Many convenience retailers take part in their industry associations, and Sam’s Food Stores is no different. Recently, the Connecticut-based chain, with over 200 stores, expanded from New England to Ohio and Florida, and it immediately became involved with its new state associations. CStore Decisions reached out to Sulemaan Khalid, development associate for the chain, to learn what drives these new connections.
CStore Decisions (CSD): What motivates you to connect with convenience store associations?
Sulemaan Khalid (SK): As we are expanding our footprint, I made it a point to join every association. (For instance), we’re in the Ohio Energy and Convenience Association (OECA). For us, it’s been really helpful because there’s a lot of good networking opportunities. But also, these organizations are the ones that support lobbying efforts in our favor, whether it’s for the rounding up of the penny, which NACS is a big part of, the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association (NECSEMA). Peter Brennan, our rep, was with us when we were talking to representatives on the Day on the Hill, and they’re at the forefront of the issues that are important to us.
And especially in Massachusetts last year, they had no Hours of Service waivers for truck drivers, so that’s a big problem in areas like where we live, where there’s a lot of snow. Same thing in Ohio. Drivers need to be able to be on the road, so these associations are helping to lobby in our benefit. I think it’s important to put your money in those areas because they’re helping support our business, and even though technically all the members are competitors, all the issues that are facing us are the same. It’s good to have a group of people that are working together just for the sake of the industry itself. But that’s why we started joining the associations, and they’ve been helpful to us.
CSD: Do other associations work differently than something like NACS, which is nationwide?
SK: It’s more regional. It’s to your state, and laws vary. And for us, they’re the first point of information. In Ohio, the tax holiday laws are different than they are in Connecticut or Massachusetts. And we’re someone coming in a new state with only one or two sites. We don’t have a huge presence, and we’re learning. So we’re taking every opportunity we can to learn. I’ve made it a point to start bringing more employees to industry events, whether it’s with (CStore Decisions), with NECSEMA, with OECA — the Ohio organization. We’ve been making it a point to take advantage of learning opportunities.
CSD: How often do you meet as a group?
SK: So NECSEMA, I’m part of their wholesale energy marketers board, so we’ll meet four times a year, and usually we’ll discuss what are the pressing issues to us. But four times a year, usually, and then the different organizations will have events throughout the year. It’s just you can’t make it to everything.
CSD: Do you have relationships with your local mayors or city councils?
SK: We try to be pretty involved. We have a pretty big presence in Hartford, Conn. There’s the Hartford Business Improvement District. We make it a point to try and support the local organizations that are helping us out, and we do work closely with local government, not in any professional capacity, but we try and maintain good relationships in everywhere that we’re operating.
Our charity, Sam’s Children — honestly, that’s been good to connect us to a lot of local politicians. We’ve had our state senators, federal people, our governors, everyone because we’re trying to do a little bit of good with that.
