CHICAGO -- Weather emergencies come in all shapes and size ... and locations, whether a hurricane in Florida, a forest fire in California or a snowstorm in Massachusetts. Here are eight tips to help retailers get through the next wind, rain, fire or ice storm that shakes their convenience stores ...
Beef up on business interruption insurance coverage. “Our policy covers us if we’re shut down for 72 hours or more and need to make a claim for lost revenue and spoilage,” says Dev Chaudhari, who owns five Green Apple and Stop N Go c-stores in the Gainesville, Fla., area.
Stock all seasonal items at the front of the store to maximize sales during storms. “Ice melt, shovels and hats are on display close to the front so people can see them during winter months,” says Jane Doonan of The Store at Sandy Pond Inc. in Plymouth, Mass.
Increase storage capacity for needed supplies. “We added a second ice freezer as well as a storage shed out back of the building for overstock of ice and firewood,” says Doonan.
Post helpful signage. Indicate limits on fuel, grocery items or other merchandise in high demand. “We put up signage reminding people to fill their propane tanks at our filling station,” Doonan says.
Use social media to keep customers informed of impending weather and how it might affect store hours.
Contact the local news media if you have an ample fuel supply in an area where other stores are depleted. “People want to know where they can get gas,” Chaudhari says.
Get today’s need-to-know convenience industry intelligence. Sign up to receive texts from CSP on news and insights that matter to your brand.
CSP’s Top 202 details the largest chains in the convenience-store industry and the biggest M&A stories of the past year. Welcome to a deep dive into the c-store landscape.
Category sales performance in Beverages, Candy, General Merchandise, Packaged Food/Foodservice and Snacks.
The industry’s largest distributors by sales volume
Corporate retail news affecting the convenience-store industry
The latest information on products and trends in the convenience-store and foodservice industries.
Peek inside new convenience stores to uncover the best in retail store design across North America.