Csd Brings Retailers, Suppliers Together at Ecrm Convenience Conference
By John Lofstock
Nearly 300 attendees from 135 companies meet in Los Angeles for one-on-one strategic planning sessions.
Ed Roitz said he came to the Convenience Store Decisions/ECRM Convenience/Front End/Checkstand Conference with an open mind. By the end of the first day, he had an open wallet.
That's because Roitz, president and CEO of Fleming Petroleum Corp. made three buys for his 11-store chain during the first day of one-on-one planning sessions between retailers and suppliers at the conference.
"It was a good day to conduct business," said Roitz, whose Pittsburgh, KS-based chain also serves as a Valero and Conoco jobber in three Midwestern states. "I found the one-on-one sessions to be very informative and an ideal way for me to connect with suppliers in a no-pressure setting."
Roitz was one of 65 retailer attendees from the convenience store channel to join 70 supplier companies to share data and information aimed at making both sides of the business more profitable.
The Efficient Program Planning Sessions are category-specific events consisting of one-on-one meetings between suppliers and retail buyers to review new items, promotions, marketing initiatives and strategic direction. These meetings take place in the suppliers' suites, which guarantees an uninterrupted 20-minute planning session. Sessions can replace the sales presentation in the buyer's office, saving both suppliers and buyers time and money, said John Allen, vice president of sales for ECRM.
"The convenience store retailers we have assembled here have come for one reason and one reason only, and that is to improve their business by expanding their relationships with some of the leading suppliers in the industry," Allen said. "This shows a tremendous amount of insight on their part for recognizing the value of these one-on-one sessions and using the format as an effective tool to grow their businesses.
"Our partnership with Convenience Store Decisions is also serving as a resource for suppliers and manufacturers both," he continues. "For the educational material the magazine has provided and its push to attract new attendees."
Jim Monroe, a category manager for Gibsonia Pa.-based Handee Marts Inc., said the intimate setting provided by ECRM is constructive for building category sales.
"At some of the bigger trade shows the message often gets jumbled and the surroundings aren't as conducive to conducting business," said Monroe, whose firm operates 70 7-Eleven stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. "The one-on-one format requires you to be disciplined and focused on cutting through the marketing and finding real solutions for growing the business."
For the supplier community, the clear benefit is a steady three-day stream of key retail buyers that are prepared to purchase the retail solutions that best fits their needs.
"The quality of the retailers we are seeing is among the best we've ever seen at a retail conference," said John Imbesi, president of Ocean City, NJ-based North American Beverage Co. "This is an excellent opportunity for us to get out our marketing strategy in clear, uninterrupted format."
Show attendees included 7-Eleven, Cenex, Circle K, Express Mart, Holiday Stationstores, RaceTrack, Ricker Oil, Sheetz and Thornton Oil Co. Cross-channel marketers included 99 Cents Only stores, Barnes & Noble, Bed Bath & Beyond, Pathmark, Wegman's and Tru-Value Hardware.
"I think the list of show attendees is representative of the quality show this has become," said Jimmy Im, director of marketing for Really Useful Products Inc., a New Jersey-based novelty importer. "We have been coming here for the past four years and have seen the number of retailers double. It's a great place to conduct business."
Driving business
The event was kicked off by Pat Lewis, president of Oasis Stop N Go in Twin Falls, ID, who last year became CEO of the company's Kickback Points customer loyalty program. He urged retailers to consider developing a rewards program to drive new and repeat business.
"Loyalty programs achieve their objectives by offering consumers a combination of hard and soft benefits that alter the value proposition in a positive way and by utilizing superior information to market directly to specific customers," Lewis said.
Once thought to be just for large-scale retail chains, more consumers are beginning to expect reward programs from small retailers as well, according to Lewis. He said the three goals of a solid loyalty program are:
* Decrease customer defection. "If your competitor is giving loyalty discounts on fuel of giving a gallon of milk after 10 purchases, you need to have something in place that will give customers a reason to stay with you," Lewis said. "If not, you can't blame them for shopping at a store that is rewarding their loyalty."
*Increase frequency. Studies by KickBack rewards show that customers were comfortable paying a few more cents per gallon on fuel if they believed they were earning points for a free car wash or a specific prize, such a free sandwich. "As a result, customers made our stores a destination for the majority of their convenience needs," Lewis said.
* Increase ticket average. Since customers know they are earning rewards, they are more likely to buy milk, bread, cigarettes and other items on one trip instead of making separate trips to the supermarket, Lewis said.
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