By: John Matthews, founder of Gray Cat Enterprises. Hopefully your business is growing, cash flow is strong, and if that is the case, what a fantastic scenario to be enjoying! Now, one must determine what are the best ways to put those earnings to use. For the “live for the moment” entrepreneur, one could simply…
Developing A Winning Foodservice Strategy
By: John Matthews, founder of Gray Cat Enterprises. In the convenience store marketplace, margins continue to tighten on core products such as candy, snacks and tobacco. Prudent operators are attempting to stem the tide by introducing foodservice items into their stores. Most facilities provide plenty of customer traffic and space within the store to enable…
8 Years, 244 Days
By: John Matthews, founder of Gray Cat Enterprises. It is official. As of Dec. 5, Gray Cat Enterprises marks the longest consecutive stint in my background for one place. Gray Cat Enterprises hit eight years, 244 days old on Dec. 5, which now surpasses the time I spent at Little Caesars. It is hard to…
Category Management Planning
By: John Matthews, founder of Gray Cat Enterprises. With the New Year upon us, planning for your annual merchandising and promotional schedule should be in place. For the multi-store operator, identifying the key initiatives for each of the merchandising categories is critical to remaining on plan (and on budget) throughout the year. Each category should…
The Basics Of Franchising
By: John Matthews, founder and president of Gray Cat Enterprises Inc. Upon opening their first store, many single-store operators come to an, often premature, conclusion that they are going to franchise. While this may be a noble end-game goal, what is often missing from this proclamation is determining whether or not their concept is “franchishable.”…
Local Store Marketing: Chamber of Commerce
By: John Matthews, founder and president of Gray Cat Enterprises Inc. Joining and becoming active in your local chamber of commerce is an excellent way to increase your store’s visibility within your local business area. In addition to meeting a number of key local business contacts who can turn into group sales and individual patrons…
Local Store Marketing: Employee Recognition
By: John Matthews, founder and president of Gray Cat Enterprises Inc. Looking for a way to invigorate your store staff and sales? Employee peer recognition is often more influential among your workers than achieving actual prizes or monetary rewards. Developing ongoing peer recognition programs will keep your employees excited about their jobs and their enthusiasm…
Self-Service Kiosks
By: John Matthews, founder and president of Gray Cat Enterprises Inc. Self-service kiosks continue to be a growing trend in retailing and is expected to accelerate over the years. By the end of 2012, nearly 2 million self-serve kiosks will be in place, and savvy retailers should consider capitalizing on this trend. This exploding industry…
Know Thy Customer….Or At Least Be Able to Reach Them!
By: John Matthews, founder and president of Gray Cat Enterprises Inc. The conversation usually starts like this: “So, do you know your customer?” “Of course, I know my customers, most by name.” “Great, let’s communicate to them that you have a sale this weekend.” “[cricket sounds]” Call me a pragmatist, but this is a typical…
Local Store Marketing: Customer Appreciation Days
By John Matthews, founder and president of Gray Cat Enterprises Inc. Customer Appreciation Days are excellent ways to attract consumers that have similar backgrounds or interests. Honoring your best customers with a distinctive recognition day is a terrific way to create a “call-to-action” for specific selected groups. Whether it is for school personnel or administrative…