Independent convenience stores make up most of the c-store landscape—60% of the 152,255 total stores in the United States are single-store operators, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).
Kellen Cromie (pictured left), marketing director at Glassmere Fuel Service, recommended five strategies for small c-stores to take advantage of their size. Cromie spoke with Rachel Eickert (right), owner of Corner Store Corp. in Beverly, Ohio.
Family-owned Glassmere Fuel Service is a Tarentum, Pennsylvania-based fuel and convenience-store operator. While primarily a heating oil, propane and fuel supplier, it also operates Glassmere Food Mart convenience stores.
“It's not just about being small. It's about being faster, more personal and more connected, and that's an edge every independent operator has,” Cromie said during an education session at the NACS Show on Thursday in Chicago.
Read on for Cromie's five recommendations.
Know your market and customers
While large-chain employees can also get to know their customers, small c-store chain management has more capability to learn about the market and consumers they serve, Cromie said.
“Large chains, they throw a wide net," Cromie said. "While they have mountains of data, they're running off national averages, national promotions and data sets that don't always reflect what's going on in a particular area. We can get a lot more targeted. There's a world of difference between crafting your own promotions for your customers versus corporate sending you a promo packet and window decals once a month.”
Glassmere’s home-office store is in a rural area where contractors, landscapers, municipal workers, nurses, construction crews and other commuters are grabbing breakfast on their way to work daily. That store is built around the commute, he said, including the product mix, staffing and even the promotions.
“Getting your employees engaged with your customers can bring insight that data just can't,” Cromie said. “Talk to them. Maybe there's a soda or candy bar we're not carrying that they prefer."
At each Glassmere location, there are a handful of items that are specific to that store and specific to a small group of customers—sometimes even one customer, Cromie said.
“That product may not move quickly, but it keeps them coming back and makes them feel like that store is built just for them,” he said. “The more you lean into your customer habits, the more your store feels like it's built just for them. That's something a national chain simply can't duplicate.”
Leverage vendor and partner relationships
While large chains use buying power to get the best pricing, run cross-national, cross-branded promotions and secure exclusives with huge vendors, small operators have the ability to use vendors as true partners, Cromie said.
“For us, that means working with local printers to turn around [point-of-purchase] signage quickly. It allows us the opportunity to add new and exciting promotions on the fly and not be held down months in advance,” Cromie said.
Glassmere also partners with co-ops and smaller companies to bring in unique products before they hit the big chain through word of mouth.
“We were connected with a veteran owned local beef jerky company, and began working with them, not only to sell their product, but to help raise awareness and promote it,” he said. “In return, we received jerky at a high sale discount. A few months later, it was in one of our biggest competitors.”
Some other examples of product fads that Glassmere carried early are Prime energy drinks and freeze-dried candy, he said.
Run hyper-local promos
Cromie recommends working with wholesalers to create personalized promotions for the store. Smaller stores have the ability to add, remove or change signage on the fly.
“If you sell a lot of chicken sandwiches, maybe there's an opportunity to purchase in bulk and store it at their site,” he said. “Ask if another customer wants to partner on an order for better pricing. Maybe there's a new hot food program coming down the pipeline. You can be the first store to implement.”
Vendors can also set up sampling tables or sell on consignment inside stores, he said. Other ideas: cross promote with vendors on social media or sell ad time to your food and beverage vendors if you have digital screens.
At the end of the day, small stores can adjust quickly, he said. If a specific product is taking off, a small retailer can expand it today without the need for a planogram corporate approval or a new signage kit.
“Large chains are massive,” Cromie said. “That means they're slow to move. They can't decide today to bring in a product tomorrow. We can't build a promotion around something that happened in our community yesterday.”
The same flexibility goes for customers, he said. Maybe a customer needs to run a small tab until payday. Glassmere has the flexibility to say yes, and that's something a chain will never be able to replicate, he said.
Use technology
Technology is one of the biggest equalizers today, Cromie said. Tools that used to be out of reach are now affordable and easy to use.
Glassmere uses LED TVs in stores to cycle through promotional content, with some of the spots funded by vendors. Digital pump screens display special offers to customers while they’re fueling and artificially intelligent (AI) voice messaging is broadcast both inside and outside to further promote deals.
“These are all simple, affordable tools that make us look and act like a much bigger chain," he said. "On the design side, websites and AI tools make ad creation easier than ever.”
Loyalty programs, even app-based ones, are more affordable than ever, Cromie said. They don't just reward customers; they provide the same kind of data that big chains rely on, like purchase behavior, contact info and the ability to push texts and emails.
Get involved in the community
Independents shine by staying present in their communities, Cromie said.
“National chains sponsor national events. Independents sponsor your friends and neighbors," Cromie said, "We're donating to the local animal shelter. We're hosting customer appreciation days. We're getting involved with local fire and police departments. We're supposed to sponsor the local carnival. We're at the local farm show.“
Instead of just sponsoring the local football or volleyball team, get involved with their fundraising. For example, donate a percentage of in store sales, host a car wash, host a community bulletin board or gather employees for a volunteer day with the animal shelter or municipality picking up trash.
“Our fuel to shelter program donates one cent for every gallon pump from two of our locally based trucks," he said. "Those trucks, not only are they delivering directly to homes in our community, they frequently fill up our own c-store storage tank.”
Since launching the fuel to shelter program in August 2023, Glassmere has donated more than $35,000 directly to animal directors of Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania.
“That sends a message to our customers buying fuel that Glassmere supports animal protectors,” he said.
Community involvement isn't just PR, he said. It's competitive advantage, and it proves that when customers spend with you, their dollars stay local.
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