inShare WAWA, Pa. — Wawa Inc. licensed Applied Predictive Technologies’ (APT) Merchandise Optimization software at more than 600 locations. It will use the software in an effort to maximize profitability of space and merchandise assortment plans, assess the impact of each merchandise change and fine-tune its merchandising strategy. “Licensing APT’s Merchandise Optimization has enabled us to drive significant increases by reallocating our space in numerous categories, and to rapidly transition from analysis into implementation,” said David Prevost, director of space planning and merchandising at Wawa. “By rolling out the optimal merchandising strategy on a store-by-store basis, we are able to capture significant value across our network.” Now that Wawa has implemented the technology solution, APT said it will continue to work closely with Wawa to answer important business questions in products, marketing and promotions. “APT is excited to expand our relationship with Wawa to include Merchandise Optimization,” said Patrick O’Reilly,…

ACS – Association of Convenience Stores 26/01/2014 Press release ACS has strongly welcomed plans to make it illegal to buy tobacco for a person under the age of 18. This proposed change in the law is a breakthrough for a long running campaign by ACS to stamp out a loophole that undermines the fight to prevent young people from buying tobacco. ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said : “We have long argued that it is ludicrous that an adult can walk into a shop buy tobacco, and then walk round the corner and sell it on to a child without breaking the law. 95% of young people that regularly smoke obtain tobacco in this way. This change in the law is an important step forward in reducing the exposure of young people to tobacco. “We will now work with Government, police and trading standards to establish ways to make this…

9th January 2014 NIELSEN Consumers lead busy lives and their time is becoming more limited and fragmented every day. So when it comes to shopping, they may not always be 100 percent focused or fully engaged in the task at hand. So in order to keep up with them, retailers are increasingly finding that they need to innovate in ways that make it easier and more convenient for their customers to get what they need and not miss a beat in the process. Innovation can take many forms. While breakthroughs like cellular networking and seedless watermelons are tangible examples of innovation, there’s no denying the impact that advancements like multi-platform store formats and online shopping have had on the retail landscape. In fact, according ot the Continuous Innovation: The Key To Retail Success report, convenience may just be the most creative and energetic example of retail innovation. STANDING OUT WITH…