How do we learn to deal with pressure on the job? It’s not easy, but developing certain tools can help. By Jim Callahan Really, when you get right down to it, stress is like any obstacle you either must master, learn to control or at the very least, come to terms with. Whether it’s learning…
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…
Why Networking Matters for Young Professionals
As the convenience store and petroleum industry continues to evolve, training the leaders of tomorrow is more important than ever. That’s the driving force behind the National Advisory Group’s (NAG) Young Executives Organization (YEO). This growing group of emerging industry leaders is keenly focused on education and networking with other next-generation executives who are facing…
Delivery Crunch Time
As more channels move into delivery, c-stores need to get in the game or get left behind. By Erin Rigik Del Conte, Senior Editor Sandwiched in between Gen X and Millennials, I’m what Dan Woodman, associate professor of Sociology at the University of Melbourne, has coined an ‘Xennial’—those born between 1977 and 1983, and the…
Do You Know These People?
By Bill Scott Are you ready to solve a mystery? Come on now! You might get something out of it; but at the least, you’ll have some fun. This is a puzzle to actually make you question whether or not you really know what’s going on in your business, OR, are you just falling for…
Establishing Supplier Guidelines
When it comes to supply contracts, retailers should always keep an eye out for their best interests. By Steve Sandman The last time I bought a house it was pretty clear that the world we live is entangled in contracts, agreements, understandings and any other sort of written document that either we or the other…
Manage Your Inventory
By Bill Scott All of the things I’ve talked about so far are important. But none of them matter—unless you can get control of your inventory. I will never be able to understand why any sane individual would invest $250,000 to $1 million in a convenience store that returns only 2% profit. Maybe I’m just…
Fortify Your Company Foundation
Compensation, good hiring and leadership are important parts to building a solid retention program. By Linda McKenna Convenience store industry has always been a burning issue, but more so in the last few years. There are endless ideas to improve retention from welcome letters to bonuses. Many retailers have implemented different strategies yet still suffer…
Gaining Operational Efficiency from BMS Insight
Enable intelligent apps with effective use of data. By Ron Chapek As convenience stores continue to evolve to adapt to changing customer demands and infrastructure and facility requirements, operators are under increasing pressure to gain operational efficiencies. Of growing importance in this effort are the intelligent applications that allow operators to effectively use the data…
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…