For residents of Massachusetts who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine shot, Big Y and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are partnering to offer free, walk-up vaccination clinics with no appointment necessary. Both the Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines are offered. Anyone receiving the Pfizer vaccine will be able to return three weeks later for…
NRF Responds to New CDC Mask Recommendation
The National Retail Federation issued the following statement in response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendation that fully vaccinated people again wear masks indoors in COVID-19 hot spots. “Public health and safety is always the No. 1 priority for retailers large and small,” the statement read. “To be sure, retailers will…
Retail Sales Increase as Recovery Continues
Retail sales saw solid growth during June, increasing in most categories on a monthly basis and across the board on a yearly basis as the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic continued, according to a recent statement from the National Retail Federation. “Continued growth in June retail sales shows enduring strength in the American consumer,” NRF…
Love’s Ending Mask Requirement for Vaccinated Customers, Employees
Oklahoma City-based Love’s Travel Stops announced it will stop requiring customers and employees who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to wear masks. The requirement has been in place in Love’s stores across the country since July and will end June 15. Non-vaccinated customers and employees are still being asked to wear masks, reflecting Centers for…
GPM to Host One-Day COVID-19 Mobile Vaccination Clinic
Richmond, Va.-based GPM Investments, a wholly owned subsidiary of ARKO Corp., is partnering with the Lenowisco Health Department to hold a one-day COVID-19 vaccination walk-up clinic outside GPM’s fas Mart store in Gate City, Va. The mobile vaccination clinic will be held on June 2 from 3-7 p.m. ET — no appointment necessary. The Lenowisco…
Survey Finds Customers Prefer Touchless Restrooms
Three in five Americans (60%) say automated paper towel dispensers in public restrooms would improve their perception of a facility’s cleanliness, according to a survey commissioned by Sofidel, a provider of paper for hygienic and domestic use. The survey, conducted online by The Harris Poll from April 14-16, 2021 among 2,050 U.S. adults ages 18…
A Return to Normalcy
Just one year ago, I sat down at my desk in my office to write the April 2020 Editor’s Memo and tried to wrap my head around the impact of COVID-19. There were still naysayers that predicted the virus was nothing more than a bad flu, while others spouted doomsday scenarios. Through it all, the…
How HJB Convenience’s Russell’s C-Stores Stayed Open With Sales Down 80%
HJB Convenience Corp. President Raymond Huff, in partnership with StrasGlobal’s new resource for independent convenience store operators, Resources for Retailers, shared an independent retailer’s story of persistence and the course of action he took to stay in business with the Payroll Protection Programs (PPP1, PPP2) and Employee Retention Credit (ERC) funding. Colorado-based HJB Convenience Corp.,…
Retailers Look Forward to Pre-Pandemic Levels of Summer Traffic
Convenience retailers anticipate that leisure travel and routine customer trips will return to pre-pandemic levels this summer, according to the results of a new NACS survey of U.S. convenience store owners. Convenience stores, which sell 80% of the fuel purchased in the country, experienced a 13% decrease in fuel sales and less customer traffic throughout…
Labor Management in the Age of COVID-19
CStore Decisions and Humetrics, for the 13th consecutive year, have collaborated on the annual Human Resources (HR) Benchmarking Survey, which polled c-store retailers between Jan. 4 and March 1, 2021, about HR practices, labor challenges and headwinds. Given the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the past 12 months have brought unprecedented operational…