CANTON, Mass. -- Cumberland Farms, operator of approximately 600 convenience stores and gas stations, has implemented GSP Marketing Technologies Inc.'s Surveyor web-based survey creation and management software in its efforts to improve the performance and execution of its marketing strategy.
The Canton, Mass.-based retailer will use GSP Surveyor to create, distribute and gather responses to comprehensive surveys for its retail locations. In addition, GSP Surveyor will help consolidate all gathered data into a centralized database, allowing for easy [image-nocss] access and analysis by Cumberland's operations staff.
GSPSurveyor is an electronic surveying and database management tool that enables chains to conduct surveys electronically while providing a data repository that can store and leverage the resulting information. It gives store personnel the ability to perform resource inventories onsite without the need for third-party surveyors. Surveys can be created electronically in a simple, friendly user-interface, and saved as a web-based survey form. A survey administrator can then email the survey web link to district managers or directly to store personnel. Survey replies are electronically returned, with all data being collected into an easily accessible database.
GSPSurveyor isan invaluable resource for store-by-store intelligence. All of our site-specific data is now stored in a single database which can be shared by all of our departments. We use GSPSurveyor as a platform for key store planning initiatives, said David Merriam, director of store operations for Cumberland Farms. We combine data from GSPSurveyor with our financial performance information to generate detailed reports for our field operatives, who compare stores based on that data. Coupling this information allows our management team to effectively determine the changes needed in order to improve the overall performance of a site.
Cumberland Farms also has begun using GSPSurveyor as part of the budgeting process, and as a backbone for gathering and analyzing competitive data.
GSPSurveyor has enabled us to streamline the process for gathering and updating quarterly data for budgeting purposes without the hassle of managing a manual process, said Rose Donnell, manager of retail administration for Cumberland Farms. We have also been able to refresh our competitive store data quickly and track the status of survey completion real-time. This helps tremendously when you have several hundred sites responding. GSPSurveyor helps us collect a vast array of data, including photos of the store site and of store equipment; details on store equipment, merchandise displays, competitor data, and general merchandise data. We can even use it to collect site diagrams and floor plans.
GSP specializes in helping retail marketing professional increase store sales through the use of advanced technology solutions, including site data management tools, point-of-purchase (POP) planning software and services designed to tailor marketing strategies to the specific needs of individual retail locations. GSP's suite of retail marketing software includes GSPSurveyor and POPRender, a software application that generates 100% store-specific POP placement guides for retail locations, featuring images of the actual POP to be placed.
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