Convenience Stores

SPECS 2017 update
Planning is well under way for the 53rd annual SPECS conference, which will be held at the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Fla., March 12–14, 2017. The event is produced by Chain Store Age and is attended by retail and foodservice executives involved in the planning, design, construction and maintenance of stores and restaurants nationwide.
Obeying new overtime rules
Updated regulations take effect Dec. 1 — are you ready?
In response to concern that wages at the low end of the pay scale were slow to rise, particularly for store managers and assistant store managers, the United States Department of Labor updated the Fair Labor Standards Act regulations defining which white collar workers must be paid overtime pay.

Target, Manhattan
C-store chain welcomes new CTO

Yesway has named Douglas New as its chief technology officer. New will be responsible for mapping and implementing the convenience store chain’s technology strategy, including defining the execution plan for Yesway's e-commerce platform. He will also assist in helping the company achieve its goal acquiring 500 stores over the next several years, according to a company statement. He will report to Mark Daniels, the convenience store chain's chief strategy officer.
Board changes at Ahold

Ahold Delhaize on Wednesday announced that management board member James McCann had resigned to move into non-executive and advisory roles. The company has named Kevin Holt, Delhaize America CEO and Ahold Delhaize management board member, as his successor.
Moody’s: Food offerings giving Walmart edge over Target

Wal-Mart Stores and Target Corp. stand at very different junctures, according to new report from Moody's Investors Service. Walmart is starting to reap more discernible rewards as it adapts more quickly to a rapidly-changing consumer landscape -- and with fewer missteps -- than Target has managed, according to the report, "Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Target Corporation: Walmart Is Gaining Momentum, While Target Is Still Clawing Back Lost Ground."
11 Trends Expected to Drive Holiday Shopping

From increased budgets to a desire for free shipping to gifts for pets, PwC’s “2016 Holiday Outlook” report predicts the following trends will drive the upcoming holiday season: 1. Bigger holiday budgets: Shoppers will likely spend 10% more this holiday season; an average of $1,121 each. And consumers with annual household incomes less than $50,000 will likely increase their percentage spending levels even more than consumers overall.
Starbucks, South Side of Chicago
How to Attract More In-Store Sales

Online shopping is great. It saves time, provides tons of options in one place, and the customer doesn’t have to navigate swarms of people to checkout. Younger generations value this, and are moving the majority of their shopping online. But that doesn’t mean retailers can’t pull customers back to their brick-and-mortar stores. Here are four recommendations to entice customers back into your stores: 1. Attentive Customer Service
Fitch: Sears, Claire’s among chains at risk for bankruptcy

In its new study of retail bankruptcies, Fitch Ratings identified seven retailers as being “at risk” for filing bankruptcy in the next year to 24 months.
Global grocery e-commerce hits $48 billion

E-commerce is on the rise in the grocery segement. Online grocery sales are gaining momentum, reaching $48 billion in 12 months as of June 2016, according the “Future of E-commerce,” a report from Kantar Worldpanel. While the overall consumer packaged goods market remained flat, increasing just 1.6% over the 12-month period, online grocery sales are outpacing the market.
Retailers: Look not upon ‘Millennial’ as a segment, but as a lifestyle

There are few demographic segments that have generated as much discussion in the retail community as Millennials. A great deal of literal and virtual ink has been spilled discussing the importance of catering to this large and influential group of young adults. From their spending habits to their social and behavioral characteristics, addressing the priorities and preferences of Millennials is seen as critically important for any retailer that wants to remain competitive in today’s marketplace.