Being just a little more than halfway through the year I looked back at what prognosticators had said the 2019 trends would include and discovered topics such as continued digital and payments disruption, more EMV developments and machine learning. My summer reading included a review to see how things evolved — I didn’t need to…

Can I still do a redesign on a limited budget? Absolutely. We are often tasked with solving this age-old issue of delivering a champagne level customer experience on a beer budget. Effective store design isn’t necessarily all about a new look, form and or feel of store, it is about an experience and customer promise.…

The convenience store industry continues to grow sales at record numbers, but the stakes have never been higher as convenience store owners face competition from multiple retail channels and the growing home delivery industry. As competition increases across the board, savvy retailers are learning to take cost out of their operations to run lean, efficient…

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to speak with leading global futurist and best-selling author Daniel Burrus, who recently released his seventh book “The Anticipatory Organization: Turn Disruption and Change into Opportunity and Advantage.”  Burrus outlined the biggest technology trends set to disrupt the convenience store industry.  “You’ve got two choices: you’re either going…

Ethanol continues to be one of the top industry dilemmas in 2019, with the current 15 billion gallon mandate at odds with declining fuel demand that renders the ethanol target virtually impossible for refiners to achieve. This has prompted a greater push for E15 to meet the mandate, which will in turn exacerbate RIN value…

There is still so much that needs to be changed in the quest to eliminate friction in the customer experience and lessons to be learned that the c-store/petro industry should consider as it ventures into making the forecourt stop or in-store visit more convenient. Although I easily walked in and walked out with a couple…

It’s not that you had to be there, but you should have been there. The 2019 Conexxus Annual Conference, held April 28 to May 2 in Nashville, Tenn., was compelling, action-oriented, and a step forward for the convenience store industry. Gray Taylor, executive director of Conexxus, opened the conference with topics and themes that would…

It may sound easy, but being prepared for any challenge that may come your way is crucial to business success. More than 20 years ago, I opened a presentation to a group of independent convenience store operators with this simple three-word question: “Are you ready?” My intention was to make them aware that competition and emerging…

The late comedic and gifted actor Jackie Gleason often used the phrase, “How sweet it is.” This line popped into my mind as I began writing this column. As the star of the classic “The Honeymooners” TV show, Gleason delivered his catchphrase with great gusto, making sure that his enthusiasm would pique both the curiosity…

Recently, I spoke for the sixth time at the M-PACT Show, which is the largest gathering place in the Midwest for energy and convenience industry leaders. It is one of my favorite places to present. This year’s presentation was called There’s a New Store in Town – Are You Ready for the Disruption? This was…