When considering a new loyalty program, asking the right questions can help you determine which option is best for your business. By Ed Collupy Many convenience operators have their own experiences they can rely on related to loyalty programs either from their own efforts or one they’re supporting through major oil brand partners. In many…
Cashiering Enters the Mobile Age
Hand-held devices aren’t just convenient; they are the secured cash registers of the future. By Ed Collupy Looking back, I always wanted the opportunity to checkout a customer using a brass cash register, not just seeing and admiring them like a work of art. My cashiering days started on an NCR Class 5 mechanical cash…
The Annual Expedition— A Look at NRF’s Big Show
Innovation in 2018 will be about retailer & solution provider collaboration, thinking about not only the new, but extending what’s in place today. By Ed Collupy It’s a journey that more convenience/petro retailers and service providers, large and small and from all corners of the U.S., are making each year. Off to the Big Show—the…
A Better Path to Inventorying
Gaining control over store inventory is a necessary step to boosting your bottom line. By Ed Collupy When store operators talk about inventory and cash management I always hear them talk about it in terms of accountability, control and operational improvement. How they get there, even with similar objectives, isn’t always the same. Many put…
2017: Observations in Review & What’s to Come
As the year ends, it’s a time for reflection and to look into the future. By Ed Collupy It’s that time of the year when it’s always good to take time to look back, reflect, and muse – where did the time go, what did I accomplish, how have I helped others, what’s changed since…
The Expanding Back Office
Cloud and mobile are among the technologies pushing the envelope of internal store systems. By Ed Collupy Recent store visits have often allowed me to spend time in the ‘back office’ and have reaffirmed for me that retail store managers have a lot going on. There are people interactions, printed and posted operational & marketing…
Creating the Frictionless Journey Your Customers Want and Demand
Create a powerful customer experience solution where the customer can easily identify and manage their relationship with your brand. By Ed Collupy These were insights & remarks I prepared for a session on Customer Engagement that I cohosted with Matt Miller from NCR in the International Hub at the 2017 NACS Show. I want to…
Unlocking Security Issues
A multi-faceted approach to store security—from locks and cameras to smart safes and best practices in data security—is necessary to keep c-stores safe from theft in 2017. By Ed Collupy Around-the-clock business like the retail petroleum/convenience store industry drives many conversations about site security, but such efforts today go far beyond locking things down and…
Amazon and Whole Foods Unite
By Ed Collupy On Aug. 28, Amazon became the new owner of Whole Foods Market, and as quickly as the deal closed (just over two months), they’ve announced several initiatives that they began to execute immediately. Just after the June announcement, I reflected in a blog here about how I thought the physical and digital…
Celebrating Summer – Student Internships
It’s almost back to school time for many young people including students who had an internship experience this summer. Recently I’ve seen several posts on LinkedIn reveling the work interns did for the companies they’ve brought eyes & hands and more importantly minds & hearts to. For me, an internship is a two-way given and…