CSD examines the financial hurdles the industry faced over the past 10 years, and how retailers will compete in the future. Since the first 7-Eleven opened its doors more than 75 years ago, the industry has served as a home for entrepreneurs and family-run businesses focused on meeting the everyday needs of busy consumers. Through…
design to keep in mind
Retailers big and small would be wise to seek the help of professionals whencrafting a new store. Nice N Easy couldn't have achieved the results it haswithout help from an outside design firm. "Hooking up with Group Red kept us focused and gave us a new perspective,"says Nice N Easy President and CEO John MacDougall.…
open pantrys upscale creations
Years ago, communities had little voice in whether a store would be built.But as markets grew more saturated, communities felt as though they were losingtheir identities. "Today, four or five people sit on a board and make the decision whether astore will be built," says Jim Fiene, senior vice president of Open Pantry FoodMarts of…
designing a retail strategy
Keeping a close eye on competitors, and an even closer eye on the changing needs of customers, is the key to becoming a destination. The late ’90s brought a lot of changes to Bill Gordy’s Delmar, DE-based convenience store business. As he witnessed the beverage category explode with the introduction of new SKUs, he saw…
csd brings retailers suppliers together at ecrm convenience conference
Nearly 300 attendees from 135 companies met in Los Angeles for one-on-one strategic planning sessions. Ed Roitz said he came to the Convenience Store Decisions/ECRM Convenience/Front End/Checkstand Conference with an open mind. By the end of the first day, he had an open wallet. That’s because Roitz, president and CEO of Fleming Petroleum Corp. (Pittsburg,Kan.)…
championing technology
Jenny Bullard pinpoints trends that have shaped the industry and identifies new developments leading it into the future. Jenny Bullard is a portrait of the consumate professional company’s needs to grow business, and the industry as whole is benefiting. As a foremost authority on developing c-store technology solutions, Bullard has been actively involved in many…
committed to convenience stores
A look at the Fina brand 16 Years (200 CSD Issues) Later By Jeff Morris President and CEO, Alon USA Jeff Morris, president and CEO of Alon USA, reflects on the growth of the Finabrand since the company was profiled in the inaugural issue of ConvenienceStore Decisions 16 years ago. After reviewing the article about…
in brief
McLane: K&G, Brewer Oil re-up K & G Stores (Lone Tree, CO) has extended its service agreement withMcLane Co. Inc. (www.mclaneco.com).Michael Hayes, K & G vice president of sales and operations, said his company'srelationship with McLane has helped grow the business with good merchandisingand solid overall service. K & G has been a marketing leader…
suppliers reflect on industry evolution
CSD survey finds marketing, communications and wireless technology are keys to unlocking future growth. By most accounts, 10 years really isn’t all that significant a span of time. But to suppliers of convenience stores, a decadeparticularly this past decadehas been monumental in the ongoing evolution of the c-store industry and the customers it serves. During…
our commitment to you
One of the key lessons I learned from one of my mentors in the publishing business is that it's not the job of a trade magazine editor to be smarter than anybody else (you can only imagine what a relief it was to hear that). Instead, our job is to know where to find the…