Friday, September 2, 2011
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Monday, August 29, 2011
Sheetz CEO Gets Rock Star Treatment at New Chambersburg area store
Stan Sheetz laughs at the notion of being called a celebrity. For someone who doesn't claim to be a celebrity, the president and CEO of the Sheetz convenience store chain sure has a lot of fans.
Customers eagerly waited to get T-shirts signed or have their picture taken with him during the grand opening of the chain's 400th store Thursday in Chambersburg.
"I'm not a celebrity," Sheetz said. "(But) it seems that way. I'm flattered by it."
About 200 to 250 people were on hand for the opening of the new Sheetz at Wayne and Kriner roads in Guilford Township.
Shortly after the store opened, there was a line of people waiting to talk to Stan Sheetz or get a shirt signed.
Brenda Nenninger, Waynesboro, stood outside in the steady rain for a chance to tell him about an idea for a new location.
"He's a very pleasant person," Nenninger said. "I asked about putting another location down in Blue Ridge Summit. I think it's a good location. I think it would make that place hop."
A request for a new location is one of the things Stan Sheetz hears the most when talking with customers.
"Some tell me where to build. Some tell me stories about their experiences. Some tell me about great ideas for new food items," he said. "Some just say 'Thank you.'"
Nancy Cline got a T-shirt signed for her grandson. She was off work Thursday and waited outside the store for the 11 a.m. opening.
"I've been here since 6 o'clock this morning," she said. "To meet him, that's something else."
Penny Williams brought her two sons, Dakota and Andrew, to the opening. The two boys had their shirts signed while their mother snapped pictures with her cell phone.
"Since we're from Texas, Sheetz is a new thing for us," she said.
The Sheetz name is well-known in the mid-Atlantic region, especially in central Pennsylvania, where the privately owned family company is headquartered.
It took 31 years after its founding in 1952 by Bob Sheetz to reach 100 locations. Within another 28 years, the Altoona-based company grew to 400 stores.
"It's just one of those milestones. It's more a result of our people continuing to make the organization better," Stan Sheetz said. "We plan to open 35 to 40 new stores a year. Obviously, we'll hit 500 in a couple more years, but our goal is to take care of our customers."
He said the secret to the company's success over time is its employees.
"I have to think it's our people. We spend a lot of time trying to find the right people to work in our stores. Once we find them, they stay with us."
After employees cut the ribbon to the store and Stan Sheetz presented a check to the Special Olympics organization, customers began pouring in. Food orders quickly began buzzing over the store speakers.
Customers began lining up as early as 6 p.m. Wednesday for the 11 a.m. opening on Thursday, sleeping on the concrete or in lawn chairs. The first 50 people in line received a free Sheetz gift card.
David Wynkoop, Waynesboro, was the first person in line when the store opened. He waited about 17 hours for the store to open, getting only 20 minutes of sleep.
"I like Sheetz, but for me this was an experience of a lifetime and I wanted to see if I could do it," he said.
He immediately went inside and bought two hot dogs.
"There ain't nothing like a Sheetz hot dog," Wynkoop said.
Charles Bonner, second in line, also waited since around 6 p.m. Wednesday. He did not get any sleep.
"The first few hours were kind of rough, but once they got the coffee going, it perked up a bit," Bonner said.
http://goo.gl/M06Rt
Discussion
Customers eagerly waited to get T-shirts signed or have their picture taken with him during the grand opening of the chain's 400th store Thursday in Chambersburg.
"I'm not a celebrity," Sheetz said. "(But) it seems that way. I'm flattered by it."
About 200 to 250 people were on hand for the opening of the new Sheetz at Wayne and Kriner roads in Guilford Township.
Shortly after the store opened, there was a line of people waiting to talk to Stan Sheetz or get a shirt signed.
Brenda Nenninger, Waynesboro, stood outside in the steady rain for a chance to tell him about an idea for a new location.
"He's a very pleasant person," Nenninger said. "I asked about putting another location down in Blue Ridge Summit. I think it's a good location. I think it would make that place hop."
A request for a new location is one of the things Stan Sheetz hears the most when talking with customers.
"Some tell me where to build. Some tell me stories about their experiences. Some tell me about great ideas for new food items," he said. "Some just say 'Thank you.'"
Nancy Cline got a T-shirt signed for her grandson. She was off work Thursday and waited outside the store for the 11 a.m. opening.
"I've been here since 6 o'clock this morning," she said. "To meet him, that's something else."
Penny Williams brought her two sons, Dakota and Andrew, to the opening. The two boys had their shirts signed while their mother snapped pictures with her cell phone.
"Since we're from Texas, Sheetz is a new thing for us," she said.
The Sheetz name is well-known in the mid-Atlantic region, especially in central Pennsylvania, where the privately owned family company is headquartered.
It took 31 years after its founding in 1952 by Bob Sheetz to reach 100 locations. Within another 28 years, the Altoona-based company grew to 400 stores.
"It's just one of those milestones. It's more a result of our people continuing to make the organization better," Stan Sheetz said. "We plan to open 35 to 40 new stores a year. Obviously, we'll hit 500 in a couple more years, but our goal is to take care of our customers."
He said the secret to the company's success over time is its employees.
"I have to think it's our people. We spend a lot of time trying to find the right people to work in our stores. Once we find them, they stay with us."
After employees cut the ribbon to the store and Stan Sheetz presented a check to the Special Olympics organization, customers began pouring in. Food orders quickly began buzzing over the store speakers.
Customers began lining up as early as 6 p.m. Wednesday for the 11 a.m. opening on Thursday, sleeping on the concrete or in lawn chairs. The first 50 people in line received a free Sheetz gift card.
David Wynkoop, Waynesboro, was the first person in line when the store opened. He waited about 17 hours for the store to open, getting only 20 minutes of sleep.
"I like Sheetz, but for me this was an experience of a lifetime and I wanted to see if I could do it," he said.
He immediately went inside and bought two hot dogs.
"There ain't nothing like a Sheetz hot dog," Wynkoop said.
Charles Bonner, second in line, also waited since around 6 p.m. Wednesday. He did not get any sleep.
"The first few hours were kind of rough, but once they got the coffee going, it perked up a bit," Bonner said.
http://goo.gl/M06Rt
Discussion
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Fresh food could last for years without refrigeration!
According to a recent report in The (London) Sunday Times, researchers at the University of Minnesota have discovered a naturally-occurring compound – called ‘bisin’ – which can destroy the bacteria that cause the rotting of meat, fish, eggs and dairy products.
The researchers have reported that ‘bisin’ is essentially a preservative which reduces the growth of bacteria - including E. coli, salmonella and listeria – and can, thus, help food stay fresh for more than a year, without refrigeration.
Revealing that ‘bisin’ has been discovered from a culture of a harmless bacteria - Bifodobacterium longum, which is commonly found in the human gut -, the researchers said that it would be safe to consume foods treated with the preservative long after they were bought. However, since the decomposition process of fruits and vegetables is different, the agent cannot prevent them from rotting.
Noting that the discovery of ‘bisin’ in effectively preventing the rotting of foods will bring down the 20 million tonnes of food waste thrown out in the UK every year, the researchers said that it is likely that foods like milk, sausages and sandwiches containing the agent could hit store shelves within the next three years.
Stating that bisin “seems to be much better than anything which has gone before,” Dr Dan O’Sullivan - an Irish microbiologist who works at the university, and accidentally discovered the agent while examining a culture of bacteria found in the human intestine – said: “It doesn’t compromise nutrient quality – we are not adding a chemical, we are adding a natural ingredient.”
The researchers have reported that ‘bisin’ is essentially a preservative which reduces the growth of bacteria - including E. coli, salmonella and listeria – and can, thus, help food stay fresh for more than a year, without refrigeration.
Revealing that ‘bisin’ has been discovered from a culture of a harmless bacteria - Bifodobacterium longum, which is commonly found in the human gut -, the researchers said that it would be safe to consume foods treated with the preservative long after they were bought. However, since the decomposition process of fruits and vegetables is different, the agent cannot prevent them from rotting.
Noting that the discovery of ‘bisin’ in effectively preventing the rotting of foods will bring down the 20 million tonnes of food waste thrown out in the UK every year, the researchers said that it is likely that foods like milk, sausages and sandwiches containing the agent could hit store shelves within the next three years.
Stating that bisin “seems to be much better than anything which has gone before,” Dr Dan O’Sullivan - an Irish microbiologist who works at the university, and accidentally discovered the agent while examining a culture of bacteria found in the human intestine – said: “It doesn’t compromise nutrient quality – we are not adding a chemical, we are adding a natural ingredient.”
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Way Out of this Dismal Economy
This past week we had the THRILL of riding the DJIA down a pretty steep incline, dropping 513 in 8 hours. It would have been a rush if it was a roller coaster moving that quickly. And this was outdone today with another drop by over 600 points in the Dow-Jones average.
“These are times that try men’s souls,” Thomas Paine once wrote.
Whether we remain in the land of the free and the home of the brave or become an expat in an attempt to avoid these volatile times, there is stability. There is Hope. There is a bright future for us.
Yes, hope springs eternal.
What matters is what is inside you, not what happens on Wall Street. You are much more than cars, large houses and clothes. “You have been fearfully and wonderfully made,” as the good book says.
You can cry out like Chicken Little about the “Sky is falling.” It seems many of our leaders in Washington have taken this position. They seem to run after one symptom, then another. If we all painted our houses green, a re-enactment of the citizens of Oz running to the wizard because “He’ll know what to do” would be in order.
You see how well our political leaders are able to control the situation.
So, rather than depending on the manure on the banks of the Potomac, why not take care of things where you are?
My grandparents owned a small convenience – grocery store for several decades. In fact, the building and the business remain, although it is different owners now. During the Great Depression, my grandparents took care of the neighborhood in many ways. For instance, they had accounts and when their neighbors did not have the money to pay for their food that week, it was charged to their account.
For years afterwards, and up through the 1950s, my grandparents customers would come in to make their weekly payment on their account.
It’s no different today. In fact, this is one of the ways you can beat Wal-Mart every day of the week. Since your convenience store is a part of the community, you take care of the community. Wal-Mart can take care of Bentonville – you take care of YOU-ville.
Will you have a bank book as large as the big box stores doing this? Probably not. But, then, your business is not about you – it’s about your customers. In fact, if you take care of your customers in this fashion, you’ll never have another customer – you’ll only have clients!
We’ve lived through a tough ten years or so. The next ten years may make the last ten seem like a calm before the store. During these years we have realized that nothing outside of ourselves and our own efforts can be depended upon. Washington and the politicians cannot. Businesses the size of General Motors and Chrysler combined cannot. Bank or America and Lehman Brothers cannot. US Army Core of Engineers cannot.
Only we can.
The only question that remains is whether you will sit, watch, shake your head and reflect that “It isn’t what it used to be” or will you take the economy – the only economy that affects you and the only economy you have any control over – and make a difference.
By doing so, you’ll become more successful than you ever dreamed possible, because your thoughts, words and actions will reflect one theme to your clients – that of “You Are Loved.”
Never forget the three ingredients that football coach Lou Holtz says about all successful teams. They answer YES to the following three questions:
- Can I trust You?
- Do You Care About Me?
- Are You Committed to Excellence?
Comment on this post
“These are times that try men’s souls,” Thomas Paine once wrote.
Whether we remain in the land of the free and the home of the brave or become an expat in an attempt to avoid these volatile times, there is stability. There is Hope. There is a bright future for us.
Yes, hope springs eternal.
What matters is what is inside you, not what happens on Wall Street. You are much more than cars, large houses and clothes. “You have been fearfully and wonderfully made,” as the good book says.
You can cry out like Chicken Little about the “Sky is falling.” It seems many of our leaders in Washington have taken this position. They seem to run after one symptom, then another. If we all painted our houses green, a re-enactment of the citizens of Oz running to the wizard because “He’ll know what to do” would be in order.
You see how well our political leaders are able to control the situation.
So, rather than depending on the manure on the banks of the Potomac, why not take care of things where you are?
My grandparents owned a small convenience – grocery store for several decades. In fact, the building and the business remain, although it is different owners now. During the Great Depression, my grandparents took care of the neighborhood in many ways. For instance, they had accounts and when their neighbors did not have the money to pay for their food that week, it was charged to their account.
For years afterwards, and up through the 1950s, my grandparents customers would come in to make their weekly payment on their account.
It’s no different today. In fact, this is one of the ways you can beat Wal-Mart every day of the week. Since your convenience store is a part of the community, you take care of the community. Wal-Mart can take care of Bentonville – you take care of YOU-ville.
Will you have a bank book as large as the big box stores doing this? Probably not. But, then, your business is not about you – it’s about your customers. In fact, if you take care of your customers in this fashion, you’ll never have another customer – you’ll only have clients!
We’ve lived through a tough ten years or so. The next ten years may make the last ten seem like a calm before the store. During these years we have realized that nothing outside of ourselves and our own efforts can be depended upon. Washington and the politicians cannot. Businesses the size of General Motors and Chrysler combined cannot. Bank or America and Lehman Brothers cannot. US Army Core of Engineers cannot.
Only we can.
The only question that remains is whether you will sit, watch, shake your head and reflect that “It isn’t what it used to be” or will you take the economy – the only economy that affects you and the only economy you have any control over – and make a difference.
By doing so, you’ll become more successful than you ever dreamed possible, because your thoughts, words and actions will reflect one theme to your clients – that of “You Are Loved.”
Never forget the three ingredients that football coach Lou Holtz says about all successful teams. They answer YES to the following three questions:
- Can I trust You?
- Do You Care About Me?
- Are You Committed to Excellence?
Comment on this post
Monday, August 1, 2011
NYACS Day at the Races!
Time: August 3, 2011 all day
Location: Saratoga NY
Event Type: scholarship, foundation
Organized By: Denny McMichael
'NYACS DAY AT THE RACES' IS NEXT WEEK
Tickets are still available for the annual NYACS Day at the Races benefiting the NYACS Scholarship Foundation. It's next Wednesday, August 3rd at Saratoga Race Course. If you want to share this relaxing, enjoyable summertime event with NYACS colleagues, don't delay. Sign up now using the link below.
Register Now
Location: Saratoga NY
Event Type: scholarship, foundation
Organized By: Denny McMichael
'NYACS DAY AT THE RACES' IS NEXT WEEK
Tickets are still available for the annual NYACS Day at the Races benefiting the NYACS Scholarship Foundation. It's next Wednesday, August 3rd at Saratoga Race Course. If you want to share this relaxing, enjoyable summertime event with NYACS colleagues, don't delay. Sign up now using the link below.
Register Now
Friday, July 22, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Dean Foods Reaches Agreement With Southeast Dairy Farmers
Dean Foods Co. has reached an agreement to settle litigation brought on behalf of a class of dairy farmers in various Southeastern states. The case had been scheduled for trial beginning in August.
Under the proposed settlement agreement, which is pending approval by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Dean Foods will pay a total of $140 million over a period of four to five years into a fund that will be available for distribution to dairy farmer class members in a number of Southeastern states.
Dean Foods will make an initial payment of $60 million upon preliminary approval of the agreement by the Court, and will make subsequent payments of $20 million in each of the following four years on the anniversary of the final approval date. "We continue to be confident that we have operated lawfully and fairly at all times in the Southeast," said Gregg Engles, company chairman and chief executive officer. "We believe this settlement is in the best interest of our shareholders, employees, customers and consumers. Settling this case allows us to focus on the business challenges that we face, and to continue to take costs out of our operations while avoiding the expense, uncertainty and distraction of a protracted litigation and the likelihood of a lengthy appeals process.
Under the proposed settlement agreement, which is pending approval by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Dean Foods will pay a total of $140 million over a period of four to five years into a fund that will be available for distribution to dairy farmer class members in a number of Southeastern states.
Dean Foods will make an initial payment of $60 million upon preliminary approval of the agreement by the Court, and will make subsequent payments of $20 million in each of the following four years on the anniversary of the final approval date. "We continue to be confident that we have operated lawfully and fairly at all times in the Southeast," said Gregg Engles, company chairman and chief executive officer. "We believe this settlement is in the best interest of our shareholders, employees, customers and consumers. Settling this case allows us to focus on the business challenges that we face, and to continue to take costs out of our operations while avoiding the expense, uncertainty and distraction of a protracted litigation and the likelihood of a lengthy appeals process.
Friday, July 15, 2011
7-Eleven Undertakes its Fastest Store Renovation Ever
Retailer Upgrades More than 1,000 Stores on East Coast Launches ‘More in Store’ Marketing Campaign
Dallas (July 13, 2011) – 7-Eleven, Inc. wants residents in the greater New York City, Northern and Central New Jersey, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. areas to come see what they’ve been up to for the last few months.
The retailer has undergone its fastest store-renovation effort ever, significantly upgrading more than 1,000 of its 7-Eleven® stores on the East Coast.
The whirlwind store-remodeling ramped up in March, when the convenience retailer added revamped coffee bars, hot-foods equipment and, in some cases, updating stores’ interiors with new walls, floors, ceilings, lighting and fixtures. It’s all part of a campaign to present a consistent and fresh customer experience in each of its stores in these markets.
The four-month construction schedule was somewhat of a logistical marvel. Most stores remained open during the remodeling process, with each store upgrade taking no more than five days – actually, nights to avoid the heavier customer-traffic periods during the day. The schedule called for 60 stores to be renovated each week. In addition to various equipment improvements at 1,000-plus stores, 7-Eleven replaced floors, repaved parking lots or upgraded the exteriors of another 550 stores.
Some stores already had added the hot foods program with new ovens and display cases, the expanded coffee bars or both, while others were adding all these new elements at once. Each renovation was planned to ensure continuity in look, product offering and convenience store-to-store.
While the construction project was underway, 7-Eleven employees in the affected stores received additional customer-service training to enhance their guests’ overall experience.
“We want to present one updated and refreshed store face to our guests in these markets, and offer a quality alternative to fast-food restaurants, which includes expanded fresh-food selections, hot foods and a new coffee island with dispensers that ensure high quality at every location,” said Jesus Delgado-Jenkins, senior vice president of merchandising, marketing and logistics.
To let consumers know that there’s a “new” 7-Eleven in town, the company is kicking off a media blitz this month that includes television and radio spots, outdoor and online advertising and newspaper ads for free or fresh and hot foods offerings. Media messages convey that 7-Eleven stores are good not only for snacks and variety, but can be meal destinations for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The colorful “More in Store” campaign features larger-than-life beauty shots of fresh foods like sandwiches, wraps, salads, fruit, pizza, chicken wings, muffins and iced coffee. Print and outdoor headlines like “More of What You’d Never Expect,” “We A.M. to Please,” “Shame on the Same Ol’,” “We’ve Raised the Bar on the Coffee Bar” and “Give Your Tastebuds the VIP Treatment” were written to entice consumers to visit 7-Eleven stores to see and taste the difference.
The company is considering store-remodel programs in other parts of the U.S.
About 7-Eleven, Inc.
7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience retailing industry. Based in Dallas, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 8,600 7-Eleven® stores in North America. Globally, there are approximately 41,500 7-Eleven stores in 16 countries. During 2010, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales close to $63 billion. 7-Eleven has been honored by a number of companies and organizations recently. Accolades include: #2 on Forbes magazine’s 2011 list of Top Franchises for the Money; #4 spot on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list for 2009, #3 in Forbes magazine’s Top 20 Franchises to Start, and #2 in Franchise Times Top 200 Franchise Companies. Hispanic Magazine named 7-Eleven in its Hispanic Corporate Top 100 Companies that provide the most opportunities to Hispanics. 7-Eleven received the 2010 Retailer of the Year honor from PL Buyer because of the company's private-label brand initiative. 7-Eleven is franchising its stores in the U.S. and expanding through organic growth, acquisitions and its Business Conversion Program. Find out more online at www.7-Eleven.com.
Contact:
7-Eleven, Inc.
Margaret Chabris
972-828-7285
margaret.chabris@7-11.com
Dallas (July 13, 2011) – 7-Eleven, Inc. wants residents in the greater New York City, Northern and Central New Jersey, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. areas to come see what they’ve been up to for the last few months.
The retailer has undergone its fastest store-renovation effort ever, significantly upgrading more than 1,000 of its 7-Eleven® stores on the East Coast.
The whirlwind store-remodeling ramped up in March, when the convenience retailer added revamped coffee bars, hot-foods equipment and, in some cases, updating stores’ interiors with new walls, floors, ceilings, lighting and fixtures. It’s all part of a campaign to present a consistent and fresh customer experience in each of its stores in these markets.
The four-month construction schedule was somewhat of a logistical marvel. Most stores remained open during the remodeling process, with each store upgrade taking no more than five days – actually, nights to avoid the heavier customer-traffic periods during the day. The schedule called for 60 stores to be renovated each week. In addition to various equipment improvements at 1,000-plus stores, 7-Eleven replaced floors, repaved parking lots or upgraded the exteriors of another 550 stores.
Some stores already had added the hot foods program with new ovens and display cases, the expanded coffee bars or both, while others were adding all these new elements at once. Each renovation was planned to ensure continuity in look, product offering and convenience store-to-store.
While the construction project was underway, 7-Eleven employees in the affected stores received additional customer-service training to enhance their guests’ overall experience.
“We want to present one updated and refreshed store face to our guests in these markets, and offer a quality alternative to fast-food restaurants, which includes expanded fresh-food selections, hot foods and a new coffee island with dispensers that ensure high quality at every location,” said Jesus Delgado-Jenkins, senior vice president of merchandising, marketing and logistics.
To let consumers know that there’s a “new” 7-Eleven in town, the company is kicking off a media blitz this month that includes television and radio spots, outdoor and online advertising and newspaper ads for free or fresh and hot foods offerings. Media messages convey that 7-Eleven stores are good not only for snacks and variety, but can be meal destinations for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The colorful “More in Store” campaign features larger-than-life beauty shots of fresh foods like sandwiches, wraps, salads, fruit, pizza, chicken wings, muffins and iced coffee. Print and outdoor headlines like “More of What You’d Never Expect,” “We A.M. to Please,” “Shame on the Same Ol’,” “We’ve Raised the Bar on the Coffee Bar” and “Give Your Tastebuds the VIP Treatment” were written to entice consumers to visit 7-Eleven stores to see and taste the difference.
The company is considering store-remodel programs in other parts of the U.S.
About 7-Eleven, Inc.
7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience retailing industry. Based in Dallas, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises or licenses more than 8,600 7-Eleven® stores in North America. Globally, there are approximately 41,500 7-Eleven stores in 16 countries. During 2010, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales close to $63 billion. 7-Eleven has been honored by a number of companies and organizations recently. Accolades include: #2 on Forbes magazine’s 2011 list of Top Franchises for the Money; #4 spot on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 list for 2009, #3 in Forbes magazine’s Top 20 Franchises to Start, and #2 in Franchise Times Top 200 Franchise Companies. Hispanic Magazine named 7-Eleven in its Hispanic Corporate Top 100 Companies that provide the most opportunities to Hispanics. 7-Eleven received the 2010 Retailer of the Year honor from PL Buyer because of the company's private-label brand initiative. 7-Eleven is franchising its stores in the U.S. and expanding through organic growth, acquisitions and its Business Conversion Program. Find out more online at www.7-Eleven.com.
Contact:
7-Eleven, Inc.
Margaret Chabris
972-828-7285
margaret.chabris@7-11.com
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Foodservice Social Media Universe (FSMU) Conference
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Coffee and Other Dispensed Beverages Represent a Purpose-Driven Purchase and High Frequency Convenience Store Visits, Reports NPD
Houston, Texas, July 5, 2011 —Getting a cup of coffee or another dispensed beverage is the single-minded mission of many high frequency convenience store visitors, and often they'll grab a donut or something else to go with it, according to convenience store research by The NPD Group, a leading market research company.
NPD's Convenience Store Monitor, which continually tracks the consumer purchasing behavior of more than 51,000 convenience store shoppers in the U.S.,finds that 86 percent of dispensed coffee purchases are planned and seven percent are purchased on a deal. Other dispensed beverages are also purpose-driven purchases with only 14 percent bought on impulse and 13 percent on a deal. Consumers of coffee and other dispensed beverages are high frequency buyers who represent68 percent more visits than the average convenience store customer.
Coffee and other dispensed beverages represent 31 percent of unit purchases made in a convenience store, and of the dispensed beverage consumers, 33 percent are looking for coffee, 11 percent cappuccino or latte and 3 percent hot or iced tea.Typically, with the dispensed beverage incremental purchases are made amounting to an average visit of $6.83. Forty-five percent of consumers who purchase their coffee between 6 and 10 a.m. tend to also purchase doughnuts, gum, sweet rolls, sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, snack cakes, and cookies, reports NPD.
Dispensed beverage buyers are different than average convenience store buyers, who tend to be blue collar males, 18-to-49 years-old, according to the Convenience Store Monitor. Dispensed beverage buyers tend to be female, ages 35-64, white collar, Hispanic and from larger households. Coffee buyers tend to be male, ages 45-65, a mix of white and blue collar, strong military connection, smaller households and higher income.
"The fact that the buyers of coffee and other dispensed beverages are defined differently than the typical convenience store visitor presents anincremental opportunity for c-stores," says David Portalatin, executive director of industry analysis at NPD. "If a convenience store can deliver on what dispensed beverage buyers are looking for in terms of product quality, a rewards program, and a clean and bright store, it can attract a loyal new customer base."
Coffee and Dispensed Beverage Buyers are Super Heavy C-Store Visitors
C-Store Visits per Month (Index vs. Industry)
Source: The NPD Group/Convenience Store Monitor
"The fact that coffee and other dispensed beverages are purpose-driven purchases is a ready-made niche for any convenience store ready and willing to compete with QSRs and other retail outlets offering coffee and beverages," says Portalatin. "If a convenience store is looking for a way in which to distinguish itself from its gasoline or other offering, dispensed beverages appear to be among the possible answers."
NPD's Convenience Store Monitor, which continually tracks the consumer purchasing behavior of more than 51,000 convenience store shoppers in the U.S.,finds that 86 percent of dispensed coffee purchases are planned and seven percent are purchased on a deal. Other dispensed beverages are also purpose-driven purchases with only 14 percent bought on impulse and 13 percent on a deal. Consumers of coffee and other dispensed beverages are high frequency buyers who represent68 percent more visits than the average convenience store customer.
Coffee and other dispensed beverages represent 31 percent of unit purchases made in a convenience store, and of the dispensed beverage consumers, 33 percent are looking for coffee, 11 percent cappuccino or latte and 3 percent hot or iced tea.Typically, with the dispensed beverage incremental purchases are made amounting to an average visit of $6.83. Forty-five percent of consumers who purchase their coffee between 6 and 10 a.m. tend to also purchase doughnuts, gum, sweet rolls, sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, snack cakes, and cookies, reports NPD.
Dispensed beverage buyers are different than average convenience store buyers, who tend to be blue collar males, 18-to-49 years-old, according to the Convenience Store Monitor. Dispensed beverage buyers tend to be female, ages 35-64, white collar, Hispanic and from larger households. Coffee buyers tend to be male, ages 45-65, a mix of white and blue collar, strong military connection, smaller households and higher income.
"The fact that the buyers of coffee and other dispensed beverages are defined differently than the typical convenience store visitor presents anincremental opportunity for c-stores," says David Portalatin, executive director of industry analysis at NPD. "If a convenience store can deliver on what dispensed beverage buyers are looking for in terms of product quality, a rewards program, and a clean and bright store, it can attract a loyal new customer base."
Coffee and Dispensed Beverage Buyers are Super Heavy C-Store Visitors
C-Store Visits per Month (Index vs. Industry)
Source: The NPD Group/Convenience Store Monitor
"The fact that coffee and other dispensed beverages are purpose-driven purchases is a ready-made niche for any convenience store ready and willing to compete with QSRs and other retail outlets offering coffee and beverages," says Portalatin. "If a convenience store is looking for a way in which to distinguish itself from its gasoline or other offering, dispensed beverages appear to be among the possible answers."
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Budweiser Asks Men To Conserve Water By Not Shaving
Budweiser is asking adult men across America to help save one million gallons of water by not shaving in the days and weeks leading up to World Environment Day, June 5.
In 2010, more than 1,200 employees from Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch skipped shaving for one week prior to World Environment Day, helping to save about 42,000 gallons of water. This year, Budweiser is expanding the effort by inviting suppliers, partners, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers to join the effort.
"Water is a key ingredient in the brewing of Budweiser and all our beers, which is why water conservation is a priority both inside and outside our breweries," said Kathy Casso, vice president of corporate social responsibility at Anheuser-Busch. "In the past three years alone, our 12 U.S. breweries have reduced water use by 34 percent. Additionally, our employees and their families take action by volunteering to participate in local river cleanup projects in communities across the country."
As part of its annual recognition of World Environment Day, Anheuser-Busch and its Budweiser brand will again donate $150,000 to River Network to help support the organization watershed conservation projects in each of the company's 12 U.S. brewery cities. These projects will include stream/river cleanups, education programs, tree plantings and various activities that support the environment and provide employees and local wholesalers the opportunity to volunteer in their communities.
In 2010, more than 1,200 employees from Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch skipped shaving for one week prior to World Environment Day, helping to save about 42,000 gallons of water. This year, Budweiser is expanding the effort by inviting suppliers, partners, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers to join the effort.
"Water is a key ingredient in the brewing of Budweiser and all our beers, which is why water conservation is a priority both inside and outside our breweries," said Kathy Casso, vice president of corporate social responsibility at Anheuser-Busch. "In the past three years alone, our 12 U.S. breweries have reduced water use by 34 percent. Additionally, our employees and their families take action by volunteering to participate in local river cleanup projects in communities across the country."
As part of its annual recognition of World Environment Day, Anheuser-Busch and its Budweiser brand will again donate $150,000 to River Network to help support the organization watershed conservation projects in each of the company's 12 U.S. brewery cities. These projects will include stream/river cleanups, education programs, tree plantings and various activities that support the environment and provide employees and local wholesalers the opportunity to volunteer in their communities.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Appellate Division Allows Tax Collection to Resume in NY
Appellate Division Allows Tax Collection to Resume
The on-again, off-again enforcement of tax collection in Indian sales of cigarettes to non-Indian customers is on again -- for now -- following a ruling today by the Appellate Division of State Supreme Court.
Sitting in Rochester, the court upheld a lower-court ruling that the State of New York had followed proper procedures in adopting regulations governing the collection of such taxes, and lifted the previous restraining order imposed by one of its judges.
Thus, for the moment, the Cuomo administration can resume enforcement. However, the Seneca Indian Nation is vowing to seek permission to appeal to the state Court of Appeals. The key question will be whether they succeed in getting a new stay of enforcement while their request is pending. They are running out of legal options; who knows what other steps they might take to try to preserve the status quo?
NYACS will continue to keep you posted as we continue the quest for a level playing field for tax-collecting retailers.
The on-again, off-again enforcement of tax collection in Indian sales of cigarettes to non-Indian customers is on again -- for now -- following a ruling today by the Appellate Division of State Supreme Court.
Sitting in Rochester, the court upheld a lower-court ruling that the State of New York had followed proper procedures in adopting regulations governing the collection of such taxes, and lifted the previous restraining order imposed by one of its judges.
Thus, for the moment, the Cuomo administration can resume enforcement. However, the Seneca Indian Nation is vowing to seek permission to appeal to the state Court of Appeals. The key question will be whether they succeed in getting a new stay of enforcement while their request is pending. They are running out of legal options; who knows what other steps they might take to try to preserve the status quo?
NYACS will continue to keep you posted as we continue the quest for a level playing field for tax-collecting retailers.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Commissaries Account For A Quarter Of All Supermarket And Convenience Store Prepared Food Purchases, Says Technomic
CHICAGO, June 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In a first-of-its-kind study, Technomic found that commissaries (also known as meal assemblers and central kitchens) are the source of a large percentage of all foodservice purchases in both supermarkets and c-stores. Commissaries have recently become more popular and required as these growing channels look to increase their overall foodservice sales and to meet consumer demand for fresh, prepared foods.
"Commissaries are a great option for c-stores and supermarkets largely because they can outsource the food preparation function to someone else," said Tim Powell, a director of research and consulting at Technomic. "As these channels have explored new avenues of growth, foodservice has shown that margins can sometimes be three times as high as other in-store categories."
In recent years, supermarkets and c-stores have looked to foodservice for expansion and have been growing faster than the overall foodservice industryrate, making them attractive targets for suppliers to the industry.
Other pertinent findings include:
Technomic identified four primary models of commissaries that will be critical for trading partners to understand.
Commissary growth over the next three years will exceed both c-store and supermarket growth.
Cold deli sandwiches, burritos and pizza account for the largest shipments from commissaries to c-stores.
The largest volume categories going to supermarkets are fully-cooked meats, prepared salads, pizza and cold deli sandwiches.
As part of this research, Technomic developed a framework for suppliers to determine the best way to select and identify commissaries relevant to a trading partner's business. The study also focuses on supermarket and c-store operator opinions as well as commissary attitudes and needs from suppliers.
http://goo.gl/mxgTt
"Commissaries are a great option for c-stores and supermarkets largely because they can outsource the food preparation function to someone else," said Tim Powell, a director of research and consulting at Technomic. "As these channels have explored new avenues of growth, foodservice has shown that margins can sometimes be three times as high as other in-store categories."
In recent years, supermarkets and c-stores have looked to foodservice for expansion and have been growing faster than the overall foodservice industryrate, making them attractive targets for suppliers to the industry.
Other pertinent findings include:
Technomic identified four primary models of commissaries that will be critical for trading partners to understand.
Commissary growth over the next three years will exceed both c-store and supermarket growth.
Cold deli sandwiches, burritos and pizza account for the largest shipments from commissaries to c-stores.
The largest volume categories going to supermarkets are fully-cooked meats, prepared salads, pizza and cold deli sandwiches.
As part of this research, Technomic developed a framework for suppliers to determine the best way to select and identify commissaries relevant to a trading partner's business. The study also focuses on supermarket and c-store operator opinions as well as commissary attitudes and needs from suppliers.
http://goo.gl/mxgTt
Monday, May 23, 2011
Scripting
Visit virtually every fast food restaurant in the United States and you hear, “You want the extra size that?” In fact, you hear it so much that you are probably tired of the upsell offer.
There's nothing wrong with an upsell. In fact, statistics show that somewhere between 46-70% of offered upsells are accepted and purchased. That’s a lot of extra cash flow for no additional marketing or overhead cost.
But you would think that there would be thought that goes into this.
When I managed stores for a global 5 company, we required the CSRs to upsell everyone. But here was the extent of the upsell training – a 3” by 5” card that had suggestions of what to offer as an upsell when a customer was purchasing a specific type of item.
So every cigarette sale became, “Would you like a lighter with that?”
This was replaced by the Product of the Month push. Someone at the corporate offices decided that it would be easier to offer the “Product of the Month” as the upsell to everyone. The next month, when someone came in to the store to purchase a 6 pack of beer and a pack of cigarettes, the upsell was “Would you like a 2 liter Pepsi with that?”.
How do you think the upsells did? Pretty poorly, it would seem.
Here’s my point – wouldn’t it be a lot more conducive to increasing your sales is you gave your Customer Service Reps a little clue by giving them a little bit of sales training.
The argument I heard a number of times at my employer was that should we teach our employees to sell, they would leave the company and find an employer that would be willing to pay them more based on their sales skills. It never occurred that the opposite – not training your employees to sell and keeping them – was less beneficial to the corporation.
There are many sales trainers out there. Many sales techniques. Many books, CDs, DVDs and one can spend up to $25,000 for a lifetime sales training class in Cincinnati. I am not suggesting you do this.
What’s my suggestion? Personally, I like the sales trainers that incorporate some persuasion language into their training. Persuasion language can take a close ratio of 20-25% to 40-60% - in fairly short manner.
Another point about sales training – I like those who insist on scripting. Without scripting, you are winging the presentation. No presentation goes 100% the way any salesperson desires. But how can a sale continue to move in the direction intended if the sales person doesn’t even have an outline or clue of how to steer the sale back to their desired outcome?
Lastly, is it really that necessary to provide sales training to CSRs? After all, this is an impromptu purchase, not a sale of a computer or an automobile. It may not be, but having memorized scripts so that your CSRs don’t come off as a mindless “You wanna biggie size that order?” may be in order.
Want to receive some very cost effective insights on writing scripts and “sales presentations” for your CSRs to learn? I would highly recommend the following:
www.ericlofholm.com
Eric was trained by a Dr. Donald Moine. Dr. Donald Moine has a book from several years ago (which Eric is currently updating) entitled Unlimited Selling Power (available from www.Amazon.com).
BTW, tell Eric Ted sent you to him.
There's nothing wrong with an upsell. In fact, statistics show that somewhere between 46-70% of offered upsells are accepted and purchased. That’s a lot of extra cash flow for no additional marketing or overhead cost.
But you would think that there would be thought that goes into this.
When I managed stores for a global 5 company, we required the CSRs to upsell everyone. But here was the extent of the upsell training – a 3” by 5” card that had suggestions of what to offer as an upsell when a customer was purchasing a specific type of item.
So every cigarette sale became, “Would you like a lighter with that?”
This was replaced by the Product of the Month push. Someone at the corporate offices decided that it would be easier to offer the “Product of the Month” as the upsell to everyone. The next month, when someone came in to the store to purchase a 6 pack of beer and a pack of cigarettes, the upsell was “Would you like a 2 liter Pepsi with that?”.
How do you think the upsells did? Pretty poorly, it would seem.
Here’s my point – wouldn’t it be a lot more conducive to increasing your sales is you gave your Customer Service Reps a little clue by giving them a little bit of sales training.
The argument I heard a number of times at my employer was that should we teach our employees to sell, they would leave the company and find an employer that would be willing to pay them more based on their sales skills. It never occurred that the opposite – not training your employees to sell and keeping them – was less beneficial to the corporation.
There are many sales trainers out there. Many sales techniques. Many books, CDs, DVDs and one can spend up to $25,000 for a lifetime sales training class in Cincinnati. I am not suggesting you do this.
What’s my suggestion? Personally, I like the sales trainers that incorporate some persuasion language into their training. Persuasion language can take a close ratio of 20-25% to 40-60% - in fairly short manner.
Another point about sales training – I like those who insist on scripting. Without scripting, you are winging the presentation. No presentation goes 100% the way any salesperson desires. But how can a sale continue to move in the direction intended if the sales person doesn’t even have an outline or clue of how to steer the sale back to their desired outcome?
Lastly, is it really that necessary to provide sales training to CSRs? After all, this is an impromptu purchase, not a sale of a computer or an automobile. It may not be, but having memorized scripts so that your CSRs don’t come off as a mindless “You wanna biggie size that order?” may be in order.
Want to receive some very cost effective insights on writing scripts and “sales presentations” for your CSRs to learn? I would highly recommend the following:
www.ericlofholm.com
Eric was trained by a Dr. Donald Moine. Dr. Donald Moine has a book from several years ago (which Eric is currently updating) entitled Unlimited Selling Power (available from www.Amazon.com).
BTW, tell Eric Ted sent you to him.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Dunkin' Donuts Files For IPO
Dunkin' Brands Group Inc., Canton, Mass., the parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, last week filed for a proposed initial public offering (IPO) of $400 million of its common stock. All of the shares would be sold by Dunkin' Brands and no shares are being offered by existing shareholders.
Dunkin' Brands intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund a portion of the redemption price for the outstanding Dunkin' Brands, Inc. senior notes due 2018.
Dunkin' Brands says it has more than 16,000 points of distribution in 57 countries worldwide, At the end of 2010, Dunkin' Brands' nearly 100 percent franchised business model included 9,760 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants and 6,433 Baskin-Robbins restaurants, and the company had system-wide sales of approximately $7.7 billion.
Dunkin' Brands intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund a portion of the redemption price for the outstanding Dunkin' Brands, Inc. senior notes due 2018.
Dunkin' Brands says it has more than 16,000 points of distribution in 57 countries worldwide, At the end of 2010, Dunkin' Brands' nearly 100 percent franchised business model included 9,760 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants and 6,433 Baskin-Robbins restaurants, and the company had system-wide sales of approximately $7.7 billion.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
5 Thoughts about How to Make a C-Store Thrive
I was recently interviewed and asked – what are your 5 thoughts about Starting a Business. I thought briefly about this. Literally 2-3 minutes. And here are my thoughts:
NICHE. When starting a business, be sure you have a niche. You cannot have a business to caters to everyone. Donald Trump is not simply a real estate investor or a landlord. He has specific locations, income levels, lifestyle, and other demographic and psycho-graphic information that he caters to.
When you are an accountant or an attorney or an engineer who has worked for a business for a number of years, and determine that you desire to have more control over your life, you simply don’t decide to hang out a shingle. Once again, you SHOULD determine your perfect client – and the better grasp and vision you develop about this perfect client, the better. And marker exclusively to that client base (although be willing to take clients that are not in that client base).
Recently I attended a networking event. When asked what I did, I noted I did Business Growth Consulting for the niche I am focused on. By the end of the meeting, I had eight referrals regarding clients, in 5 different business classifications (obviously, four of them did not fit my niche, but I am able to provide the same services to these four other businesses just as easily as my strategies are immutable).
SIZE OF NICHE. If you pick to service a niche where there are only 3 prospective clients, do not be disappointed if you cannot attract more than two clients.
For the remainder of this post, go to www.tedleithart.blogspot.com
NICHE. When starting a business, be sure you have a niche. You cannot have a business to caters to everyone. Donald Trump is not simply a real estate investor or a landlord. He has specific locations, income levels, lifestyle, and other demographic and psycho-graphic information that he caters to.
When you are an accountant or an attorney or an engineer who has worked for a business for a number of years, and determine that you desire to have more control over your life, you simply don’t decide to hang out a shingle. Once again, you SHOULD determine your perfect client – and the better grasp and vision you develop about this perfect client, the better. And marker exclusively to that client base (although be willing to take clients that are not in that client base).
Recently I attended a networking event. When asked what I did, I noted I did Business Growth Consulting for the niche I am focused on. By the end of the meeting, I had eight referrals regarding clients, in 5 different business classifications (obviously, four of them did not fit my niche, but I am able to provide the same services to these four other businesses just as easily as my strategies are immutable).
SIZE OF NICHE. If you pick to service a niche where there are only 3 prospective clients, do not be disappointed if you cannot attract more than two clients.
For the remainder of this post, go to www.tedleithart.blogspot.com
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Seeking Strategic Alliance Partners
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
NACStech Event
Time: May 16, 2011 to May 18, 2011
Location: The Mirage
Street: Las Vegas
City/Town: NV
Website or Map: http://www.nacstech.com
Phone: (703) 684-3600
Event Type: convention
Organized By: NACS
NACStech is the premiere technology solutions event for the convenience and petroleum retailing industry. Approximately 1,300 attendees and more than 100 exhibitors are expected at NACStech, which also will feature 15 workshops dedicated to critical industry topics including PCI and triple DES compliance, state-of-the-art loyalty programs and maximizing POS strategies.
Location: The Mirage
Street: Las Vegas
City/Town: NV
Website or Map: http://www.nacstech.com
Phone: (703) 684-3600
Event Type: convention
Organized By: NACS
NACStech is the premiere technology solutions event for the convenience and petroleum retailing industry. Approximately 1,300 attendees and more than 100 exhibitors are expected at NACStech, which also will feature 15 workshops dedicated to critical industry topics including PCI and triple DES compliance, state-of-the-art loyalty programs and maximizing POS strategies.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
McLane National Trade Show
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Connecting to Consumers through Social Media in the C Store World
How are C Stores building relationships with their customers through social media? Any interesting campaigns or tactics that people are seeing out there?
Would also be interested in knowing of any C Store-specific seminars or webinars that address social media and its future in this market.
Thank you!
Would also be interested in knowing of any C Store-specific seminars or webinars that address social media and its future in this market.
Thank you!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Internet Lottery
WASHINGTON – Last week U.S. Rep. John Campbell (R-CA) introduced legislation that seeks to regulate and tax Internet gambling. H.R. 1174 is identical to previous proposals sought by U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA).
NACS opposes any attempt to allow purchases of lottery tickets online and is urging retailers to ask their representatives to vote against H.R. 1174. NACS is part of a coalition to prevent this legislation from being passed into law. In addition to Campbell and Frank, Reps. Peter King (D-NY) and Perlmutter (D-CO) support the bill.
The supporters of H.R. 1174 say that current law, as outlined under the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), has done little to deter Americans who want to gamble from seeking out online gaming sites based outside the United States. Therefore, they support the legalization of online gaming in the U.S. as a means to increase tax revenues.
"Clearly, Americans want to gamble on the Internet, and policymakers need to provide both the freedom to do so, as well as ensure that appropriate consumer protections are in place," Campbell said in a statement. "Regulating online gaming and making certain that these sites are operating legally in America will also create economic growth through generated tax revenue and the possibility of attracting foreign players to U.S. sites."
The bill falls under the jurisdiction of the House Financial Services Committee, where it will likely face stiff resistance from Chairman Spencer Bachus (R-AL), who strongly opposed Frank's bill last year.
Why You Should Care
Retailers operate on very thin margins and depend on lottery ticket sales for a significant portion of their revenues and to generate substantial traffic. The frequent lottery customer purchases additional items when they purchase their lottery tickets. In fact, on 95 percent of their store visits, lottery customers purchased at least one other merchandise product in addition to lottery. Retail operators across the country — and their employees — would be adversely affected if this bill were to become law.
My C Store World
NACS opposes any attempt to allow purchases of lottery tickets online and is urging retailers to ask their representatives to vote against H.R. 1174. NACS is part of a coalition to prevent this legislation from being passed into law. In addition to Campbell and Frank, Reps. Peter King (D-NY) and Perlmutter (D-CO) support the bill.
The supporters of H.R. 1174 say that current law, as outlined under the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), has done little to deter Americans who want to gamble from seeking out online gaming sites based outside the United States. Therefore, they support the legalization of online gaming in the U.S. as a means to increase tax revenues.
"Clearly, Americans want to gamble on the Internet, and policymakers need to provide both the freedom to do so, as well as ensure that appropriate consumer protections are in place," Campbell said in a statement. "Regulating online gaming and making certain that these sites are operating legally in America will also create economic growth through generated tax revenue and the possibility of attracting foreign players to U.S. sites."
The bill falls under the jurisdiction of the House Financial Services Committee, where it will likely face stiff resistance from Chairman Spencer Bachus (R-AL), who strongly opposed Frank's bill last year.
Why You Should Care
Retailers operate on very thin margins and depend on lottery ticket sales for a significant portion of their revenues and to generate substantial traffic. The frequent lottery customer purchases additional items when they purchase their lottery tickets. In fact, on 95 percent of their store visits, lottery customers purchased at least one other merchandise product in addition to lottery. Retail operators across the country — and their employees — would be adversely affected if this bill were to become law.
My C Store World
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Digital Coupons Show Significant Gains
Coupons.com Inc. issued its Digital Coupons Trends Report for 2010 which indicates that more than $1.2 billion in digital coupons savings was issued in 2010, representing a 41 percent growth over the previous year. Compared to coupons distributed in newspapers, digital coupons dramatically outpaced the growth of their newspaper counterparts, approximately 6 to 1.
Representing more than 16 percent of the U.S. population, more than 49 million American consumers are now using online coupons, up from 45 million in 2009. Of the 49 million online coupon users, almost one-third (14.8 million) has not read or looked into the Sunday newspaper for coupons within the prior six months, a 13 percent increase over 13.1 million in 2008. Research also indicates 73 percent of all U.S. shoppers have used online printable web coupons to date.
Cereal was by far the most popular coupon category in 2010, followed by yogurt, refrigerated dough, portable snacks, vegetables, baby products, soup, air, rug and fabric care, cheese and lastly, lunch meats.
Representing more than 16 percent of the U.S. population, more than 49 million American consumers are now using online coupons, up from 45 million in 2009. Of the 49 million online coupon users, almost one-third (14.8 million) has not read or looked into the Sunday newspaper for coupons within the prior six months, a 13 percent increase over 13.1 million in 2008. Research also indicates 73 percent of all U.S. shoppers have used online printable web coupons to date.
Cereal was by far the most popular coupon category in 2010, followed by yogurt, refrigerated dough, portable snacks, vegetables, baby products, soup, air, rug and fabric care, cheese and lastly, lunch meats.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
New Beverage Calorie Labels Arrive In Stores
The American Beverage Association announced last week the rollout of calorie labels on the front of non-alcoholic beverages, as part of its "Clear on Calories" initiative. The association's voluntary commitment to make calorie counts more prominent supports First Lady Michelle Obama's efforts to help families make informed food and drink choices.
"The new labels put calorie information at the fingertips of consumers at every point of purchase so they can choose the beverage that is right for them and their families," said Susan Neely, president and chief executive officer of the American Beverage Association. "By putting the calories on the front of beverages, we're making it easier for consumers to make informed choices. It's one more way that America's beverage companies are doing their part to help people achieve a healthy weight by balancing their diet and physical activity."
Beverage companies will be including the calorie labels on the front of every can, bottle, and pack they produce for beverages 20 fluid ounces or smaller. The labels have begun rolling out in stores across the nation, and they are expected to be on the front of all major brands by June, and on all brands by early 2012
http://www.mycstoreworld.com/forum/topics/new-beverage-calorie-labels#
"The new labels put calorie information at the fingertips of consumers at every point of purchase so they can choose the beverage that is right for them and their families," said Susan Neely, president and chief executive officer of the American Beverage Association. "By putting the calories on the front of beverages, we're making it easier for consumers to make informed choices. It's one more way that America's beverage companies are doing their part to help people achieve a healthy weight by balancing their diet and physical activity."
Beverage companies will be including the calorie labels on the front of every can, bottle, and pack they produce for beverages 20 fluid ounces or smaller. The labels have begun rolling out in stores across the nation, and they are expected to be on the front of all major brands by June, and on all brands by early 2012
http://www.mycstoreworld.com/forum/topics/new-beverage-calorie-labels#
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Future of Fuels: The 2011 Auto Show
What is the future of fuels? We went to the 2011 Auto Show to see the latest in fuel development. This series titled 'The Future of Fuels' is part of the NACS Annual Fuels Report, which is now available to explore these issues.
Watch Video
Watch Video
Thursday, February 17, 2011
New Beverage Calorie Labels Arrive In Stores
The American Beverage Association announced last week the rollout of calorie labels on the front of non-alcoholic beverages, as part of its "Clear on Calories" initiative. The association's voluntary commitment to make calorie counts more prominent supports First Lady Michelle Obama's efforts to help families make informed food and drink choices.
"The new labels put calorie information at the fingertips of consumers at every point of purchase so they can choose the beverage that is right for them and their families," said Susan Neely, president and chief executive officer of the American Beverage Association. "By putting the calories on the front of beverages, we're making it easier for consumers to make informed choices. It's one more way that America's beverage companies are doing their part to help people achieve a healthy weight by balancing their diet and physical activity."
Beverage companies will be including the calorie labels on the front of every can, bottle, and pack they produce for beverages 20 fluid ounces or smaller. The labels have begun rolling out in stores across the nation, and they are expected to be on the front of all major brands by June, and on all brands by early 2012.
"The new labels put calorie information at the fingertips of consumers at every point of purchase so they can choose the beverage that is right for them and their families," said Susan Neely, president and chief executive officer of the American Beverage Association. "By putting the calories on the front of beverages, we're making it easier for consumers to make informed choices. It's one more way that America's beverage companies are doing their part to help people achieve a healthy weight by balancing their diet and physical activity."
Beverage companies will be including the calorie labels on the front of every can, bottle, and pack they produce for beverages 20 fluid ounces or smaller. The labels have begun rolling out in stores across the nation, and they are expected to be on the front of all major brands by June, and on all brands by early 2012.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Looking For A Broker to Get Distribution of Our Product Line into C-Stores
DNE Nutraceuticals is a manufacturer of vitamins, dietary supplements, sports nutrition products,etc. We are based out of Farmingdale, NJ. Previously our products had been sold on the internet and via mail order only. New ownership purchased the company about 18 months ago. We have now developed several products to sell in FDM, Convenience channels, etc. On-the Go is a powdered Multivitamin Drink Mix that, when mixed with water, gives you a full days supply of vitamins and minerals and 1,000 mgs. of Vitamin C. Bolt 260 is an energy enhancement supplement in a discreet tablet format.
We are looking for brokers and distributors to help get these products into the C-Stores around the country. Please contact me if interested. Thanks.
Apply for this position
We are looking for brokers and distributors to help get these products into the C-Stores around the country. Please contact me if interested. Thanks.
Apply for this position
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
U.S. Convenience Store Count Tops 146,000 - WOW!
This increase reversed a rare two-year drop in the store count and is the highest number of stores ever recorded.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., and NEW YORK – The number of U.S. convenience stores grew 1.2 percent over the past year and stands at 146,341 as of December 31, 2010, according to the NACS/Nielsen TDLinx 2011 Convenience Industry Store Count, released today.
This increase in the NACS/Nielsen TDLinx 2011 Convenience Industry Store Count reversed a rare two-year drop in the store count and is the highest number of stores ever recorded, eclipsing the 146,294 stores from the 2008 count.
“The increase in store count shows that the interruption of service in many areas, caused by many traditional fuel-based operators exiting the industry, is turning around. Those locations are now in the hands of capable retailers who see the consumer demand and are willing to fill it,” said NACS Vice Chairman of Research Fran Duskiewicz, senior executive vice president of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes Inc. in Canastota, N.Y.
“Despite some industry pressures, the convenience store count has grown dramatically since 2001,” said Todd Hale, Nielsen’s senior vice president, Consumer & Shopper Insights. “That said, the convenience store industry is widely fragmented, and we expect to see more consolidation as big-box retailers and some supermarket chains continue to add gas pumps to their sites.”
With the U.S. Census Bureau data showing the U.S. population at 308.7 million, there is one convenience per approximately every 2,100 residents. NACS 2009 sales data shows that convenience store sales were $511 billion, or one of every 28 dollars spent in the country in 2009.
The convenience retailing industry has seen remarkable growth over the last three decades. In 1981, the store count was 67,500 stores, in 1991 the store count was 105,800 stores and in 2001 the store count was 119,800 stores.
Despite extreme price and profit volatility for motor fuels, convenience store retailers consider motor fuels operations to be important. A total of 117,297 convenience stores sell motor fuels, a 1.7 percent increase over last year. The increase in the number of stores selling fuel (1,957 stores) was greater than the increase in overall store count (1,800 stores), with the remainder being convenience-only stores that added fueling or gas stations that added convenience operations. Overall, 80.2 percent of all convenience stores sell motor fuels.
The convenience retailing industry continues to be dominated by single-store operators, accounting for 62.7 percent of stores. The growth of one-store operations mirrored the overall growth in store count. The industry increased by 1,800 stores overall, the number of one-store operations increased by 1,766.
Texas once again led in terms of overall stores, with 14,466 stores, nearly one-tenth of all U.S. convenience stores. California was ranked number two in store count at 10,581, followed by Florida at 9,348.
Convenience stores also outnumber the cumulative total stores count from competing channels in the United States. According to Nielsen TDLinx, as of December 31, 2010, there were 36,149 supermarkets, 37,409 drug stores and 28,326 mass merchandiser/dollar stores.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., and NEW YORK – The number of U.S. convenience stores grew 1.2 percent over the past year and stands at 146,341 as of December 31, 2010, according to the NACS/Nielsen TDLinx 2011 Convenience Industry Store Count, released today.
This increase in the NACS/Nielsen TDLinx 2011 Convenience Industry Store Count reversed a rare two-year drop in the store count and is the highest number of stores ever recorded, eclipsing the 146,294 stores from the 2008 count.
“The increase in store count shows that the interruption of service in many areas, caused by many traditional fuel-based operators exiting the industry, is turning around. Those locations are now in the hands of capable retailers who see the consumer demand and are willing to fill it,” said NACS Vice Chairman of Research Fran Duskiewicz, senior executive vice president of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes Inc. in Canastota, N.Y.
“Despite some industry pressures, the convenience store count has grown dramatically since 2001,” said Todd Hale, Nielsen’s senior vice president, Consumer & Shopper Insights. “That said, the convenience store industry is widely fragmented, and we expect to see more consolidation as big-box retailers and some supermarket chains continue to add gas pumps to their sites.”
With the U.S. Census Bureau data showing the U.S. population at 308.7 million, there is one convenience per approximately every 2,100 residents. NACS 2009 sales data shows that convenience store sales were $511 billion, or one of every 28 dollars spent in the country in 2009.
The convenience retailing industry has seen remarkable growth over the last three decades. In 1981, the store count was 67,500 stores, in 1991 the store count was 105,800 stores and in 2001 the store count was 119,800 stores.
Despite extreme price and profit volatility for motor fuels, convenience store retailers consider motor fuels operations to be important. A total of 117,297 convenience stores sell motor fuels, a 1.7 percent increase over last year. The increase in the number of stores selling fuel (1,957 stores) was greater than the increase in overall store count (1,800 stores), with the remainder being convenience-only stores that added fueling or gas stations that added convenience operations. Overall, 80.2 percent of all convenience stores sell motor fuels.
The convenience retailing industry continues to be dominated by single-store operators, accounting for 62.7 percent of stores. The growth of one-store operations mirrored the overall growth in store count. The industry increased by 1,800 stores overall, the number of one-store operations increased by 1,766.
Texas once again led in terms of overall stores, with 14,466 stores, nearly one-tenth of all U.S. convenience stores. California was ranked number two in store count at 10,581, followed by Florida at 9,348.
Convenience stores also outnumber the cumulative total stores count from competing channels in the United States. According to Nielsen TDLinx, as of December 31, 2010, there were 36,149 supermarkets, 37,409 drug stores and 28,326 mass merchandiser/dollar stores.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Dannon Agrees to Drop Health Claims
Dannon Agrees To Drop Health Claims For Yogurt & Dairy DrinkThe Dannon Co. has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges of deceptive advertising and drop claims that allegedly exaggerated the health benefits of its Activia yogurt and DanActive dairy drink. Dannon has agreed to stop claiming that one daily serving of Activia relieves irregularity, and that DanActive helps people avoid catching colds or the flu.
Under the proposed settlement: Dannon is prohibited from claiming that any yogurt, dairy drink, or probiotic food or drink reduces the likelihood of getting a cold or the flu, unless the claim is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Dannon may not claim that Activia yogurt will relieve temporary irregularity or help with slow intestinal transit time.
The FTC worked in close coordination with 39 state attorneys general, who are simultaneously announcing the resolution of their own inquiries into Dannon's advertising of DanActive and Activia. Dannon has agreed to pay the states $21 million to resolve these investigations.
Under the proposed settlement: Dannon is prohibited from claiming that any yogurt, dairy drink, or probiotic food or drink reduces the likelihood of getting a cold or the flu, unless the claim is approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Dannon may not claim that Activia yogurt will relieve temporary irregularity or help with slow intestinal transit time.
The FTC worked in close coordination with 39 state attorneys general, who are simultaneously announcing the resolution of their own inquiries into Dannon's advertising of DanActive and Activia. Dannon has agreed to pay the states $21 million to resolve these investigations.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
PCM PAC Golf Tournament
NCPCM will conduct the PCM PAC Golf Tournament at Myrtlewood Golf Course, Myrtle Beach, SC, on March 1, 2011, for the purpose of networking and raising funds for the PCM PAC.
Time: March 1, 2011 all day
Location: Pinehills Course, Myrtlewood Golf Club, Myrtle Beach, SC
Street: Hwy. 17 Bypass at 48th Ave. N
City/Town: Myrtle Beach
Website or Map: http://www.ncpcm.org/ncpcm_me…
Phone: 919-782-4411
Event Type: pac, fundraiser
Organized By: Paul Allison and Dean Davis
Time: March 1, 2011 all day
Location: Pinehills Course, Myrtlewood Golf Club, Myrtle Beach, SC
Street: Hwy. 17 Bypass at 48th Ave. N
City/Town: Myrtle Beach
Website or Map: http://www.ncpcm.org/ncpcm_me…
Phone: 919-782-4411
Event Type: pac, fundraiser
Organized By: Paul Allison and Dean Davis
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