CSP Magazine Article - Nouria Energy Corporation

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By Abbey Lewis, [email protected]; Samantha Oller, [email protected];
and Melissa Vonder Haar, [email protected]
Illustrations by Mike Miller
THE CONVENIENCE
TOP 101
and More*
Big, bigger, biggest:
Welcome to the CSP Top 101.
Powered by CSPedia, the c-store industry’s online business intelligence database, CSP’s editors ranked the largest c-store chains by store count—owned/
operated and franchised locations—in the United States and Canada.
But we didn’t stop at store counts. We also tapped CSPedia to recognize
some of the industry’s most fascinating leaders in the retail arts: foodservice,
green operations, social-media marketing, employee-focused, family-operated
and more. Welcome to the c-store yearbook for 2014.
*More of the well- and not-so-well-known best of the best in the c-store industry, including fearless foodservice leaders,
social-marketing mavens, family-owned stalwarts, employee-focused providers and big-hearted charitable givers.
CSP
January 2014
57
The
Ranking reflects combined
company-op and franchised
store counts in the United States
and Canada as of Nov. 15, 2013.
It does not include licensed or
dealer locations.
TOP 101
CHAINS
1.
7-Eleven Inc.
2.
Alimentation Couche-Tard
(Mac’s, Circle K) North America
5,700
CST Brands Inc. (Valero)
1,883
3.
4.
5.
7,790*
1,710 company-ops
6,080 U.S. and Canadian franchised sites
* Does not include 580 U.S. licensed locations
San Antonio-based CST plans to build 30 sites
in 2014.
Casey’s General Stores Inc.
Casey’s plans to grow store units by 70 or more
in the 2014 fiscal year, with about a 50/50 split
among new builds and acquisitions.
1,759
The Pantry
(Kangaroo Express)
1,559
6.
Speedway LLC
1,470
Last year, Speedway added 17 sites to its portfolio, and it has considered the Southeast as a
major growth area.
7.
Hess Corp.
8.
Murphy USA Inc.
1,184
The El Dorado, Ark.-based spinoff plans to
open 200 more sites on Walmart lots in
the Midwest and Southeast.
9.
1,354
For sale: Big acquirers are eyeing Hess’ retail network, which now includes 391 sites from WilcoHess LLC, a joint partnership Hess formed with
A.T. Williams Oil in 2001 and of which the oil company recently acquired total ownership to make its
downstream more attractive for divestiture.
BP America (ampm)
950*
* 100% franchised
10.
Kroger Co.,
Convenience Division
58
CSP
784
J a n u a ry 2 0 1 4
Growth Notes
N
o surprise here: 7-Eleven Inc. is
at the top of the CSP Top 101 list,
followed by Alimentation Couche-Tard
and CST Brands. (For more on CST, see
p. 38 for CSP’s exclusive cover story on
the newly spun-off retail chain.)
Expect the big to get bigger. According to
Dennis Ruben, executive managing director
of Chicago-based NRC Realty & Capital
Advisors LLC, large players such as 7-Eleven
and Couche-Tard have been relatively quiet
in 2013 but are looking to grow.
While execs from Dallas-based 7-Eleven
Inc. declined comment on 2014 growth
plans, company spokesperson Margaret
Chabris shared the following with CSP:
“7-Eleven Inc. plans to continue adding
stores in the U.S. in 2014 through organic
and acquisition growth with a disciplined
approach designed to take advantage of
opportunities we find.”
Another area of activity: retailers connected to master limited partnerships
(MLP) such as Susser Petroleum Partners,
Lehigh Gas Partners LP and Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) LP. Indeed, in November
2013, Susser picked up nearly 70 sites in
Texas, while ETP grabbed Mid-Atlantic
Convenience Stores’ 300-site network.
And following longer-term trends,
major oil has shrugged off its retail ties
while refiner-marketers such as Marathon
Petroleum and Valero are poised for a
growth spurt. “I think they’ll maybe really
ramp up again,” Ruben says of the latter.
“Over the three-year period of 2014
through 2016, Speedway currently plans to
add approximately 60 to 65 new-build or
rebuild stores each year, with the majority
being new-build stores,” Speedway president Tony Kenney told CSP. “On average,
Speedway plans to invest more than $300
million per year in capital expenditures over
that same three-year time period.” There is
no ideal mix of acquisitions vs. new builds,
he says; it instead depends upon the value
the investment would bring. “Our capital
is focused on organic projects in our existing and new contiguous markets. We will
always look at high-quality, opportunistic
acquisitions.”
Beyond the Top 101 ranking, which
tapers off with companies in the range of
about 60 to 70 stores, Ruben expects a great
deal of M&A activity among midsize operators.“These are generational companies,” he
points out, with retirements for company
elders looming in the distance. “Smaller
guys have a harder and harder time competing with some of the bigger players.”
Hot spots in the industry’s growth geography: Florida, Texas and a “ridiculous level
of interest in California,” says Ruben, with
astronomical prices and multiples making
those stores more valuable.
Late-Minute Maneuvers
CSP confirmed site counts for the entire
Top 101 just before going to press, but of
course the numbers are always in flux. Case
in point: Several acquisitions took place as
we were finalizing the list. They include:
▶ Western Refining: +237 (Northern Tier
Energy/SuperAmerica)
▶ Susser Holdings (Stripes): +67 (Sac-NPac Stores Inc.)
▶ Alimentation Couche-Tard: +36 (Albuquerque Convenience & Retail, Publix)
▶ TravelCenters of America: +31 (Minit
Mart LLC)
CSPedia is a website and database of convenience retail chains with 20 or more stores. It has detailed information on more than
475 chains in the United States and Canada, including what a chain is known for, the markets it serves, how buyers prefer to
work with suppliers, and a category-by-category description of the store. It is available by subscription to suppliers who serve the convenience industry. CSPedia
information is gathered firsthand by CSP researchers, with frequent updates. Information and people are searchable, and each chain includes contacts for key
executives and buyers. For more information, contact Christine Lavelle, CSPedia managing research editor, at [email protected].
About CSPedia:
Market Share by Fuel Brand
Popularity Contest
Major oil may have shuttered most of its
company-ops, but the names are still the
biggest brands in fuel. According to figures
from OPIS for the year ending Nov. 15,
2013, the top four by share of fuel volume
are led by Shell Oil Products U.S.
Who is the most popular in the c-store
industry? Based on searches of CSPedia
from Jan. 1, 2013, through Nov. 24, 2013,
here are our most popular peeps:
Market share
Shell
14.6%
Exxon/Mobil
9.8%
Chevron
6.7%
BP
6.5%
%
%
Top 3 Most Searched Companies
1. Circle K (Alimentation Couche-Tard)
2. Speedway LLC
3. The Kroger Co.
Gasoline brand
$
Top 3 Most Viewed Company Records
1. The Pantry
2. 7-Eleven Inc.
3. RaceTrac Petroleum Inc.
Big Buyers
The biggest acquisitions of 2013:
Energy Transfer Partners:
+300 (Mid-Atlantic Convenience Stores).
GPM Investments LLC:
+263 (VPS Convenience Group)
Western Refining:
+237 (Northern Tier Energy/SuperAmerica)
Top 3 Most Searched People
1. Ken Nuss, vice president of marketing,
Source: OPIS
The Kroger Co., Convenience Division
2. Steve J. Anabi, vice president of operations and buyer, Anabi Oil
3. William Slattery, category manager
(tobacco, general merchandise, HBC,
dispensed beverages), Alon Brands Retail
Source: CSPedia
License to Sell
FRA
NCHISORS
Franchise Opportunity
The c-store industry has several purveyors of the licensing model. CSPedia
ranks the biggest, led by Salt Lake Citybased Sinclair Oil, below.
With franchising providing the engine
to its growth, 7-Eleven is not only the
biggest franchisor in CSP’s Top 101 but
also the biggest in the world.
Lincensor
Franchisors
Licensed sites
1. Sinclair Oil
2,700
2. Alimentation Couche-Tard
(Mac’s, Circle K)
1,208
Franchised locations
(U.S. and Canada)
1. 7-Eleven Inc.
6,080
3. Alimentation Couche-Tard
1,108
3. BP America (ampm)
950
4. Gasamat Oil Corp. (Smoker Friendly) 769
4. Sunoco Inc.
451
5. Clark Brands LLC
5. Chevron Corp. (ExtraMile, Caltex)
330
3. Tesoro
Source: CSPedia
800
450
Source: CSPedia
CSP
January 2014
59
TOP 101 CHAINS
11.
Suncor Energy Inc.
(Petro-Canada)
759
12.
Chevron Corp.
(ExtraMile, Caltex)
720
W
330 company-ops,
390 franchised
13.
Pilot Flying J
690
585 company-ops,
105 franchised
14. QuikTrip Corp. (QT)
15.
Sunoco Inc.
16.
Wawa Inc.
17.
‘Greenovators’
678
hether building green, offering
alternative fuels and/or revving
up recycling, many c-store retailers are
cleaning up their communities. Here
are some of the most notable industry
“greenovators.”
650
437 company-ops,
451 franchised
Kum & Go.
630
Susser Holdings Corp.
622
(Stripes) (Includes Sac-N-Pac acquisition)
18. Tesoro Corp.
575
19.
574
Cumberland Farms
20. Husky Energy Inc.
500
350 company-ops,
150 franchised
Other Notable ‘Greenovators’:
Thorntons Inc. Besides being a longtime
retailer of E85, this Louisville, Ky.-based
Top 101 chain is a past winner of CSP’s
Environmental Stewardship award
thanks to its LED canopy and cooler
lighting, recycling receptacles and green
cleaning products.
United Oil Co. In 2012, this Gardena,
Calif.-based c-store operator and fuel distributor for Valero, ConocoPhillips and
Shell installed solar panels on the canopy
of its Cerritos, Calif., site. The Panasonic
HIT Double panels are expected to supply 75% of the store and pumps’ annual
energy demand.
60
CSP
J a n u a ry 2 0 1 4
Kwik Trip Inc.
It’s full steam ahead for this LaCrosse,
Wis.-based chain, a pioneer in retailing compressed natural gas (CNG). Joel
Hirschboeck, alternative fuels superintendent for Kwik Trip, says the company
is ready to add eight to 10 more CNG
fueling sites to its 439-store network in
2014 after finishing 2013 with 26 total
locations. “We started looking at it holistically from a commercial-fuels perspective, where it makes sense,” he says. “We
want to cover our operating footprint
with the right locations to make sense
for fleet activity. What are we focused on
for 2014? Where are the gaps in coverage?
Where do we expand the footprint a little
and get improvement in coverage?
“It’s an extremely exciting industry
to be a part of: late-breaking news about
new technology, advancements, fleets
converting over, who’s getting into the
business.”
This West Des Moines, Iowa-based
operator of 427 sites is known as a
leader in LEED, or Leadership in
Energy & Environmental Design, an
energy-efficient and environmentally
friendly building standard. The chain
has committed to building all new
sites as candidates for LEED certification, with 66 certified locations so far
and 16 under construction. Seven of
the sites are gold LEED certified, the
second-highest level achievable, with
34 certified silver. According to Adam
Hammes, Kum & Go sustainability
manager, such green initiatives are
“all about playing a positive role in
the community. It’s part of the brand
and who we are. We are committed to
being a good neighbor.”
B e yon d L E E D, Ku m & G o i s
expanding its alternative-fuels offer
with two CNG sites in 2014 and is
evaluating locations for Level III
electric-vehicle charging stations.
“I want to be where I can make a
difference,” Hammes says. “The best
way to make a change is [to provide]
an example to follow.”
TOP 101 CHAINS
Foodservice
21.
Shell Canada
22. Holiday Stationstores
F
497
493
341 company-ops,
152 franchised
ood is a focus for many of the
industry’s c-store retailers, but
some operators have had a huge head
start. Here are operators who have led
the pack, followed by their signature offer.
23. GPM Investments LLC
(Fas Mart) and
GPM Southeast LLC
24.
Foodservice Leaders
Casey’s General Stores
Pizza
QuickChek Corp.
Coffee
Susser Holdings Corp., dba Stripes
Tacos
Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes
Ready-made take-home food
Wawa
Hoagies
Ricker Oil Co., dba Ricker’s
Burritos
CST Brands Inc.
Whoopie pies
Maverik Inc.
The Beast
Rutter’s Farm Stores
Stir-fry
Sheetz Inc.
Beer-battered fish
25.
Sheetz Inc.
Northern Tier Energy
470
463
458
384 company-ops,
74 franchised
26.
27.
Kwik Trip Inc.
440
Kum & Go LC
427
28. Delek US Holdings Inc.
(Mapco)
29.
30.
370
RaceTrac Petroleum Inc.
365
Stewart’s Shops
331
4 million
In 2012, San Antonio-based CST Brands’
Corner Store sold more than 4 million
kolaches and 1.3 million whoopie pies
from its nearly 1,900 sites. (See p. 38
for more on Corner Store’s foodservice
growth.)
1,600 calories
Served up at North Salt Lake City, Utahbased Maverik’s 264 sites, The Beast
includes ham, sausage, bacon, eggs,
cheese, hash browns and maple spread,
sandwiched between a sliced glazed long
john.
¡Queso-rrific!: Ricker’s ¡AhhBurritos! food truck will serve various street locations
throughout central Indiana, where the Anderson, Ind.-based chain operates all of
its 50 stores. Menu items will include several customizable options such as burritos,
quesadillas, salads and nachos with plenty of toppings.
CSP
January 2014
61
A Family Business
T
he industry has many family-owned and -operated businesses whose foundings
stretch back to last century or earlier. Here are highlights of some of the longestlasting family-run retailers.
Brotherly Love: Family-owned and
third-generation-managed, York,
Pa.-based Rutter’s Farm Stores began
with the “Rutter Brothers” selling dairy
products from a horse-drawn wagon
in 1921. Rutter’s Farm Stores debuted
in 1967 as an additional outlet for the
company’s dairy products.
Sweet Start: Stewart’s
Shops traces its roots back
to 1921, when Percy W.
and Charles V. Dake began
making Dake’s Delicious ice
cream in Greenfield, N.Y.
In 1945, the Dake family
opened the first Stewart’s
retail outlet in Ballston Spa,
N.Y.
1923
Four of our oldest companies were founded: Stewart’s
Shops, Coen Oil, Spencer Co. and Tedeschi Food Shops.
That same year, Babe Ruth won the American League’s
Most Valuable Player, and the Hollywood sign was built.
1927
Construction on Mt. Rushmore
begins, and Mirabito Fuel Group is
founded.
1930
1803
Wawa was founded in
New Jersey, the same year
Ludwig van Beethoven
was conducting and
playing piano in Vienna.
1917
Krist Oil was founded, and
Albert Einstein published his
first paper on cosmology.
1924
Newcomb Oil was founded
this year, and Marlon Brando
was born.
Fuel for Thought: Mirabito Fuel Group has been in business since
1927, when Italian immigrant James Mirabito began providing
heating oil, coal, natural gas, gasoline and lubricants to customers
from his plant in Norwich, N.Y. These days, the company is based
in The MetroCenter in Binghamton, N.Y.
1926
Henry Ford established a five-day
workweek and boosted his workers’
pay by $5, all in the same year that
Kelley Williamson Co. was founded.
Meat Market: Angelo Tedeschi
opened the first Tedeschi retail
location in 1923 in his home in
Rockland, Mass., selling imported
Italian meats and cheeses from his
basement. Later, Angelo began to
sell his products from the back of
a meat wagon.
CSP
January 2014
63
TOP 101 CHAINS
Employee Focus
E
mployee ownership, extended health benefits, free fitness centers for employees:
The c-store industry has a wealth of great companies to work for, with great
benefits. Here are some of the best.
“QuikTrip exists so that employees
can grow and succeed.”
Chester Cadieux II, founder of No. 15 QuikTrip Corp.,
Tulsa, Okla., named to Fortune’s list of 100 Best Companies
to Work For in America for the past 11 years. Employees
own nearly one-half of QuikTrip stock, and the company
enjoys one of the lowest turnover rates in the industry.
“It’s not just a smart thing to do—
it’s the right thing to do.”
Ari Haseotes, president and COO at No. 19
Cumberland Gulf Group, on the company’s 2013
decision to expand health-care coverage to 1,500 more
employees, converting them from part-time to fulltime status, in advance of the Affordable Care Act.
31. Convenient Food Mart
325
32. Allsup’s Convenience
319
33. Love’s Travel Stops
307
34. Pioneer Energy LP
305
(CFM Development Corp.)
Stores Inc.
& Country Stores
100% franchised
35. E-Z Mart Stores
293
36.
288
37. Alon Brands Retail
286
38. Maverik Inc.
264
39.
TIE
41.
42.
Andrea Myers, president and great-granddaughter of
the company founders of Kocolene Marketing, a Seymour,
Ind.-based chain of 28 stores that established an employee
stock ownership plan (ESOP) in 2010. Today, 47% of
company stock is owned by employees.
& Fuels LLC (PC&F)
Timewise
Distributors
J a nua ry 2 0 1 4
228
225
210
45. Jacksons Food Stores
203
(Jackson Oil)
46.
Giant Eagle Inc. (GetGo)
198
Tedeschi Food Shops
188
106 company-ops,
82 franchised
48.
United Dairy Farmers Inc.
184
49. Meijer Gas Stations
182
50. Lehigh Gas Corp.
181
51.
CSP
236
44. Hasty Market Corp.
(Topper Petroleum Inc.)
64
248
180 company-ops,
45 franchised
47.
“The feeling of teamwork has been stronger
than ever since the announcement.”
CEFCO Convenience Stores
and TravelCenters of America
(TA-Petro)
43. Sunshine Gasoline
“We try to do a lot to thank them
for what they do for us.”
Bill Young, director of compensation, benefits and risk for
No. 24 Sheetz Inc., which built its Center for Schwellness,
a health-and-wellness facility available free of charge to
employees. The company, which also is expanding health-care
coverage for all employees, is routinely ranked among the
best places to work in the states in which it does business.
Smokers Outlet
Thorntons Inc.
174
TOP 101 CHAINS
Big Givers
52.
A
s successful as these Top 101 retailers are, they recognize the individuals in
the communities are largely responsible for their ongoing success. Perhaps as
a result, many operators make it a central part of their business to give back to said
communities through various charitable causes. Here’s just a small sampling of some
of the philanthropic organizations these retailers support.
Charitable retailers
172
54. VPS Convenience
167
55. Royal Farms
154
56. Drake Petroleum Co.
146
(The Jones Co.)
Store Group
57.
Speedway
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
Petroleum Marketers Inc. (Stop In Food Stores)
The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)
VPS Convenience Store Group
Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation
GPM Investments LLC (Fas Mart)
Make-A-Wish and Support Our Troops
Martin & Bayley Inc. (Huck’s)
Karing For Kids
Gasamat Oil Corp. (Smoker Friendly)
JDRF
Alimentation Couche-Tard (Mac’s, Circle K)
American Red Cross
Sheetz Inc.
Sheetz Family Christmas
58.
59.
60.
TIE
62.
G&M Oil Co. Inc.
145
QuickChek Corp.
137
United Oil Co.
125
and
Vintners Distributors Inc.
Alliance Energy LLC
63. Quality Oil Co. LLC
J a nua ry 2 0 1 4
120
116
64. Martin & Bayley Inc.
113
65. 7-Eleven Stores
111
(Huck’s)
of Oklahoma
66.
67.
Other Givers to Services
The Pantry (Kangaroo Express)
raised nearly $2.7 million for Salute
Our Troops in 2013. Alon Brands has
raised significant funds for the USO,
including a 2011 partnership with
BIC Consumer Products USA to sell
military-themed lighters and donate
a portion to the organization.
68.
truenorth energy llc
110
Go Mart Inc.
109
Hy-Vee Gas
108
69. GasMart USA
TIE and Plaid Pantries Inc.
71.
72.
107
Blarney Castle Oil Co.
105
Jet-Pep Inc.
104
73. Spartan Stores Inc.
103
74. ARS West LLC
102
(Quick Stop)
(American Retail Services)
CSP
124
45 company-ops,
52 franchised
Giving Holiday Cheer
66
173
53. Flash Foods Inc.
(Xtra Mart)
and the main organizations they work with
While there are certainly individuals in
need all year long, the holidays are a special focus for many of these givers. Todd
Jenney, CEO of Carmi, Ill.-based Huck’s
Convenience Stores, says the company’s
own Karing for Kids program—which
raised nearly half a million dollars this
year—started almost a decade ago with
a grass-roots campaign at the store level
to raise funds to provide local needy children with Christmas shopping excursions.
“Since then, we put in some corporate programs to really put it on steroids,
so to speak,” he says. He was recently
approached by a store employee who
benefited from this program as a child.
“Here’s an individual who went shopping with us as a young child and is now
hopefully going to make a career with our
organization.”
Admiral Petroleum
TOP 101 CHAINS
Social: They Really ‘Like’ Us!
T
he concept of marketing used to
be limited to the traditional media
of print and TV. In today’s world, that
is no longer the case. “The way people
get information is really driven more
and more by the digital world,” says
Steve Goldner (a.k.a. “Social Steve”), an
integrated digital marketing and communications executive. “Marketing must
change as well. Themes that are being
carried within a store need to play into
the digital space as well; it’s building your
brand out in many different worlds.”
Social media success among retailers
is difficult to measure—especially when
looking at a group as diverse as the Top
101. For a retailer with thousands of locations, reaching a million “likes” is a relatively easy task. Yet there are significantly
smaller players out there who average
thousands of followers per store thanks
to engaging content and savvy strategies.
Here are just some of the retailers who
are establishing themselves as the social
butterflies of the digital world.
Average Likes
Per Store
Sheetz
2,570.12
Wawa
1,789.02
QuickChek
1,404.30
QuikTrip
1,143.54
ampm
458.88
7-Eleven
396.13
Hess
316.05
Cumberland Gulf
279.56
Roadrunner Markets
62.48
Englefield Oil
48.46
68
CSP
J a nua ry 2 0 1 4
75.
Terrible Herbst Oil Co.
76. Little General Stores Inc.
98
77. Anabi Oil
TIE and Town Pump Inc.
79. Mountain Empire Oil Co.
93
92
80. Flash Market Inc.
91
(Roadrunner)
Develop Compelling Content: “Social
media marketing isn’t just about posts
and tweets—it’s about producing content
that’s important to your target market,”
says Goldner. Cumberland Farms engaged
its consumer base with its “Thirsty for
Love” promotion last summer. The
campaign featured David Hasselhoff and
culminated with the celeb hang-gliding
over parts of Rhode Island and the Cape,
encouraging consumers to post pics with
the tag #IcedHoffee.
100
81.
Petroleum Wholesale Inc.
82. E&C Enterprises Inc.
(Petroleum Marketing Group)
83.
TIE
86.
87.
88
87
Gasamat Oil Corp. (Smoker Friendly)
and Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes
and Petroleum Marketers
86
(Stop In Food Stores)
Family Fare Inc.
84
Nouria Energy Corp.
83
88. First Coast Energy LLP
TIE and Victory Marketing LLC
82
(Sprint Mart)
Think Beyond the Store: “People want
to support brands that are meaningful
to them,” Goldner says. And sometimes
people care about more than just the
store. Hess’ Toy Truck (a holiday staple
since 1964) has 35,303 Facebook fans.
With more than 5 million likes, 7-Eleven’s
Slurpee has more Facebook friends than
the retailer does.
Engage Your Consumers: “Social
media marketing is about building
relationships such that brand preference
is established,” says Goldner. “This is
done through two-way communication
and interactivity with the target market.
That’s the ultimate goal.” Platforms
such as Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare
and Yelp are a great way for retailers
to interact with their customers—and
relay that they care when expectations
are not met, as QuickChek does with its
“qcares” account.
90. Coborn’s Inc.
81
91. C.N. Brown Co. and
TIE and MNS Ltd. (ABC Stores)
94. Buchanan Energy Co.
80
(Bucky’s)
95.
96.
79
MFA Oil Co.
78
Gate Petroleum Co.
75
97. FKG Oil Co. (Moto Mart)
73
and
The
Spinx
Cos.
TIE
99. Sampson-Bladen Oil Co.
72
TIE and Toot’n Totum Food Stores LLP
101. Country Fair
71
TIE and Dandy Mini Mart and Road Ranger
Independent Perspective
The Future Top 101?
A
lmost every Top 101 retailer started with just one store. With that in mind, CSP
asked independent retailers to share their ambitions and growth plans for the
coming year.
Growth Aspirations
It’s Good Being Small
“Our company has set a goal of 50 stores
between now and 2016. But we’ve found
three distinct challenges: financials, cost and the
operator. If we were doing them as a company
corporate store, all three would be addressed.
But because I have to do them through my dealer
network, those are the challenges I face. I can
present the concept and tell him it’s going to cost
$2.5 million. And I’m going to hear, ‘Sam, I just
don’t have that.’ ”
“As a small retailer, we can react on that stuff a little
quicker. We’re known for being more involved in
the community. We do fall festivals in each of
the towns we operate in. We partner with local
charities and regional groups, like the American
Breast Cancer Association. We also partner with
the national St. Jude Hospital.”
Tom Moser, general manager, Tevis Oil Inc., dba
Jiffy Mart, Westminster, Md. (four stores)
Sam Odeh
“We lead with personality vs. lead with committees.
[We’re] faster to react. You can call a company
meeting without calling an event coordinator.
You’re able to make changes fast.”
“It’s all about finding the right location. And let’s
face it: A new store footprint today, you’re looking
at probably a $5 million investment, easy. So it’s
about having the money and getting the
right location.”
Sam Odeh, president and CEO, Power Mart
Corp., Elmhurst, Ill. (five stores)
Tom Moser
“We’re probably not going to be a 100-store
chain. We’re happy being more than a single-store
operator but a lot less than a Sheetz or a Wawa. We
have a lot less corporate [overhead].”
“We’re trying to move toward a website with
coupons online. We’re trying to … get people
who have liked us to share with a friend and get a
larger database going.”
Dwayne Cover, business manager, Tevis Oil,
dba Jiffy Mart
Josh Lund, owner, Beaudry Express, Elk River,
Minn. (one store)
The Largest Retailer You’ve Never Heard Of
With 3,100 locations, this retailer has more stores than any Top 101 operator
not named 7-Eleven or Couche-Tard. It operates in all 50 states, five U.S.
territories and 30 countries—and has been around for more than 100 years.
So why isn’t this retailer a household name? Simple: the Army Air Force
Exchange Service (AAFES) is a joint military enterprise, catering exclusively to
the men and women who serve this country. Active duty, guard and reserve
members, military retirees and their families can shop the exchange—which
operates online stores in addition to brick-and-mortar locations—for an average
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of 20% less than goods cost on the open market. Profits from this venture are
invested in maintaining existing locations and developing new locations, and
supplementing the military’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation/Services programs.
Here are some fun facts from CSPedia about this retailer with a cause:
The motto of AAFES is “We Go Where You Go”—which holds true,
because the exchange frequently operates stores in war zones.
In 2009, the exchange contributed more than $260 million to Morale,
Welfare and Recreation/Services programs.
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▶ In 2011, AAFES reported approximately $8.2 billion in sales.