4 Modernizations C-Store Leaders Are Implementing

The convenience-store industry respects and provides for its customers—a theme repeated many times at the Outlook Leadership Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

What better way to support professional drivers and commercial customers than to keep facilities and offerings modern to match their lifestyles?

 “The travel center industry is amazing because it truly is a subset of America," said Jim Rose, vice resident of operations at Pilot Co. in a general session at the event last week. "Our role is to take care of the professional driver that works really hard. It’s not necessarily a consumer that has a high disposable income so there’s a real connection to customers. We want to work hard for the men and women that keep America going.”

So what are retailers doing to evolve with the rest of the world and remain aligned with consumer values? Click through to find out ...

Pilot Co. is investing heavily in electric-vehicle (EV) chargers, with plans for 500 charging station across the country in partnership with General Motors and EVgo. The chain operates in high-traffic areas. 

“It’s important to meet the customers needs, whether it’s fuel or electricity,” said Jim Rose, vice president of operations at Pilot. “When you come into a Pilot in the future, hopefully you won’t have to change your travel patterns.”

• Pilot is No. 13 on CSP’s 2023 Top 202 ranking of U.S. c-store chains by store count.

When customer are charging their cars, it’s likely they will come into the store, so fresh food and a positive retail experience is important, but Pilot won’t necessarily change its stores assortments. 

The Knoxville, Tennessee-based company is also making modernizations in its foodservice category and is in the middle of a $1 billion remodeling investment. Pilot operates Wendy’s, Subway, Taco Bell, Arby’s and its own fresh deli.

Though it’s a 100-year-old business that started with food, Rutter’s is still modernizing its menu. It offers many uncommon items, such as chicken and waffles and a grilled cheese with mac and cheese inside. One of the most unique menu items is the peanut butter burger, which has peanut butter flavoring and barbeque sauce. It was born from the proximity of The Hershey Co. and York-based Rutter’s offices in central Pennsylvania.

“We’re the only place in the country that [Hershey sells] more peanut butter ice cream than vanilla ice cream, believe it or not,” said Scott Hartman, president and CEO of Rutter’s. “Peanut butter is in the DNA of central Pennsylvania.”

• Rutter’s is No. 82 on CSP’s 2023 Top 202 list of the largest U.S. c-store chains by number of company-owned locations.

The chain’s foodservice team works with the Hershey foodservice group and other suppliers to create unique food offerings, and the burger’s taste profile resonates with customers, Hartman said, and there are few other quick-service locations that offer it.

“Inside foodservice is the place to separate yourself in this industry, so you want to keep bringing up the innovation … We’re a full-service kitchen, so we’re designed to be able to do a lot of different things in a small space, and I really think that’s where the industry is trying to get to because fast casual is transitioning into our space,” said Hartman.

Peter Rasmussen, founder and CEO of strategic consulting firm Convenience and Energy Advisors, Boston, has strong faith in kiosks. They can make an impact on reducing labor, he said.

“I think if you follow the money on it, you’ll find a lot of success with it in a lot of different ways, he said. “You have to put in the effort to teach your customers how to use it depending on the part of the world that you may be operating in.”

There are also opportunities for upsell.

“If you teach customers to use it, you’re going to save money on labor, you’re going to increase basket size and you’re ultimately going to grow with kiosks,” he said.

The Wills Group—a c-store and car wash operator and retail petroleum distribution company with Shell, Exxon, CITGO and Dash In fuels based in La Plata, Maryland—offers food samples at the pump, which brings fuel customers inside the store.

“If you try it and like it, most likely you’re going to come in and buy it,” said Gaurang Maniar, executive director of marketing at the Wills Group.

Stinker Stores, a 108-store chain based in Boise, Idaho, provides samples inside the store, but Billy Colemire admires the idea.

“There’s a lot of opportunity in terms of pulling it outside and getting that pay-at-the-pump customer to transact [inside],” he said.