Marketing Tactics

Photos by Brandon Gray Since Manny Kang was a teenager, he’s taken great pride in caring for cars.

Consumers are often looking for something quick to tide them over between meals, and the c-store is often the go-to destination to fill this need. Retailers can build on the excitement around bestselling snacks like potato chips, tortilla chips and nuts by also stocking innovation that captures emerging trends.

Think of any positive shopping experience you’ve had. Its success was likely a result of how easily you found what you were looking for and how long it took to make the purchase. This may seem like retailing 101, but being efficient is an increasingly difficult task in the convenience-gas channel, where customers are extremely time-pressed, and new SKUs constantly flood the market. But one key merchandising tool offers retailers a surefire way to simplify the in-store environment: planograms.

The key message from the 10th anniversary Convenience U CARWACS Show at Toronto’s International Centre March 5 and 6 was that everyone in the industry has a stake in ensuring that retailers give customers the best possible in-store experience. Without customer loyalty, independent, banner and chain retailers alike will have a hard time competing with other formats...

The convenience-gas industry has been advocating togetherness, and two associations are taking a major step toward establishing this unity. The National Convenience Stores Distributors Association (NACDA) and the Canadian Convenience Stores Association (CCSA) are combining their industry events...

Where constantly changing is the name of the game, Ray White is a perfect example of a retailer who doesn’t hesitate to make changes to his Agassiz, BC video and convenience store. Until a year and a half ago, MovieSource Convenience & Video was focused primarily on video. But when video stores lost steam and White noticed consumer demand shifting, he converted completely to a convenience store and turned his attention to improving his in-store environment with point-of-sale materials.

To call the Alcona Esso in Innisfil, Ont. just a gas station or convenience store would be inaccurate. But you also can’t refer to it simply as a lube shop, car wash or drive-thru coffee and doughnut shop, either. Alcona Esso features all of these services, but it’s much more.

In every issue of YCM/Octane we share stories from convenience, gas and wash retailers who are using social media to build a community of loyal customers. Pictured above is Scott Knack, owner of Alcona Esso in Innisfil, Ont. Over the last couple of years, Scott and his team have built up a Facebook following of more than 1,400 people. Check out their social media story "Making Friends" in the January issue of YCM/Octane. It's full of innovative ideas and tips to help you learn from their success.