Casey’s General Stores Inc. reported $0.34 in basic earnings per share for the third quarter of fiscal 2010 ended Jan. 31, 2010, compared to $0.28 for the same quarter a year ago. Year to date, basic earnings per share were $1.87 versus $1.38 for the same period last year. “The acquisition environment has become more…
Couche-Tard Quarterly Profit Down 23%
Alimentation Couche-Tard announced today that despite rising revenue, its quarterly profit dropped 23% due to lower U.S. gasoline margins, Reuters reported. Couche-Tard, North America’s second-biggest convenience store chain, operates more than 5,400 convenience stores, with some 3,600 of those also selling gasoline. The company earned $54.8 million, or 29 cents a share, in its third-quarter,…
Healthful Food Choices A National Issue
In his FY 2011 budget proposal, President Barack Obama addressed the need for bringing healthy food options to underserved communities by calling for more than $400 million in investments in new and expanded supermarkets, farmers markets and other food stores. The public-private grant and loan program would dramatically reduce the roughly 23 million Americans who…
The Pantry Inc. Posts First Quarter Loss
The Pantry Inc. has reported a wider-than-expected first-quarter loss, due to below-average fuel and grocery margins, Reuters reported. For the first quarter ended Dec. 24, the company posted a net loss of $26.1 million, or $1.17 a share, compared with a profit of $38.5 million, or $1.73 a share, last year. Excluding 90 cents…
Susser Holdings Provides Fourth Quarter and 2009 Results
Corpus Christi, Texas-based Susser Holdings Corporation said it expects to report a same-store merchandise sales decline of about 1.2% for the fourth quarter of 2009 and growth of about 3.3% for the full year. Retail average per-store fuel volumes are expected to decline by 5.9% versus the fourth quarter of last year, but on a…
Fighting Credit Card Costs
Is there relief ahead for exorbitant credit card fees? The answer is yes. But first, there’s a fight to be fought. According to NACS in Alexandria, Va., credit card payments have grown from 21% of transactions in 1995 to 49% today, with the trend expected to grow to more than 50% by next year. The…
The Power to Turn a Life Around
While this troubled economy lingers, there might never be a better time than right now to increase your efforts to make a positive difference in the lives of your employees. As I reflected on gracious words attributed to a motivational speaker, the late professor Leo Buscaglia, I was both struck by his gentle touch, and…