Press Releases

Geelong Advertiser – WAR ON DRIVE OFFS – 5-10-18

Chelsea Regan 03/29/2018 CSNews Forty-four percent of women say they shop a c-store two to three times a week. NEWARK, N.J. — The gender gap in convenience stores is closing. While men remain more frequent c-store shoppers than women, women are quickly catching up, providing a significant opportunity for c-store operators. The 2018 Convenience Store NewsRealities of the Aisle consumer study found that 11 percent of female monthly c-store shoppers shop a c-store “almost every day,” compared to 14 percent of men. And among all c-store shoppers, an impressive 44 percent of women say they shop a c-store two to three times a week. Convenience Store News, in collaboration with loyalty provider Paytronix Systems Inc., recently hosted a webinar titled “Proven Strategies to Attract the Female Shopper to Your C-store.” During the program, Kimberly Otocki, content marketing specialist at Paytronix, dove into various ways retailers can take advantage of the…

Tammy Mastroberte 10/02/2018 Convenience Store News NATIONAL REPORT — Retailers throughout the convenience store industry know loyalty programs are an important part of the customer experience, from both a service and competitive perspective. But loyalty isn’t what it used to be, as many chains are revamping and relaunching their programs to better engage and influence their shoppers. Within the past six months, a number of c-store chains announced refreshes, including Birmingham, N.Y-based Mirabito, operating more than 100 stores, and Tonawanda, N.Y.-based NOCO Express, operating 39 locations. There also have been many new loyalty programs introduced, such as Savannah, Ga.-based Parker’s, with 53 locations; Kwik Trip Inc. in La Crosse, Wis., with nearly 600 locations; and Global Partners LP’s Alltown Markets, based in Waltham, Mass., operating more than 70 locations. “We decided to launch a loyalty program to get a better understanding of our business at the customer level and understand…

Sue Mitchell October 3 2018 AFR Coles’ margins will fall following its demerger from Wesfarmers and margins in food, liquor and convenience/fuel will undershoot those at Woolworths, giving the new management team plenty of room for improvement. According to analysis by JP Morgan analyst Shaun Cousins, Coles’ total earnings before interest and tax will fall from a reported $1.5 billion in 2018 to $1.49 billon in 2019, with $55 million in new corporate overheads and self-insurance costs offsetting improved underlying earnings from supermarkets, liquor and convenience. JP Morgan estimates Coles’ group margin in 2019 after the demerger will be around 3.7 per cent, compared with 3.8 per cent in 2018, before the new overheads. Woolworths’ Australian food, liquor and convenience/petrol businesses earned $2.44 billion in 2018 on sales of $50 billion, an EBIT margin of 4.8 per cent. However, direct comparisons are difficult because the margin figure excludes Woolworths group…

Melissa Kress 10/02/2018 CSNews NATIONAL REPORT — Convenience store operators have long been known for the personal service they provide. Your local c-store clerk knows your coffee order, knows the name of your grandchildren, and may even know what lottery numbers you faithfully play. In-person, personal service. This is all changing, however, as consumers seek — or, more accurately, demand — a shopping experience when, where and how they want it. Enter the emerging channel of omnichannel. Defined as retail that integrates the various methods of shopping available to consumers, including online, in-store and mobile, the 360-degree omnichannel approach is an avenue consumer packaged goods retailers and suppliers are beginning to explore. “True omnichannel retail is still something retailers and brands are striving for, but doesn’t yet exist,” explained Mark Hardy, CEO of InContext Solutions, a global provider of enterprise mixed and virtual reality solutions focused on retail optimization and…