GHRA In Action - March 2014 - Greater Houston Retailers

MARCH 2014
GHRA 2014
TRADE SHOW
PAGE 6
Improving C-store
Safety and Security
pg. 9
Minimize Your Turnover
pg. 11
GHRA Partners
Alcoholic Beverages
Budwieser
Miller Coors
Republic National Distribution
Beverages
Coca Cola Refreshments
Dr Pepper Snapple Group
Jack Hilliard (Xyience/ BSN/ Evamor/
VPX Redline/ Nestle)
Monster
Pepsi Bottling Group
Red Bull
Rockstar Energy Drink
Financial Services
World Pay
Universal Merchant Processing
Transnet Enterprises
ATM Link
Ice Cream
YUMI Ice Cream
Coffee
Boyd Coffee Company
Community Coffee
Global Coffee Company
Royal Gourmet House
Snacks
Barcel
(Intelligent Mexican Marketing)
(Pete Dimas Enterprises)
Frito Lay
In-Time Distributors
Synder's-Lance
Saman Distributors
Sweet & Sour
Milk
Borden Milk
Oak Farms
Wholesale Supply
Grocery Supply Company
Huntsville Wholesale Grocers
Services
Pinnacle Propane Express
Alert USA Security Services
Arrest- A-Pest
Cintas Corporation
Cintas Corporation - Beaumont Area
Geo Environmental Consultants
P&L Maintenance and Services
Public Utilities Broker
Waste Management
Disclaimer: GHRA In Action is a monthly publication that brings helpful business information to GHRA members. The
article in this newsletter represents the view of the authors and not necessarily those of the publisher. While every precaution is taken to ensure that information is represented is accurate, the publisher does not assume responsibility for the
origin or correctness of the information supplied to us or the quality and performance of the products advertised herein.
For comments and concerns, please contact the GHRA office at 281-295-5300
2
GHRA BOARD
President’s Notes
Dear GHRA Members,
Rahim Momin
President
Zulfikar Maknojia
Senior Vice President
Rafique N. Ali
Negotiation - Chairman
Vice President
Ahmed Hasora
Honorary Secretary
Lehjatali Momin
Treasurer
Shamsuddin Maredia
Director
Asif Davwa
Director
I’d like to thank everyone who attended our town hall meetings in February.
We had fantastic turnouts at all 5 events with over 200 people at one meeting
alone. I very much appreciated the opportunity to hear everyone’s opinions on
the presentations, our plans for the warehouse and other issues that will come
before us this year. I particularly want to thank the EPB and HRSS for providing
an introductory seminary on the importance of the wage and labor laws.
For the next several weeks, your board of directors will be focused on the
design and implementation of the warehouse. Your input will be valuable as
we are faced with difficult decisions around getting this project completed on
schedule.
Again, thank you to everyone who came out and shared your thoughts. For
those who were not able to make it, we hope to see you at the next town hall
meeting and the General body meeting later this year.
Thank you for your continued support!
Best Regards,
Rahim Momin
Sherali Haiderali
Director
Mahemood Momin
Director
Rahim Maknojia
Director
Tajddin Momin
Director
Mubarak Dhukka
Director
Zulfiqar Kurjee
Director
OFFICE
12790 South Kirkwood
Rd., Stafford, TX 77477
Ph. 281.295.5300
Fax. 281.295.5399
www.ghraonline.com
3
In Balance
W
e are
close
to winding
down the first
quarter of 2014!
There are so
many things
going on that
time seems to
Mike Thompson
be passing by
Chief Executive Officer
extremely fast.
I want to thank
everyone that attended the Town
Hall Meetings in February and I
hope you found them to be very
informative. Thanks to the EPB
and FRSS for sharing valuable
information on labor and wage
laws! Don’t forget about the GALA
on March 8th, the Trade show on
March 19th, and the General Body
Meeting on March 26th. As we
get into the busy selling season,
it is important to stay on top of
the current promotional activity
that will be communicated on the
Spanner and Posters. You can
view this information by signing
in to your portal on the GHRA
website. Your 4th quarter 2013
rebate information is also available
online so register or sign in today!
We continue to make progress on
the Warehouse and Distribution
Center as I communicated in the
Town Hall Meetings. Thank you
for your continued support and
let’s look forward to the warmer
days ahead. The future is bright for
GHRA!
REMINDER
March 2014 Frito Lay Enhancements Starting in March 2014 Frito‐Lay will be resetting the gondola section of GHRA Locations. Frito will invest approximately $300 per store in a program called “Next Three Feet”. This program was discussed in the recent town hall meetings. Please support your Frito‐Lay representative to make this a successful roll‐out.
“Next 3 Feet” Sample Set
4
Sample Plano‐gram
Director’s Notes
From the Desk of the Senior Vice President
Zulfikar Maknojia
This year GHRA celebrates our 15th year of business as a company. We will celebrate this achievement at our
annual banquet on March 8th, 2014 with the theme “Celebrating 15 years of prosperity”. Come and share in this
momentous occasion by joining the rest of the members and reveling in such a prodigious achievement. Thank you
for your continued support. We look forward seeing you on March 8th.
Sincerely,
Zulfikar Maknojia
From the Desk of the Vice President - Negotiation Chairman
Rafique N. Ali
We are off to a great start, thanks to your support of all of the new programs. Our beverage planograms are complete and our reset teams will be out resetting coolers in the month of March. Please be sure to have adequate staff
on hand on the date of your reset to help expedite the process. We look forward to a great year. Thank you for attending the town hall meetings and we look forward to seeing you at the next one.
Sincerely,
Rafique N. Ali
From the Desk of the Honorary Secretary
Ahmed Hasora
As you are aware, all GHRA specific and private information is now only being sent to you via the new Web Portal.. Last year, we asked that members go online and register for this portal via the GHRA web Site. If you have not
done so, please do so this month. Thank you for your support and thank you for attending the town hall meetings last
month. We look forward to seeing you at the next town hall meetings, later this year.
Sincerely,
Ahmed Hasora
From the Desk of the Treasurer
Lehjatali Momin
GHRA continues to meet the business challenges we face through hard work, resiliency, fiscal prudence, fairness and
partnership. Our company is healthy and we will continue to work to provide the members with an excellent value and
great customer service. Thank you for your attendance at the town hall meeting and we look forward to seeing you at
the next ones.
Sincerely,
Lehjatali Momin
5
Feature
2014 GHRA
I
T R A D E S H OW
t’s March and the GHRA tradeshow is
set to for March 19th at Houston’s own
George R. Brown convention center.
This year our theme will be GHRA, Past,
Present and Future. We will unveil a new
store prototype that takes into account
future trends in the industry and provides
retailers with solid prototype to continue
to compete in this channel.
There are a number of benefits to
attending a trade show. Don’t ever lose
sight of the fact that you’re coming to
the show to keep up with trends, new
products and emerging idea. All of
these can benefit your customers and
you provide a huge service to them
when you scrutinize these things and
bring them back the very best. Plus,
don’t forget some of the great low costs,
only available at the tradeshow, on
products you’re currently selling. It’s an
opportunity for you to make more margin
and even pass along a benefit to your
shoppers.
Let’s take a moment and look at the
business from the other side of the desk.
Trade shows allow exhibitors to reach
a large number of their customers in a
short period of time, where they can sell
their brand face-to-face, leading to sales,
established relationships, and industry
contacts. This is not only good for the
exhibitor but an excellent opportunity for
the attendee too. Being part of GHRA
sets you apart from the everyday retailers
and their access to these opportunities.
Members are differentiating themselves
from their competition by having this
level of access to decisions makers at
the companies that support us. Plus,
with the exception of the NACS show
6
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19th, 2014
Look For Registration Instructions
Coming Soon Via Text
and maybe one other industry show, not
many retailers have the opportunity to
attend an event like this. Think about it.
If you weren’t a member of GHRA, You
wouldn’t have access to these deal, these
concepts or these people who call on us
every day.
A successful trade show is all about
planning on both sides of the table. For
the exhibitor, it can determine leads
and potential sales. There is energy
and money involved with pre-show
promotions, on site activities, and postshow follow up. There is also a financial
component of the operation including
floor space, trade show displays, and
travel expenses, not to mention product.
When you think about it, these exhibitors
want to get in front of you to sell you
their products and they have invested
quite a lot of money to do so. It is a loud
statement vs. other suppliers who do not
attend and participating suppliers should
be rewarded for that.
On the attendee side, it’s all about
planning too. First and foremost,
if nothing else, you sell most of the
products these suppliers will be
showcasing every day of the year. Why
not take advantage of the reduced prices
on them. In many cases, the discounts
are so good that you can pass them
along to your customers and still make
more money than you would have just
buying the product on an everyday basis.
Secondly, by participating in the show you
get to see emerging trends and ideas of
the future. It’s important because you can
begin to formulate a plan at your store for
this future growth. Soon, your customers
will be looking for these new products
and ideas in the market and if you’re
not prepared, they will shop elsewhere
to find them. Lastly, you get some one
on one time to discuss issues at your
store with an account representative
who is dedicated to the GHRA
business. This is huge because there
is not a representative calling on other
independent stores who can address
issues for you. The value is tremendous
if you look at it the right way. 
Food Service
7-Eleven Leveraging Fresh Food
'Competitive Advantage'
C-store giant seeking to out-Sheetz Sheetz, out-Wawa Wawa
Published in CSP Daily News
DALLAS -- 7-Eleven Inc. is banking
on consumer interest in quick fresh food
offerings. With more consumers willing to
visit a convenience store for a quick meal,
7-Eleven is aiming to build a name for
itself competitively, much as Starbucks and
Walgreens have made bigger pushes into
food.
Company officials say food sales are
helping offset sagging tobacco sales,
according to a report by The Chicago
Tribune.
Last year, 7-Eleven rolled out Pillsbury
cinnamon rolls, mozzarella sticks and
more breakfast items, including a $1
chicken biscuit sandwich and hash brown
bites, in its hot food cases. Sandwiches
such as chicken with Sriracha on a pretzel
bun appeared in the cold case. And lately,
it has been pushing take-and-bake pizzas,
as well as giving customers the option of
having the $5.55 pies cooked on the spot.
Last week, the chain introduced its
Egg White Breakfast Sandwich, a $1.99
creation featuring Canadian bacon and
cheddar cheese on a whole wheat English
muffin, at 180 calories.
"There's been a major focus on the
push for fresh foods," Kelly Buckley,
vice president of fresh food innovation
for 7-Eleven, told the newspaper. "We
know that is an area where we have a
competitive advantage. Part of our key
differential here is, we have fresh bakery
items and cold sandwiches and wraps and
cut fruit."
On the better-for-you front, the stores
are offering rotating cold offerings
seasonally. The chain offered a berry salad
in the spring and summer, and a bacon,
lettuce and tomato salad in the fall. It also
has added a line of premium wines ($55 a
bottle) to about 800 stores.
Officials say they are pleased with
the results. Same-store fresh food sales
grew by 11% from 2009 to 2013. Overall,
during the same period, fresh food sales
grew 58%, largely because of the chain's
growth. It added 1,000 stores in 2012 and
counts more than 10,000 stores in North
America.
The Dallas-based company decided
two years ago to invest more in the
development of fresh food. Buckley,
who headed food innovation efforts at
Applebee's and Pizza Hut, came aboard
and assembled a team of food scientists,
culinarians and engineers, said the report.
"We need to be looking broader in terms
of what are our future offerings going to
be to grow our business and play to our
strengths," she told the Tribune.
C-stores "already got you for the
snacks," Harry Balzer, chief industry
analyst for NPD Group, Chicago, told the
paper. "They would really love it if you
went there for main meals now. A lot of
places, including drugstores, supermarkets
and supercenters, are offering prepared
meals."
Conversely, restaurants are more
focused on drawing in customers for
snacks.
"It's a battle for that dollar," Balzer said.
"From 6:30 in the morning until 8:30 at
night, I can find 50% of the population
every hour eating. Now, the question is,
'Can I make sure you come to me for that
food?'."
The chain is trying to replicate the
successes of chains such as Wawa and
Sheetz with customized sandwiches
and prepared foods, Darren Tristano,
executive vice president at Technomic
Inc., a Chicago-based food industry
consultancy that puts the convenience
store foodservice industry at about $11
billion, told the paper.
"Convenience stores have had success
and are increasing their foodservice
because they have a strong advantage of
convenience over fast-food restaurants,"
he said. "Brands like 7-Eleven are
increasing their investment in trying to take
advantage of these opportunities. It's an
evolution, and customers are beginning to
recognize that C-stores are places where
they can find quality, prepared foods."
According to a Technomic report, nearly
half of consumers polled said they are
seeking more fresh options at c-stores
than they were a year ago. About 42% said
the shops are doing a good job offering
fresh foods. About 59% of consumers
polled, and 63% of the women asked,
said they are seeking more healthful food
items at c-stores than they were a year
ago. But they said there's a lot of room
for improvement. Only one-third strongly
agreed that the stores do a good job
providing those options. 
7
Technology
Target Data-Breach Fallout
Midsized c-store chains: valued marks for data thieves
Published in CSP Daily News
stores are complex retail environments
with many points of potential breach,
including registers, dispensers and automated teller machines (ATMs). Though
single-store operators may have less
resources and are vulnerable to skimmingtype breaches, the payoff for hackers is
smaller. “[Banks] see that so much needs
to be done by midsized operators.”
Many midsized chains falsely believe
that password-protected systems are
ELLISVILLE, Mo. -- Industry ramificasufficient, and that beyond that safety net,
tions from the second-largest data breach oil companies or larger third parties will
in retail history with department-store giant ultimately come to their rescue. Both sceTarget Corp. in recent weeks may play
narios are misguided, Swamy said.
out in the form of a letter from credit-card
Swamy characterized the breach that
companies demanding retailers show efoccurred at Target this past Thanksgiving
forts toward compliance to certain datathrough mid-December—eventually involvsecurity standards, said one consultant
ing 40 million cardholder accounts—was
focused on risk assessment.
sophisticated and executed with “paMore specifically, midsized operators
tience.” As a result, the payoff needs to be
with anywhere from 50 to 200 stores
high. That’s why major retailers, as well as
present what card companies believe to
midsize chains, must consider themselves
be one of the highest risk opportunities
valued marks for data thieves.
for future breaches, according to Shekar
In the Minneapolis-based Target case,
Swamy, president and senior security
the breach involved malware that hackstrategist for Omega ATC, Ellisville, Mo.
ers were able to place into the com“Acquiring banks are taking a more pro- pany’s point-of-sale (POS) system. The
active stance and are increasing the level cardholder data, as well as encrypted
of security in midsized retail operations,”
debit-card personal identification numbers
Swamy told CSP Daily News in an exclu(PINs), were taken undetected during that
sive interview, noting how convenience
two-week period. Swamy said networks
8
at most chains are centrally connected,
providing the opportunity for an opening,
with “remote access” being the most-used
method by hackers. Often the malware
can sneak data out in small batches over
time or can collect the data to be removed
in a single extraction.
Going forward, Swamy said, movement
toward chip-based plastic and even mobile
payments are going to present retailers
with additional security issues and ultimately cost. With the chip-based technology, or Europay MasterCard Visa (EMV),
he said, retailers are balking against
credit-card company mandates, especially
having to spend millions industrywide
to comply with standards just a couple
of years ago. That said, he added that
overall, payments at c-stores will evolve
and the data security question will not go
away.
For instance, with mobile payment,
Swamy said the security question runs
both ways—with concerns on both the
consumer and retailer sides. He said customers want to know that only the required
information is pulled from their mobile
devices during transactions, while on the
other hand, retailers need to be confident
that those same devices aren’t siphoning
data from store systems. 
Safety
Improving C-store Safety & Security
C
onvenience stores have a variety
of safety and security concerns
that can become serious problems for
owners. From slips and falls to fraud and
theft, c-stores face many risks for lost
productivity and profit. It’s important for
owners to take steps to mitigate these
threats to prevent financial loss and
reputation damage.
Recognize Slip & Fall Risks
According to the National Floor Safety
Institute, slips and falls account for more
than 1 million hospital emergency room
visits each year and are the leading
cause of worker compensation claims.
In addition to the concerns for your
employees’ safety, slip and fall claims
can result in lost productivity and an
interruption to your business. These
problems are only compounded by the
potential of a costly liability claim if a
customer were to slip, fall and sustain an
injury while at your convenience store.
While it is impossible to completely
eliminate threats, there are measures you
can take to safeguard your employees,
customers and your store’s reputation:
1.
Identify the risk areas. Look
to your past incident reports to see if
you can track and trend incidents. This
will help identify problem areas (e.g.
specific departments, outside, entrances,
bathrooms, etc.) and create a plan of
action to minimize risks.
2. Control the environment. Walkoff mats at store entrances are helpful
in capturing debris and absorbing water
before customers enter the store. During
winter, ensure that ice is salted or
removed on a consistent basis. Regularly
wash and dry mats, and then use an
extractor to remove excess water. Flatten
out curled up edges and replace worn-out
mats. Consider adding mats to any area
where moisture may be present.
3. Display safety signs. Make sure
any slip, trip or fall threats are clearly
marked. Warn customers of areas where
they will need to step up or down. Make
sure steps and stairs are well lit. Use wet
floor signs only when the floor is actually
wet — you run the risk of having these
signs ignored if they are left out on a
regular basis.
4. Clean floors regularly. Implement
a regular cleaning schedule, including
removing debris or foreign objects from
the floor (especially in the produce
area), sweeping and mopping. Mopping
should be done at non-peak times during
low visitor traffic. Only spot-mop when
necessary, and always use appropriate
signage. Develop a sweep log to record
when employees walk all the aisles to
look for slip, trip and fall hazards.
Prevent Costly Cuts
Proper knife use is an important
aspect of safety. Employees use knives
and other cutting tools to open boxes,
separate bindings from raw materials and
slice food items. Unsafe knife practices
can lead to serious, but thankfully
preventable, injuries. Understanding
where the hazards lie and how to
minimize this risk will go a long way in
avoiding cuts.
•
Always ensure knives are sharp,
since most knife injuries occur while using
dull knives.
•
Train employees to use the
proper knife for the job, such as using
an automatic retractable safety knife for
cutting boxes instead of a kitchen knife.
•
Employ a consistent safety policy
by enforcing the use of cut-resistant
gloves (for example, gloves made out of
Kevlar). Keep these valuable gloves clean
by wearing a latex glove, then the Kevlar
glove and finally another latex glove,
protecting the employees’ hands and the
glove. 
9
Education
Choose Your Energy Future
With eye on 2014 midterm elections, API’s Gerard urges freer oil,
gas production
the 2014 voters will shape whether and the
extent to which our nation fulfills its potential as energy superpower.”
In an attempt to educate the public on
this position, the API is launching an advocacy and messaging campaign, “America’s
Energy, America’s Choice,” that presents
the choice before Americans as two basic
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Pro-growth and
energy futures: one of abundance, selfforward-looking or self-limiting and backsufficiency and global leadership, or one
wards-looking: Those are the two choices
the United States has in defining its energy of scarcity, dependence and economic
uncertainty.
future, according to Jack Gerard, presiThe API—unlike groups such as the Nadent and CEO of the American Petroleum
tional Rifle Association—will not be grading
Institute (API).
legislators based on their loyalty to the in“Our future is ultimately of our own
dustry, Gerard said. “As we look at support,
design,” Gerard said in his State of Ameriwe look at one thing: voting. Elections matcan Energy in 2014 speech on Tuesday.
ter, this translates to votes; votes matter.
“The same holds true for our nation. Our
generation will decide if America continues The American public sets the agenda, and
that all happens at the voting booth.”
its march toward global energy leadership
While he noted that oil and gas will con... or if it will remain content to only play a
tinue to provide most of the nation’s energy
supporting role.”
through 2025, Gerard acknowledged that
Gerard highlighted technological adrising global demand will require the United
vancements—in particular, hydraulic
fracturing and horizontal drilling—and their States to tap all available sources, includability to put the United States on a path to- ing wind, nuclear, solar and biofuels. On
this last item, in response to a question
ward complete energy independence, and
on the EPA’s proposed cuts in the volume
emphasized the need for energy policies
mandates for biofuels in 2014, Gerard
that encourage greater production rather
praised the agency for recognizing the
than rolling back or limiting it.
“If we are to continue our nation’s current blend wall but reiterated the API’s call for
positive energy production trends, we must the Renewable Fuel Standard to be completely repealed.
implement energy policies based on curGerard also pushed for opening up
rent reality and our potential as an energy
greater oil and liquid natural gas (LNG) exleader, not the outdated political ideology
ports—coincidentally on the same day that
of the professional environmental fringe or
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska endorsed
political dilettantes,” said Gerard.
He explained that Americans can actively greater energy exports in a policy speech.
choose their preferred energy future by vot- He added that the industry has helped reduce the nation’s trade imbalance by more
ing in the 2014 midterm elections.
than 16% to reach a four-year low.
“Elections matter,” said Gerard. “Those
The association executive repeatedly
choices will have a lasting and profound
referred to the Keystone XL pipeline, which
impact on the direction of our nation’s
is still undergoing an approval process that
energy policy. The collective decisions of
Jack Garard
4/24/2013
Published in
CSP Daily News
10
has stretched over five years, “far too long
for a project that will create jobs, grow the
economy and ultimately expand America’s
ability to take full advantage of our nation’s
bright energy future,” he said.
In his argument in support of the pipeline,
Gerard cited the current debate on income
inequality and highlighted the upstream oil
and gas industries’ high-paying jobs—paying an average of seven times the U.S.
minimum wage. A pro-growth energy policy
would help narrow the gap, he said, and
fight unemployment.
“It is a good example of why policy matters,” he continued, “and how dogmatic
adherence to political ideology can trump
economic reality to the detriment of millions
of hard-working, middle-class families.”
Environmental groups have highlighted
the Keystone XL pipeline as a project that
would take the United States backwards
in its efforts toward a cleaner fuel future.
Gerard however highlighted the industry’s
part in lowering carbon-dioxide emissions,
which have reached their lowest levels in
20 years partly because of the nation’s
greater adoption of cheaper, cleaner natural gas over coal. He also added that one
out of every $6 invested in zero- and lowcarbon-emitting technology comes from the
oil and natural-gas industry.
During the question-and-answer period
of the presentation, when asked about the
role of energy efficiency, Gerard agreed
it should be part of the entire equation
but that the country should not overlook
the need for growing oil and natural-gas
production. Asked about the possibility of
tax reform, the association executive said
he does not believe it will take place in
2014, but cautioned against a tax policy
that is punitive to the oil and gas industry,
or targets any single industry. 
Human Resources
Minimize Your Turnover
RECRUITING
For an organization to flourish, hiring
the right mix of people from Day 1 is a
crucial and demanding affair. This will not
only help in delivering better results, but
also assist in streamlining the process or
restructuring the organization. Plan the
recruitment process carefully, and take
inputs from the recruitment staff of the
organization. List out the attributes you
are looking for in a potential employee.
Educational qualifications, relevant
experience, certifications, ability to work
in a team, and leadership qualities are
some of the possible attributes.
The attitude of a person is also a
critical matter to be considered while
hiring. The mode of advertising for a
position should be such that it attracts
the best and brightest, and renders a
competitive salary range for the position.
Recruiting through the Internet is the
latest technological trend, that pools
up candidates throughout the world.
From scheduling and holding interviews
via telephone or Skype to verifying the
candidate's employment history, as well
as determining whether the candidate has
any criminal records or not, are some of
the issues that an HR professional has to
grow through.
enough. Owners should implement them
consistently, fairly, and promptly. It is also
important to be transparent and make
employees feel valued and connected.
A safe, supportive, and productive work
environment should be created and
maintained. There should exist employee
handbooks and policy manuals. The
organization should be compliant with
existing legislative and regulatory
requirements. Workplace issues such
as sexual harassment, drug and alcohol
abuse, workplace bullying and verbal
abuse should be clearly spelled out.
Imagine a company, where all employees
understand why the company exists and
the difference they can make in the world.
PROMOTING
The employers must make sure that
a higher position is offered to a welldeserved, committed and hardworking
employee. Promotion within an
organization could be a tricky issue.
Different employees have different
perspectives on their performance and
expectations. It is important for the
promotion process to be fair, transparent,
and systematic.
RETAINING
Attrition usually adversely affects the
company. This is a very complex issue
TRAINING
for the organization, which stands a
The newly hired employees may or
chance of losing their good employees.
may not have the required job skills or
Comprehensive and systematic exit
knowledge about the organization culture. interviews could help determine the
The objective should be to provide
cause of attrition. Reasons for leaving
employees with high-quality training
could be many -- lack of career growth
and impart domain knowledge for the
opportunities, lack of appreciation, a more
employees to undergo their specific
attractive job offer, stress from overwork,
roles. Training sessions and seminars
illness, or injury. The job should ideally
must be conducted at a regular interval,
be challenging and interesting, with
for necessary issues to be tackled at the
adequate monetary benefits. There could
right time..
be special incentives for employer loyalty,
Communicating - Establishing
and contingent measures should be
policies and procedures in itself is not
taken to protect the employees and their
ALL rebate
information is now
accessible via
the web portal.
Please go in
and create your
unique I.D. today
and delegate
authorities to your
store manager of
choice.
WWW.GHRAONLINE.COM
families from injury, illness, or death. The
right compensation will attract and retain
the required employees.
TERMINATING
One should not retain employees who
are engaged in any antisocial or criminal
activities, as it is detrimental to the
organization's reputation. For maintaining
the reputation of an organization, the
management should clearly communicate
the grounds of dismissal and specify the
necessary notice period. 
11
Announcements
MARCH 8th, 2014
GHRA Annual
Banquet
Hilton Americas
Downtown Houston
6th,
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MARCH 19th, 2014
GHRA Trade Show
George R. Brown
Convention Center
Special Trade Show
offers Pre-Register Today!
$20 on-site registratio
n fee
Industry News
Hispanics More Likely to Purchase
Beer, Wine in C-Stores (Infographic)
Soon to account for 15% of total legal-drinking-age population
Published in CSP Daily News
CHICAGO -- At nearly 33 million, U.S.
Hispanics of legal drinking age (LDA) are
important adult beverage consumers,
and their influence will expand rapidly. By
2015, Hispanics will account for 15% of
the total U.S. LDA population. By 2045,
one-quarter of the U.S. LDA population
will be Hispanic, according to the Trends
in Adult Beverage (TAB) Report: Hispanic
Consumer Insights just released by
Technomic.
“Hispanics are an extremely important
demographic group for the adult beverage
industry, and many of their preferences
and purchase habits are different from
the general population,” observes
Donna Hood Crecca, senior director at
Technomic. “Currently, the LDA Hispanic
population skews young and male, and
strongly favors beer, tequila and red
wine. Similar to the general population,
they value variety and competitive pricing
when purchasing adult beverages, but
they buy them in a broader range of
retail outlets. They enjoy adult beverages
frequently, but consume more drinks
and spend more per occasion than
the general population, whether at a
restaurant or bar or at home.”
To help adult beverage suppliers,
marketers and operators better anticipate
and meet the evolving needs of Hispanic
consumers, Technomic added the new
report to its Trends in Adult Beverage
(TAB) series. Interesting learnings
include:
• Latinos most frequently buy adult
beverages at liquor and wine stores
(48%). However, they are more likely
than the overall population to pur
chase at other types of retail outlets
such as convenience stores
(19% vs. 14%).
• Hispanics are more likely than the
broader population to have
purchased adult beverages online
(17% vs. 11%) in the past year.
• Casual-dining restaurants are
frequented by Hispanics, but
among them, English-dominant
(36%) and bilingual (38%)
consumers are more likely to order
adult beverages during their
visit than Spanish-dominant (27%)
consumers, and are also more likely
to try new adult beverages in onpremise locations.
• Beer—particularly imported beer—
is the top adult beverage choice for
Hispanic consumers. Mexican beer
is more preferred by Hispanics
(85%) than general consumers
(70%) when ordering drinks in
restaurants and bars.
• Hispanics over-index on redwine varieties in restaurants
and bars compared with the general
population, particularly red blends
(41% vs. 28%).
Chicago-based Technomic provides
clients with the facts, insights and
consulting support they need to enhance
their business strategies, decisions and
results. Its services include numerous
publications and digital products, as
well as proprietary studies and ongoing
research on all aspects of the food
industry. 
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New Member Introductions
welcome
MEMBERS
On behalf of the board of directors and staff at GHRA,
please welcome our newest members as of March 2014:
ZULFIQAR ALI
Owner of GHRA Location #3411
Fuel Express #10 • La Porte, TX
KARIM S. KAREDIA
Owner Of GHRA Location #3420
Time Mart #23 • Houston, TX
SALIM G. HUSSAIN
Owner of GHRA Location #3429
On The Go Food • New Caney, TX
SHAUKAT VALIBHAI MAKNOJIA
Owner of GHRA Location #3412
1488 Express • Conroe, TX
KARIM S. KAREDIA
Owner of GHRA Location #3421
Time Mart #22 • Porter, TX
SHAMSUDIN DHUKA
Owner of GHRA Location #3430
Express Stop • Houston, TX
MUBARAK J. SUNESARA
Owner of GHRA Location #3413
More 4 Less #1 • Beaumont, TX
AMIRALI M. MAREDIYA
Owner of GHRA Location #3422
South First Grocery • Conroe, TX
FAISAL B. THOBANI
Owner of GHRA Location #3431
Express Fuel • Houston, TX
MUBARAK J. SUNESARA
Owner of GHRA Location #3414
More 4 Less # 2 • Beaumont, TX
ARIF ALI
Owner of GHRA Location #3423
On The Go Mart • Houston, TX
SOHIL K. MOMIN
Owner of GHRA Location #3432
Walters Food Mart • Houston, TX
BARKAT S. MAREDIA
Owner of GHRA Location #3415
7 To 11 Food Store • Houston, TX
ROSHAN S. MAKNOJIA
Owner of GHRA Location #3424
Hammond Quick Stop • Calvert, TX
ABDUL R. KABANI
Owner of GHRA Location #3433
Speedy Express #21 • Galveston, TX
AZEEM LALANI
Owner of GHRA Location #3416
Pitt Stop • Evadale, TX
MUSTAKALI K. MAKNOJIYA
Owner of GHRA Location #3425
Conroe Chevron • Conroe, TX
ABDUL R. KABANI
Owner of GHRA Location #3434
Handi Stop #3 • Houston, TX
RAHIM KARIM MOMIN
Owner of GHRA Location #3417
The Corner Store • Conroe, TX
IQBAL I. RAJANI
Owner of GHRA Location #3426
Smart Stop #5 • Kingwood, TX
ABDUL AZIZ VIRANI
Owner of GHRA Location #3435
Oscar's Food Mart #2 • Pasadena, TX
ARIF M. MAREDIA
Owner of GHRA Location #3418
Shell Food Mart • Orange, TX
NOORDDIN ALI
Owner of GHRA Location #3427
M & M Express • Beaumont, TX
SULTAN J. MOMIN
Owner of GHRA Location #3419
All Star Corner Store • Houston, TX
ZULFIQAR V. ALI
Owner of GHRA Location #3428
Magnolia Foods • Magnolia, TX
14
Meet The Staff
BOBWarehouse
SLIGER
General Manager
W
e want to give a Warm GHRA
welcome to Bob Sliger, our new
Warehouse General manager. Bob’s first
day with us was January 27th this year
and he hit the ground running, working
towards our December 13th opening day.
Bob’s background takes him from
the floor of a warehouse to the Vice
President of Warehouse operations. He
has been in food service, warehousing,
distributions, sales, and logistics for over
19 years. He’s managed large distribution
centers with over a 1,000,000 picked
cases a week, a seafood production
plant, and DSD operations. He’s operated
a large transportation department, and
it’s always resulted in his exceeding
company goals.
He is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and
can help reduce cost’s in processes and
in selecting outside partners in distribution
and logistics. He knows what normal
costs are and what is not, what is good
service and what is great service and
who are the “Make it Happen” companies
in this business. He is a HACCP trainer
and food safety trainer knows what
to look for when dealing with outside
vendors.
I have managed multi locations (22),
and Director of a small company with full
P&L responsibilities. Managed account of
480 Million and 850 employees in a 24/7
operations with 1 million + square feet.
Bob Is excited to be with GHRA. He
was looking for a position with a growing
company that wants to take the lead
and be tops in their business. Well, he
certainly found that!!
Welcome aboard Bob!
WE’RE ONLINE
WWW.GHRAONLINE.COM
All GHRA
announcements and
publications will be
posted online.
Members are
encouraged to visit
the GHRA website on a
regular basis for up to
date information and
latest publications.
GHRA ONLINE
CLASSIFIEDS
WWW.GHRAONLINE.COM
Under Other Services
Absolutely FREE for
GHRA members.
Members can now
list businesses or
equipment for sale on
the GHRA Website!
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