I have a secret. It’s something that will help you, but it’s not new information. In fact, it might be right under your nose. I am often asked if there is a way for small operators to compete against their larger competitors. The question has taken on even more significance during this time of pandemic […]
The following was published as part of the cover story in the September 2020 Issue of Convenience Store News Magazine. At StrasGlobal, the word “innovation” means meeting the changing demands of the customer. “One can innovate, but if you’re not aligned with what the customer is looking for, you’re innovating for nothing. It has to […]
Imagine we’ve all seen it by now: That one customer who just refuses to wear a protective mask in the store. That’s been one of the biggest surprises of the COVID-19 pandemic to me. It’s pretty straightforward: COVID-19 is mainly spread by airborne particles, people get sick by breathing them in, and wearing a mask […]
There is a quote, usually attributed to Rahm Emanuel, that “no good crisis should go to waste”. That is our feeling at StrasGlobal. We are in the process of using the lessons that we have been learning during the COVID-19 crisis to change the way we operate our business and to incorporate new ideas and […]
Roy Strasburger is a frequent contributor to FMN (Fuels Marketer News), online publishers of news for the fuels and convenience store industry. As everyone is very well aware, the COVID-19 (“Corona”) virus has changed the way that we are living life. Public gathering spaces are closed, retail outlets are closed, and social interaction as we […]
Our cashiers and customer service representatives are our first line of defense in regard to the sale of restricted products. I am usually a pretty easy-going guy. I like to think that I get along well with others and that others can get along well with me. I don’t get rattled often. About a month […]
Temple, TX February 21, 2020 — COMPLIANCE SAFE™, a software service that manages your permit, license and certification renewals process, announces an agreement with Energy North Group (ENG), a Leader in both wholesale distribution and retail operations throughout New England and New York. “We know that permit, license and certification renewals can be tedious and […]
AI takes care of repetitive tasks so humans can focus on more creative and substantial issues. In the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey,” the computer HAL takes control of a space mission, making decisions that lead to the deaths of most of the astronauts on board, before it is shut down by the lone survivor, […]
By Roy Strasburger SIGMA Tech Trends Workshop 2019 Best Practice Trends—How to Manage and Leverage Your Data to Make Better Business Decisions November 12, 2019 Austin, TX— Staying on top of market evolution trends and disruptors is critical to keeping your business successful. During SIGMA’s 2019 Annual Conference November 4-6, 2019 in Austin, TX, petroleum […]
By Roy Strasburger Originally Published in Fuels Market News How hard can it be to have hot fresh coffee available all of the time? If you operate a c-store, you know it can be hard. It’s early morning. While the darkness of the previous night is slowly starting to dissipate, the fog inside your head […]
By Roy Strasburger Originally Published in CSP Magazine One of an employer’s main expectations is that staff be mentally alert and aware of the environment around them. The employee can enhance the safety of the business and the people in the store. He or she can also sense when the extra effort is needed to turn […]
Become your own mystery shopper to raise your standards and improve customer service By Roy Strasburger Originally Published in Convenience Store News WHEN I WAS GROWING UP, one of my tasks was to keep my room clean and tidy. Every day, I was to pick up my clothes, books and toys and put them in […]
By Roy Strasburger Originally Published in Fuels Market News About once a week we receive a phone call that goes something like this: “I am the son/daughter of a family that own a convenience store. My mother and father started the business and have decided to retire. They have left it to me to run […]
The tactics of using a competitor as a benchmark fall into three categories By Roy Strasburger Originally Published in Convenience Store News “THAT’S INTERESTING.” Have you ever walked into your main competitor’s shop and had that reaction? As you look around the store, you see a product you had not heard of, a promotion you […]
By Roy Strasburger Originally Published in CSP Magazine Store design is the equivalent of a good store employee: It should help communicate the brand, give the customer more value for their visit and make jobs easier. Most retailers don’t have the luxury of tearing the building down and starting from scratch. So how do we […]
Photo caption left to right: Roy Strasburger, CEO StrasGlobal Paul Melgaard, VP Supply Sunoco LP Dan Dunstan, Dir Sales and Operations Parkland USA Travis Booth, General Counsel & VP Corp. Development Empire Petroleum Partners LLP San Francisco, CA – Communication, technology and financial training for dealers, within the backdrop of understanding cultural and language differences, […]
The forces arrayed against the small retailer, including Amazon, Instacart and Uber meals ,are enormous and growing. Services and products are just a click of the mouse, push of a button or swipe of the screen away. So what is the small independent retailer to do? Should they wait meekly until the inevitable destruction of their […]
Everything you want to accomplish in retail revolves around proper training By Roy Strasburger Originally Published in Convenience Store News TRAINING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT of the foundation on which to build a retail business. Everything you want to accomplish in retail revolves around training. I firmly believe that good salespeople are born, but […]
By Keith Reid Originally Published in Fuels Market News There are more business models for the integration and management of the fuel and retail operations than most people would ever imagine. Similarly, each side of the business brings with it the requirement for unique skill sets. It was generally considered that traditional fuel wholesalers moving […]
Temple, TX, June 13, 2018—“Pop-up” stores are all the rage for landowners and property managers with vacant space. Now, with Rapid Retail there’s no waiting for a Pop-up operator to come to you to fill the empty space. Rapid Retail contract services delivers property managers a streamlined menu of retail options to eliminate or prevent […]
There are many components that a store operator needs to do right to have a successful business. Good customer service is a must. Having the proper selection of products appropriately priced is very helpful. Freshly made food and a beverage bar can provide additional gross profit opportunities. I think we can all agree on these things. […]
It’s happened to all of us. A visitor who you haven’t seen for years comes by to stay at your house for a couple of days. This is the home you’ve lived in for several years and you are house-proud. You clean it regularly. You even pick up the dirty laundry when you aren’t expecting […]
Low in-store sales, high employee turnover and declining gross profit margins are just a few of the problems Roy Strasburger, president of Convenience Management Services Inc. (CMSI), may encounter when he and his team take over a convenience store and gas station. Temple, Texas-based CMSI’s mission, simply put, is to operate retail locations for those […]