Convenience Retailing University kicked off in Orlando, Florida, this week with an emphasis on preparing a company for the future. Workforce strategist Seth Mattison of FutureSight Labs challenged attendees to rethink the way they are bringing products to market, noting that “80% of consumers say they’ve changed their definition of success” over the past three years. Then retailers had their say in a panel discussion titled “2023: The Year of the Consumer." From there, the Innovation Forum and Special Events kicked in.
Here are some insights from the first half of the event.
For the Love of It All
A vast majority of people continue to feel disengaged in the post-COVID world, according to Seth Mattison, a business strategist and keynote speaker. So how can managers get their employee’s juices flowing again? A survey of 50,000 people points to one value driving the highest levels of engagement and performance. That value was love, he said. “Specifically, what the research pointed to is this: … Every day, I have the opportunity to do work that I’m good at, and that I love,” Mattison said. This is about finding the love in the work that you do-not all day, but at least for 20% of the time, he said. Managers can think of this as a tool to help themselves and employees feel love in their work, which can translate to feelings of success, pride and increased energy.
In Food We Trust
Convenience-store customers are becoming more trusting of retail foodservice, and because of this retailers must be prepared in how they execute food. One retailer, for example, said her c-stores have responded to the trust in foodservice by building up a smaller program over last few years with more cutting-edge recipes. “We’re not just making pizza, we’re going more in-depth,” she said. One example of that is preparing Monte Cristo sandwiches in the morning from scratch. “It did well but was hard,” she said. “We had to work with the team—so much labor—but it did succeed.”
Future-Proof Your Brand
Loyalty programs can be customizable for a store and its customers. Casey’s General Stores offer a points-based program where guests can collect points with purchases and transform them into savings in a way that they prefer. Points can go toward in-store purchases, fuel or donations to schools that Casey’s supports. Personalization allows loyalty programs to appeal to more customers, said Mike Templeton, director of digital experience at Casey’s, Ankeny, Iowa.
Courting the Consumer
Generational differences present a contrast in needs for customers of all ages when shopping in a convenience store. It’s worth communicating with front-line employees, as well as customers, to gain a better understanding of what is popular with Gen Z, millennials, Gen X or baby boomers. Retailers may also want to learn about new products the same way that teen-agers find products—through social media. Take small-scale risks; that’s the way you will find what works, said Megan Cardine, vice president of retail operations at Top Star Express, Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
EVs, Eventually
Call Casey’s General Stores’ move into electric-vehicle (EV) charging slow, methodical or conservative, the truth is the retailer continues to see opportunity in liquid fuels. Casey’s currently operates 29 units that include DC Fast Chargers. But during its recent change over of pumps for credit-card EMV chip acceptance, the chain took the opportunity to review the types of fuels sold at each of its sites. Keeping in mind population, demographics, traffic patterns, proximity to recreational areas (eg, lakes or tourist attractions) and other details , the retailer is making changes as appropriate. “Our guests’ expect something different when they come on your pad,” said Sarah Blodgett, fuel category manager for Casey’s. “There’s a lot of growth opportunities in fuels, not just EVs.”
Carbon Copy
The transportation sector is going to decarbonize over time, according to Jake Comer, Growth Energy’s vice president of market development. Comer previously worked at convenience-store chains including Casey’s General Stores and Kum & Go, and now specializes in helping U.S. retailers bring higher ethanol blends to market through the Washington, D.C.-based trade association. “EVs are not going to be here tomorrow, but they are coming, and there’s no silver bullet to accomplish decarbonization. It’s going to be an ‘all of the above’ approach,” he said.
Biofuels can play a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, he said. Biofuels, like ethanol, reduce greenhouse gas and other harmful pollutant emissions, according to Growth Energy. Ethanol is blended into gasoline, and while nearly every gas station in America sells a 10% blend, E15, or Unleaded 88, a blend with 15% ethanol, is becoming more available.
Creating New Recipes
Retail foodservice leader Ben Lucky looks everywhere for new foodservice menu ideas. In fact, the senior category manager of foodservice for Wills Group-owned Dash In stores, La Plata, Maryland, says recipes have come from coffee shops to his own family kitchen. “Look for what others are doing to find what’s trending,” he said, noting competitors, trends, data research companies, manufacturers and distributors as opportunities. But he cautioned, “Even if it’s cutting edge, that doesn’t mean it’s beneficial for us.”