Forecourt

For Fred Bexte, food is his world. In the kitchen, this trained chef experiments with sushi, pad Thai, and butternut squash ravioli. But his operation isn’t a fine-dining restaurant – it’s a convenience store with a very impressive foodservice program.

In the c-gas world, it pays to be different. So when Scott Fraser took over the family business at Milne Court Petro-Canada in New Minas, NS in 2001, he decided to shake things up.

Convenience-gas retailers, especially independents, are facing major challenges as competition from other formats intensifies. Recognizing the need for strong industry relationships, Hershey Canada has stepped up to the plate...

Ensuring all employees meet the letter of the law at all times can be a major challenge for busy retailers.

What do you get when you combine the enthusiasm of a young entrepreneur, the food savvy of an established local chef, and a unique concept never tried before in Canada?

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...

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.

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.