LAS VEGAS -- Ideas, emotion, statistics and more! Here’s a look at some of what CSP Daily News’ editors learned, overheard and observed during the third day of the 2014 NACS Show in Las Vegas.
Having a Gas at NACS
New NACS Supplier Board chairman Joe Vonder Haar may have had the best 24 hours of his life: First, officially taking the NACS supplier chairman gavel, then his band (Barley Alive) playing the NACS happy-hour party Wednesday, and finally, the Cardinals clinching their fourth trip in a row to the NLCS!
Tips to “Close the Gap on Your Competition”
- "Make sure you partner with a good loyalty provider,” said Ricker's Keith Broviak, “and hire a good project manager; it's paramount."
- And from Moto Mart's Rob Forsyth: Update your product lineup regularly. "Many retailers don't readjust their product mixes enough," he said.
Part-time Advancement
If you're not taking advantage of the part-time workforce, you 're missing out. Sixty-three percent of Casey's workforce is part time, including firefighters when they're not on shift. Don't assume that all part timers don't want a career, though: Casey's current president started part time in a store in high school.
Local Motion
Local products—be it produce or meat—is a huge foodservice trend that isn't isolated to sit-down restaurants. It's becoming a way of life for consumers. How can the c-store channel capitalize on that?
A Fresh Mix
Fresh & Easy is offering grab-and-go smoothies—before they are blended. The cups of fruit and veggie chunks look quite appealing, and customers can either take it home for later blending and consumption, or take it to an employee for them to add ice and blend to order.
Test Anxiety
When you are testing a product, don't just go to your best-performing stores or the stores with the most energetic, engaged managers. That won't help you face the realities of a full rollout.
Fly Like an Eagle
Giant Eagle’s Market District grocery brand receives 35% higher rings for mobile orders than in-store tickets. Why? Mobile ordering allows users to compile their orders at a slower pace, without the pressure of the queue behind them. They can also take the time to ask colleagues, roommates or family members if they want something too, increasing that price tag minute by minute.
Working for the Weekend
Twenty-nine percent of market baskets that include frozen foods have five-plus items, compared to just 4% of all transactions. Think about how this plays into the weekends, “when your store is shopped not like a c-store, but like a small grocer,” says Management Science Associates Don Burke.
Piercing Idea
From Ideas 2 Go: How could you not be captivated by Wendell Pierce, the actor who now owns Sterling Farms Grocery, and who will drive someone home from a store (in a branded vehicle, of course) if they need transportation home with their groceries? Now that's building a brand with goodwill.
Follow the Money
What are the top four categories by percent change in dollar sales vs. a year ago, according to Management Science Associates? E-cigs, automotive products, alternative snacks and general merchandise.
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