W. Capra’s Ed Collupy* had been invited by the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association (NECSEMA) to speak at their 2020 annual Expo on the latest technologies in the Convenience / Petro industry. The event was unfortunately cancelled due to current circumstances. Ed’s remarks were to be titled “Epic Convenience.” He’d prepared an…
Category: PETRO+
Analysis of the Texas AFD Anti-Skimming Regulation
Introduction to the Regulation On September 1st, 2019 Texas Legislature created Chapter 607 of the Texas Business and Commerce code related to card skimmers on automated fuel dispensers (AFDs). This chapter requires petroleum merchants to implement procedures to prevent, detect, and report the installation of skimmers on their unattended AFDs. The Office of the Attorney…
C-store Operators Move Technology Investments to the Must-Have Column
This article originally appeared in a print edition of Convenience Store News, written by contributor Melissa Kress. Convenience Store News’ online content can be found here. Not that long ago, technology initiatives were a nice-to-have in the convenience channel, a bonus to stand out in the competitive set. But today, convenience store operators are moving technology from…
Averting the Digital Dilemma
This article originally appeared in a print edition of Convenience Store News, written by contributor Thomas Malloy. Convenience Store News’ online content can be found here. Most c-store operators are by now already familiar with the Internet of Things (IoT). Small sensors and tiny tech machines talk to each other and to us via our…
Defend Against Dollar Stores: C-stores can protect their turf against value retailers by focusing on strengths and differentiation
This article originally appeared in a print edition of Convenience Store News, written by contributor Tammy Mastroberte. Convenience Store News’ online content can be found here. Convenience Store Operators face competition from within the industry, as well as outside of it. This includes quick-service restaurants, drugstores and the expanding dollar store market. While dollar stores…
Touchpoints: The New Point of Sale
The following has been reposted from Convenience Store Decisions. The original post can be found here. New touchpoints are challenging traditional point-of-sale (POS) systems used in the convenience/petro retail industry, as customer-experience-driven technologies, global solution providers and industry leaders look to move their companies forward. For example, as more convenience store retailers wade into foodservice,…
The Evolving Data Revolution
The following has been reposted from Convenience Store Decisions. The original post can be found here. Not so long ago, scan data meant monitoring how many of which items sold. It gave category managers a new response to vendors using purchase data to allocate shelf space. It relieved store employees from taking a best guess at…
Conexxus: Solve Forward Takeaways
The following has been re-posted from Convenience Store Decisions. The original post can be found here. It’s not that you had to be there, but you should have been there. The 2019 Conexxus Annual Conference, held April 28 to May 2 in Nashville, Tenn., was compelling, action-oriented, and a step forward for the convenience store…
POS Systems Advance
The following has been re-posted from the April 2019 edition of Convenience Store Decisions. Don’t blink. It’s only been two months since NRF’s Big Show, where I thought I had learned everything happening with point-of-sale (POS) systems that could possibly impact the convenience and petroleum industry. Well, as time moves on, I’ve learned even more…
How C-stores Can Ward Off the Infiltration of Amazon
The following has been re-posted from Convenience Store News. The original article can be found here. By Tammy Mastroberte, Convenience Store News – 03/21/2019 An Amazon Go store NATIONAL REPORT — Debuting its cashierless store concept in December 2016, Amazon entered the convenience space with Amazon Go. Now, with 10 locations open in Seattle, Chicago…
Targeting the Most Important Technology Investments
The following has been re-posted from Convenience Store News. The original article can be found here. Targeting the Most Important Technology Investments By Angela Hanson – 12/13/2018 NEWARK, N.J. — Technology touches nearly every aspect of convenience retailing today, from loyalty programs to promotions to the point of sale and beyond. As a result, convenience store…
The Challenges of Being a Marketing Professional
Being a marketer often feels like living in a Holiday Inn Express commercial. An employee you’ve never seen before walks up to your desk and offers some advice: “I think you should make the logo bigger and use some glitter.” “I’m sorry, you don’t look familiar. Are you new in the marketing department?” “No, I’m…