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Aggressive Sales Steps

1. The problem:
   1. Inside sales per 1,000 gallons should be in this range:

      Beer	$150
      Cigarettes	$200
      Vending	$300

   2. But your inside sales are far below these benchmarks. In strong years and prior years, it may not have mattered that much. But if competition and other factors cause the overall sales at your store to drop somewhat, it becomes very important. (Why So Many Failures?)" Strong sales tend to cover up some deficiencies that remain unnoticed until things are tighter. Think of obstructions on the bottom of a lake that are not hazards until the water level drops.

2. There are things you can do. The problem is that we tend to put off taking action.
   1. Often we delay until no action is taken.
   2. While the matter is an urgent one that should be addressed immediately, it can be broken down into achievable steps.
   3. We can monitor the early steps for results to confirm that the more expensive steps that follow will be worthwhile.

3. Thing to do immediately:
   1. Get a subscription to Convenience Store News if you do not already have one. There are always good articles about displays, trends, and market research. These can often be put immediately into use.
   2. Make seasonal displays that appeal to:
      1. Men
         1. Radiator coolant
         2. Bungy cords and tie-down straps
         3. automotive cleaning products
         4. other seasonal items
      2. Women
         1. Take a field trip. Go to a Dollar Store.
         2. Dollar store items are becoming very popular in newly built C-stores.
         3. This appeals statistically to women because they tend to buy more by planned purchases.
   3. Ask your suppliers for the latest product displays. Rarely so

4. Things to do next:
   1. One key of getting more sales per 1,000 gallons is to have more selling space per square foot of floor space.
   2. Buy gondolas that hold more merchandise.
      1. Dealers sometimes argue against taller gondolas because it encourages theft.
      2. The opposing argument is that the increased sales offset the increased pilferage.
      3. Nowadays, you can buy fixtures that are study wire frames. Thieves cdan still hide their activities behind it, but not as easily.
   3. Expand your hot food selections. Surveys show that hot food makes the biggest difference in building inside sales. Several types of hot food do not interefere with each other's sales.

5. Things to start working on immediately but that will take time to negotiate:
   1. Look into co-branding. Subway, Quiznos, etc.
   2. Consider remodelling to better use the available land. The current trend is to include several other businesses as tenants.
   3. Brainstorm

Copyright © - 2004 Dutch Hawkins Mandeville, LA USA - All Rights Reserved

August 1, 2004