After committing to the upfront costs, convenience stores can wring regular profits from an automatic car wash operation. David Bennett, Senior Editor Gross revenues at convenience stores are affected by a multitude of market forces. Everything from constrained gas prices to tobacco taxes to bank fees can combine to impede cash streams. In fact, there…
Managing Loss Prevention
Shrink comes in all shapes and sizes, but knowing how to identify and remedy these occurrences can enable c-stores to turn losses into gains. By David Bennett, Senior Editor When a convenience store is humming along efficiently, the signs are unmistakable: The coffee is fresh and flowing. People are enjoying prompt foodservice offerings. Motorists are…
Deriving Loyalty From Data
Scanned data is putting basket-level insights in the hands of decision makers who can turn this information into strategies that drive profitability. By David Bennett, Senior Editor A customer’s continuing business is no longer guaranteed. Because of that fact, convenience stores strategize more and more on the need to understand their customers better, and to…
Distribution Models That Deliver
A self-distribution model can cut out the middle man and help your chain save on costs, but is a big capital investment. Partnering with a good distribution provider can be the right course of action, but only if the arrangement brings value to your operation. By David Bennett, Senior Editor Candy, tobacco, drinks, food and…
Kentucky Town Fuels Debate
In an effort to balance fuel prices for local motorists, officials in the city of Somerset, Ky. have gone into the gas business despite complaints from area retailers. By David Bennett, Senior Editor Consumers frequently voice their displeasure over high gasoline costs but often find themselves over a barrel because they don’t have the means…
Buc-ee’s Eying Another Enormous Store
Plans call for a 60,000-square-foot convenience store, which has become a normal model for the expanding Texas chain. By David Bennett, Senior Editor They say everything is bigger Texas, and Buc-ee’s Ltd proves it with every new convenience store it builds. Its newest location is in the works in Corinth, Texas, after that city’s planning…
Kentucky Town Now Selling Gas
Following years of residents’ complaints over local gas prices, the Kentucky city of Somerset has opened up its own pumps to the public. By David Bennett, Senior Editor. After much anticipation on the part of motorists—and hand wringing by local gas retailers—the city of Somerset, Ky. opened its new fuel pumps to the public Saturday,…
Energy Drinks All The Buzz
Once a fringe player, the energy drink segment today is a billion-dollar business and according to analysts, there’s still room for growth. By David Bennett, Senior Editor As consumer tastes have shifted, carbonated soft drinks (CSD) top perch within the pantheon of packaged beverages has eroded considerably over the last few years. During that period,…
C-Stores Change with the Times
Whether it’s technology, the workforce, or the weather, the industry has always adapted and moved on. By David Bennett, Senior Editor There are few Years more turbulent in the history of the convenience store industry than 1990. Just prior, the total number of c-stores had peaked at 83,000 in the late 1980s. The market was…
VCU Earns C-Store Accolades
After putting a novel spin on an existing theme, Virginia Commonwealth University is named top innovator in 2014’s NACUFS New Store Design competition. By David Bennett, Senior Editor Convenience stores aren’t new to U.S. college campuses. For years, universities have afforded students expedient spaces where they can purchase beverages, snacks and merchandise. However, just like…