Forecourt

4 things you need to know about staffing
Merv Jebb considers himself to be a lucky c-store owner. Since he bought Virden Hi-Way Grocery in Virden, Manitoba two and a half years ago, he’s never had trouble finding or retaining great part-time staff...
Planograms: make your shelves shoppable
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.

Making friends
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.
Mike Black finds a new way to pay
Mike Black is no stranger to the car wash and petroleum industry. He co-owns Valet Car Wash, an independent chain of seven wash and three petroleum sites in Southern Ontario...
4 (more) innovative ideas
Already a success in the United States, Esso brought the On the Run brand up north to Canada in 2001, where it has expanded its corporate and franchise store count to more than 450 locations across the country...
Mac’s West makes big impact
Mac’s West uses merchandising strategy to stand out
Stealing gas is a crime
Industry leaders launch a province-wide ad campaign to help raise awareness about the dangers and the consequences of fuel theft.
Five innovative ideas
Introducing a foodservice program can be daunting, which is why J.T. Bradley’s, a family-run c-store in Navan, Ont., took small steps to get it right. They started out with a toaster for bread and bagels...
A fresh start
In 1984, when Brian Ogilvie purchased a piece of land in Red Deer, Alberta, he built a convenience store, gas bar and the North Hill Car Wash. Now, this is one of six sites he owns in the area...