"We're proud to be able to honor these retailers for their accomplishments," said CSP vice president and group editor Mitch Morrison as he handed out the CRU Awards to NOCO Express, PS Food Marts and Maverik.
NOCO Express won the Customer Experience Award.
From the point-of-purchase to the gas pump to the street and even into the home, NOCO [image-nocss] Express is pushing the boundaries of how technology can be used to increase store sales.
This Buffalo, N.Y.-based chain of 32 stores has found keeping its brand in front of consumers brings feet into the stores, where customers can peek at the numerous television and video screens--dubbed TNN, The NOCO Network--to find out about the day's specials. They can also learn about reward opportunities, such as a recent texting promotion in which customers could win tickets to a Buffalo Sabres hockey game.
Out at the pump, customers can not only watch the price of a gallon of gas drop by a dime when they swipe their EZ-Pay Friends and Family Club loyalty card, but also collect points to earn free gasoline. And because EZ-Pay links directly back to a customer's checking account, it eliminates credit-card processing fees for the company.
On the road, a driver in need of gasoline can look up gas prices and store specials using the NOCO app developed with Gas Buddy. And from home or the office, consumers can find details of store specials and gas prices online, where each store has its own website.
"Our goals are to recognize that our customers are 18 to 35 and that we have to be able to communicate to them in a way in which they expect to be communicated," said executive vice president Michael Newman. "I want them to think NOCO is really tech savvy because that'll give us a reputation, a sensibility of what we want to be and what our guests expect us to be."
PS Food Marts won the Community Leader Award
The chain has always been proud of its participation in CITGO's annual fundraiser to aid the Muscular Dystrophy Association. But when the recession hit in 2008--and hit the state of Michigan particularly hard--the company saw an opportunity to bring its charity a little closer to home.
With 22 stores in Michigan and eight in Ohio, the division of Folk Oil Co. began researching local charities that could benefit more directly from P-S Food Marts' fundraising efforts. That's when they found the Food Bank of South Central Michigan, which covers all of the chain's stores in Michigan.
And so in March 2010, PS Food Marts asked customers to buy paper hearts for $1 each, allowing them to "Fight Hunger" and "Give Hope," and raising $50,000.
Then in November, the Homer, Mich.-based company widened its target, collecting donations of Pop Tarts (two for $1). Working with locally based Kellogg's, 29 PS Food Marts sold nearly 28,000 Pop Tarts that were donated to 24 different food pantries, homeless shelters, after-school programs and churches in the community.
"That was what our whole premise, when we felt we wanted to leave MDA, that we could have a greater impact and a greater customer awareness that this money was going back [to their own community]," said CEO Dick Folk. "It's not about what we give and the recognition, but it's about that we've done something right."
Maverik Inc. won the Retail Execution Award.
Ten years ago, this western chain moved from a comfortable but dated "Old West" theme to become "Adventures First Stop," a place where area resident and tourists alike could stop to stock up before heading out to any adventure, from scaling a mountain peak to just heading into the office.
A big piece of bringing that message to consumers is the company's own reality TV show, Kickstart, which debuted in 2007 and ran for three seasons on local TV affiliates.
The show literally, in some cases, put customers in the driver's seat, teaching them how to whitewater raft, skydive or drive in excess of 100 miles per hour in a NASCAR while TV cameras rolled.
That's not to say that Maverik doesn't focus on the everyday challenges of being a good retailer. This past summer, the Salt Lake City-based chain of 221 stores in seven Western states came in 3rd place in the CSP-Service Intelligence Mystery Shop, just one point behind the winner.
For Maverik, it's at this point that Adventure's First Stop meets Conventional Retailer Wisdom.
"I believe customers want to be entertained. And the fact that we're trying--we've got snowboarders coming out of the walls, and kayakers--we try to create an atmosphere in the store that is appealing to customers," said executive vice president Brad Call. "[It's] something that they can relate with, as well as say, these guys care about me, they're trying to make my experience a fun one, a positive experience and I like them. And I want to be associated with them."
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