OAK BROOK, Ill. -- CSP Information Group has published the inaugural issue of CSP Independent, a quarterly magazine written exclusively for independent convenience retailers with 10 stores or fewer.
The March issue of CSP Independent makes its debut at a time when the independent community is gaining power and influence. Of the 140,000 convenience stores in the United States, more than 65% are operated by independent retailers with five stores or fewer, according to data compiled by McLane Co., Temple, Texas. And while much of the c-store industry consolidates, [image-nocss] the number of independent retailers continues to rise.
The inaugural issue's cover storyentitled Melting Potsearches for commonality amid the diversity of the U.S. independent retailing community and finds it in retailers' uncommon passion for the business.
Other topics featured in the first issue of CSP Independent include affordable and meaningful employee-benefits packages; maximizing gross-profit dollars in the tobacco category; diversification through new retail concepts; catering to drivers with disabilities; and drawing profits from the evolution of the roller grill.
[CSP Independent] is great because you are reading about other retailers your size, so you can relate to them, said Monica Musich, president of Valley Dairy/VALDAK Corp., Grand Forks, N.D., which operates seven stores and three car washes in Minnesota and North Dakota. Musich is a member of the magazine's editorial advisory board, which was formed in December 2005.
The challenges of smaller operators differ greatly from larger, chain-operated companies, according to single-store operator Mohammed S. Khan. Khan, who serves high-end customers with his upscale LA Rouge Mart in Baton Rouge, La., believes CSP Independent can help smaller operators find new ways to level the playing field.
CSP Independent understands the needs of smaller operators and can help them find new niches for the business, everything from A to Z, said Khan, also a member of the CSP Independent advisory board. We all want to improve profitability, increase sales and improve our labor situation. For the smaller operatorsthe more we can find new ways to maximize our locations and diversify, the more successful we'll be.
In addition to Musich and Khan, the new magazine's advisory board includes Kiran Asher, president of McAsher Inc., Marysville, Wash., a chain of 10 ARCO and Chevron stores; Ray Hawkins, president of Berkly Enterprises, Brady, Texas, which operates five stores; Danish Ismail, partner in Combined Oil Co., Lincolnshire, Ill., an Illinois jobbership that has developed a network of independent fuel marketers; Terry Lambert, president of two-store Lambert Enterprises, Joliet, Ill.; and John Rowe, president of Speedy's Convenience Stores, St. Joseph, Mo., which operates eight stores.
CSP assembled the editorial advisory board to help shape the direction and content of the inaugural issue. The board will be instrumental in guiding CSP Independent's focus for future editions and other ventures to assist independents in streamlining their business.
We celebrate the much-needed launch of CSP Independent, said Paul Reuter, president and editorial director of CSP Information Group. The independent community has been underserved till now. The rest of the industry seems to be consolidating, but we continue to see significant growth among independent retailers. Between CSP Independent and our upcoming Foodservice Handbook, [this year] is seeing the largest investment CSP has made in the last three years in print publishing.
The next issue of the quarterly CSP Independent will be published in June, with the third and fourth editions to follow in September and December, respectively. To subscribe to CSP Independent, please click here.
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