Chain Executives

Perform an Operational Refresh

It seems c-store retailers are always looking for the “next big thing” or the “magic bullet” to help them take their operational performance to the next level. In today’s economic and competitive environment, that is understandable.

The Electronic Revolution

The revolution did not start in the c-store channel. It started out quietly, from your home, where you, the customer, browsed the Internet and found vendors from the Asian continent and Western countries selling something different, something revolutionary, something not found in your local c-store or drug store: electronic cigarettes.

For anyone in charge of a network of roller grills, coolers or heating bins, a modern convenience might be a smartphone app, something that would send an alert if coffee temperatures at a store were too hot or deliver efficiency reports on a chain’s refrigerators. Unfortunately, such apps are largely food for the imagination.

The 2013 NACS Show is but a happy memory. Whether you had the best time at Restaurant Row, traipsing around the show floor or gallivanting through the metropolis of Atlanta, we have no doubt that those days in mid-October were memorable. More than 22,000 c-store retailers, manufacturers and friends of the industry sampled the wares and inspected programs offered at more than 1,000 booths over four days. What follows are our highlights from general and educational sessions, including tons of photos from those busy days. We hope to run into all of you again next year in Las Vegas (if not much sooner).

CST CEO outlines new-store plans, foodservice direction, more

As we recover from the annual gathering of leadership of the c-store industry, a time of reflection is called for as we head into the holiday season. As my family gathers around the Thanksgiving table, I find there is much to be thankful for.

John’s success in not measured in dollars or the size of his company. It’s better measured in the people he has touched and the culture and team that he has fostered.

Based on its PR focus and statements to stockholders, parent company Roundy’s is clearly putting its eggs in the Mariano’s basket, despite the fact that the fresh-market chain makes up less than 8% of the company’s total stores.

From tanks in the ground to digital payment in the “cloud,” technology and the equipment involved with pumps has created a gamut of storage, delivery and payment solutions in time-step response to a slew of regulatory and security obstacles.

7-Eleven, QuickChek, Wawa expanding in region

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