LAS VEGAS-- In a year marked with the rollout of the Affordable Care Act alongside ongoing sales declines in the core markets of fuel and cigarettes, it's understandable why some in the convenience store industry might focus on the negative; however Steve Loehr, vice president of operations support at La Crosse, Wis.-based Kwik Trip and newly appointed chairman of the NACS executive committee, struck a decisively positive note in his NACS Show general session, sharing inspirational stories on everything from fuel to bananas.
"These stories represent what we in the industry can mean to our customers," said Loehr. "We don't just serve them; we make a difference in peoples' lives."
Elaborating on the theme of "making a difference," Loehr spoke of how convenience stores can play an integral role in the health of their consumers. Admitting that Kwik Trip is "relatively unique" when it comes to food--from offering free fresh fruit to its store associates to becoming the first convenience store to officially sign an agreement with the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA)--Loehr expressed optimism that other retailers would follow suit on committing to healthier option.
Loehr brought out the PHA's CEO Lawrence A. Soler to announce that the Altoona, Pa.-based Sheetz Inc. had also come on board.
"This is a huge change from a few years ago, when our industry was seen as part of the problem: we are now being seen as part of the solution," Loehr said, adding that partnerships with organizations like PHA are mutually beneficial. "We can not only help shape our industry, but the perception of it."
Perhaps nothing elaborated just how much the convenience store channel can mean to its consumers as a moving letter written by a Kwik Trip customer whose son had repeatedly stolen from a local store. The man wrote to thank the staff for being nothing but courteous and welcoming to his family, despite his son's vandalism. In fact, the staff went beyond common courtesy: when one store associate saw the man's son outside without socks during the height of last year's polar vortex, he literally gave the teen the socks off his own feet.
"It gave a whole new meaning to giving someone the shirt off their back," the letter concluded. "Thank you for hiring caring people."
"Our people do great things and really make a difference in our communities," Loehr said. "Kindness is contagious: we see it in our stores every day."
Dr. Robert Gates, the former U.S. Secretary of Defense and Loehr's fellow speaker at the final general session, echoed those sentiments. Gates said generals and businessmen alike "must care about and take care of [their] troops."
"When it comes to changing an institution particularly resistant to change, I found that by being inclusive and open with my associates and employees about what I was trying to achieve and why, we were able as a team to transform institutions for the better in myriad ways," Gates said. "Conquering heroes who come in an impose change unilaterally by fiat and without listening to others have a pretty poor record as transformational leaders."
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.