. Ongoing reviews ensure compliance and program integrity.
Safe Shop is a joint venture between Paragon Solutions and WTWH Media, the publisher of CStore Decisions.
“This has been a challenging year for store owners, who are taking steps to keep their team and employees safe. Safe Shop participation is a strong message that you are serious about following safety standards,” said John Lofstock, Vice President of CStore Decisions and Executive Director of the National Advisory Group (NAG). “Crosby’s is doing everything it can to commit to operating with strong values and integrity, showing that they’re one of the best in the business.”