“Badges? We ain’t got no badges. We don’t need no badges! I don’t have to show you any stinkin’ badges!” – from “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” As a small business owner, you may wonder why one would need to get organized from a policy and procedure standpoint. After all, you may only have…
New-to-Market Curby’s Opens First Store
In a new initiative to offer a convenient, quick-service concept to the southern market, Lubbock, Texas-based Curby’s opened its first store on Feb. 1. Given that cases of the COVID-19 omicron variant have spiked, the on-the-go service is expected to be well-received. The grand opening celebration of the first Curby’s Express Market is projected for…
How Can the Independent C-Store Improve Sales Forecasting?
A while back, a gentleman who wanted help selling his company approached me. I asked him, “So, what do you hope the purchase price to be?” He looked at me and said, “$5 million.” I then asked, “How did you come up with that figure?” He looked at me and said with a straight face,…
Macfood Mart Supports St. Jude’s
With the help of in-store customer donations, locally owned and operated MacFood Mart’s c-store locations raised more than $1,300 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in January 2022. As Partner’s in Hope for K105 FM Country Cares for Kids Radiothon, donation jars were placed at all registers in stores throughout the month of January, and…
How the Independent C-Store Operator Can Become Operationally Excellent
Managing a retail store is tough work. Between operations, merchandising, marketing and facility upkeep, retail business owners have their hands full. Managing the details of retail is the difference between making it or not. All too often, retail owners become lax in their operation and put themselves at an unnecessary disadvantage with their customers. It…
Strong November for Independent, Small-Format Retailers
The U.S. Travel Association reported that Thanksgiving weekend travel almost returned to pre-pandemic levels, only 4% below 2019. Travel and the holiday shopping season usually means good news for the convenience store industry. As travel increases consumers will fill their gas tanks, but will they stop in to grab a candy bar and a soft…
What Are the Hand-Washing Best-Practices for C-Stores?
Even more than chains, independent c-store operators need to earn consumers’ trust every time they enter the store, and nothing can destroy that trust more quickly than unsanitary food handling practice. Foodborne illness can cripple a c-store’s foodservice program, which makes teaching and enforcing the basics an essential part of an independent’s training program. The…
Why Is Restroom Cleanliness Important for Independent C-Stores?
It’s a question independent convenience store operators don’t ask often enough: Why is restroom cleanliness important for independents? The answer is deceptively simple. Customers figure if you are careless there, you’re careless elsewhere — for example, when it comes to food handling and preparation. Think about it: If someone shows up for a job interview…
How Can Independent C-Stores Improve Candy Sales?
If you’re a small, independent convenience store chain, working to boost candy sales is crucial to helping overall store sales succeed. When you elevate candy sales, you are going to automatically improve nearly every other large category in the c-store. It’s not just that consumers purchasing candy might need something to drink with that tempting…
How Can Independent Operators Recognize Good Employees?
People crave recognition on the job almost as much as they do money – and the sooner independent convenience store operators make appreciation part of their culture the sooner their employees’ performance will improve and retention woes begin to ease. Gallup famously reported that only one in three workers surveyed had received praise or recognition…