Thought Leadership
A Selection of BATeam Partner Contributions to the Industry
Quarterly Newsletters
Trade Press
Articles
Don't Ignore Daily Customer Count
CSP Daily News
Of all the factors of a successful convenience-store operation, an often-overlooked component is daily customer count. Granted, the importance of customer count may vary among operators due to the size and demographics of their stores. But given that there are essentially two ways to grow sales—increase customers, or average sales per customer— customer count matters. READ MORE >
Get Out of the Box With a Food Truck
CSP Daily News
In the convenience retailing world, brick-and-mortar stores are the ideal way to build a business and brand. A permanent location provides products and services, and everyone knows where the store is all the time. But real estate and construction are expensive propositions, especially when seeking permanent locations that offer high traffic and the right demographics. READ MORE >
C-Stores Should View Foodservice as Solving Hunger & Thirst Needs
Convenience Store News
From ready-to-consume to ready-to-heat to ready-to-prepare, convenience store operators can solve hunger and thirst needs for consumers, but the same product, product format or package will most likely not successfully solve all needs. Thus, operators must strategically answer the question: For what use occasion am I offering a solution, and which consumer is my target for that use occasion? READ MORE >
Competitive Creation and Positioning
CSP Daily News
Veterans of convenience retailing can attest to the fact that the industry has evolved greatly in the last 10 years. We have moved from just selling other people’s products – known as traditional retail – to creating and selling our own products, private CPG brands and ready-to-heat or ready-to-eat food products. In the wake of this evolution, there are now two areas of competitive positioning: product creation and marketing for proprietary items. READ MORE >
People on the Move: Business Accelerator Team
Convenience Store News
Business Accelerator Team appointed Monique Horn as partner of the group. Her experience developing and integrating accounting systems, processes and procedures within the convenience and retail petroleum arena spans more than 30 years, almost all of which was at Family Express, where she most recently was chief administrative officer. READ MORE >
How to Manage Foodservice Profitably
Convenience Store News
Focusing on sales is extremely important in any business. After all, sales cure all ills. This is especially relevant in a grab-and-go foodservice environment, where focusing on sales begins with your display cases. A full case conveys freshness to the consumer, which can equate to more sales. But inventory must be managed effectively to ensure incremental profits are not lost due to waste. READ MORE >
Five Key Consumer Behaviors Are Changing the Convenience Retail Space
Convenience Store News
Speaking during the recent Conexxus 2020 Annual Education and Strategy Conference, Kay Segal, founding partner of Business Accelerator Team, pointed to five key consumer trends that are impacting the convenience retail space. READ MORE >
Convenience Store Retailers Get Digital to Drive Trips
CSP Daily News
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it more important than ever for convenience store retailers to update their digital strategy to meet new consumer demand for less contact, or even no contact. READ MORE >
Weighing the Pros & Cons of Offering Third-Party Delivery
Convenience Store News
Earlier this year, the challenges of stay-at-home orders accelerated the demand for omnichannel experiences. From mobile ordering to delivery to curbside pickup and personal shopping services, convenience stores quickly adapted their stores and technology to get products to customers in frictionless and contactless ways. READ MORE >
Do the Math to Prepare for the Unknown
CSP Daily News
The pandemic caught us all off guard. For better and, more often, for worse, convenience retailers saw store traffic drop, market baskets change dramatically and foodservice completely shut down in some parts of the country. By the time you read this, I am hopeful that the coronavirus pandemic has eased a bit and the general public has become more mobile. READ MORE >
Cooking at the Touch of a Button
CSP Daily News
With rapid labor turnover and often unskilled workers in the convenience-store industry, it's important that equipment be easy to operate. Much of it these days "is more a computer than an oven," said Ed Burcher, who is based in Oakville, Ontario, and partner in The Business Accelerator Team. READ MORE >
Why Retailers Should Increase Online Visibility
NACS
A recent Conexxus paper asks a vital question for convenience retailers: Do you have a digital presence? If your customers can't find you online, they'll likely shop elsewhere. Through technology, retailers can respond to consumer demand for e-commerce solutions. READ MORE >
Mastering On-Demand Delivery
Convenience Store News
Convenience stores started dabbling in delivery, expecially for foodservice items, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, once mandatory lockdowns stopped customers from driving, - cutting down on their need to stop for gas, or commute to work and stop for breakfast - everything changed. READ MORE >
The Taste of Technology
Convenience Store News
Over the past decade, the convenience channel has been hard at work redefining customers' perception of its food offerings. What was known as "gas station food" was often the butt of jokes in movies and on television and, in real life, many consumers could not imagine choosing to go to their local convenience store to pick up a pizza instead of their local pizzeria. READ MORE >
The Hot Sellers
NACS Magazine
An ever-present challenge for category managers is picking the right mix of brands and products to meet the expectations of customers and keep them coming back - not only for their go-to snacks, beverages and tobacco but also helping them to discover new products. READ MORE >
Is Convenience Store Business Trending in the U.S. and U.K.?
Article Contributor
As consumers stayed home from work and school, convenience store sales in the U.S. declined by an estimated 9% in 2020, according to market research company Mintel. However, the picture was different in the U.K., where lockdown drove customers to shop locally in smaller stores, with 64% of Britons buying close to home, according to recent research from Barclaycard Payments. READ MORE >
Are You Ready for a Gen Z Workforce?
NACS Magazine
Understanding how to attract the younger generation of employees, specifically Generation Z, can yield new perspectives in hiring and retention. In 2021, Gen Z lands right in the sweet spot for potential c-store new hires as they are now teenagers and in their early 20s. READ MORE >
In Challenging Labor Market, Simplification is Key to Successful Foodservice
Convenience Store News
Today's challenging labor environment doesn't have to impede the growth of a convenience retailer's foodservice business. By simplifying menu options and streamlining the food production process, a c-store retailer can minimize the impact of decreased labor availability, according to Kay Segal, founding partner of the Business Accelerator Team. READ MORE >
How to Reach Consumers Online
CSP Daily News
It’s not enough to have a store on the most-trafficked corner in town anymore. Consumers are increasingly looking for brands online, and attendees at the 2021 NACS Show in Chicago were given a crash course on how to go from zero online presence to influencer status. READ MORE >
How Small Operators Can Capitalize on Wholesaler & Supplier Partnerships
Convenience Store News
Being an independent or small-chain operator in the convenience store industry alongside large chains that operate hundreds — or in some cases, thousands — of stores has its challenges. Because they don’t have the scale of their larger counterparts, and also lack visibility, it can be harder to capitalize on wholesaler and supplier partnerships to increase profitability and success. READ MORE >
Forum Focuses on Improving Dispensed Beverage Business
CSP Magazine
Twenty-four percent of convenience-store customers plan to use c-store foodservice more often in the coming year. This jump in frequency comes as 57% of customers report using c-stores for foodservice at least once a week in both 2019 and 2021.
READ MORE >
How C-stores Can Successfully Deliver on Delivery
Convenience Store News
Consumer demand for foodservice and grocery delivery services continues to grow. While the pandemic accelerated the adoption of delivery and curbside pickup in the retail and restaurant industries, more than two years later, the demand for these services continues to soar.
READ MORE >
The New Normal
Convenience Store News
Consumer demand for delivery and pickup services continues to grow. While the Pandemic accelerated the adoption of delivery and curbside pickup in the retail and restaurant industries, two years later, the demand for these services continues to soar.
READ MORE >
Supply Chain Solutions
Convenience Store News
Labor shortages continue to cause supply chain issues, but savvy c-store retailers are finding workarounds as experts predict struggles will continue past 2022
READ MORE >
The Shape of Food Retailing in the New Normal 7
The World's Favourite Stores' Report
"There are many excellent food retail reports. We believe this to be a first, where 101 retail leaders from around the world have shared their favourite stores. In producing the report, a sense of fun was our number one priority—but also continued learning and relevance, because food retail in all its shapes and sizes should have these components to thrive."
READ MORE >
Innovation Surge
Convenience Store News
The convenience store industry is listening, learning and evolving to give customers what they want. Innovation has come to mean many things in the convenience store industry, and the definition is constantly evolving as consumers adopt new lifestyles, routines and preferences.
READ MORE >
Learn From The Best
NACS Magazine
NACS Show education sessions focused on industry hot topics.The NACS Show's 40-plus education sessions, designed by retailers for retailers, delivered content and engaging discussions that delved into today's strategic challenges of labor, supply chain, category management, foodservice, technology, fuels, EV infrastructure and leadership.
READ MORE >
Field Research
CSP Magazine
Foodservice consultant Ed Burcher of the Business Accelerator Team has traveled coast-to-coast by car twice in the past year. And like any longtime retailer, he stopped at many convenience stores across America along the way. A few observations on the state of c-store foodservice...
READ MORE >
One Voice
NACS Magazine
This month, NACS talks to Kay Segal, president and managing executive, Business Accelerator Team. What does NACS political engagement mean to you, and what benefits have you experienced from being politically engaged?
READ MORE >
Trendsetters
NACS Magazine
Here’s how c-store retailers—big and small—keep their shelves stocked with the latest products. Stocking convenience stores with the latest on-trend products can be a challenge. Consumer tastes change rapidly, and this week’s TikTok-made-me-buy-it product could be old news by the time you get it on your retail shelf.
READ MORE >
Event Report: Dispensed Beverage Forum
CSP Magazine
Capturing a Bigger Share of Coffee, Fountain and Frozen. There was a supersizing of positivity among retailers and vendors at CSP's Dispensed Beverage Forum and consensus that the time is right for convenience stores to seize a greater share of the category. Here are highlights from the event, which took place in April in Rosemont, Illinois.
READ MORE >
The Shape of Food Retailing in the New Normal 7
The World's Favourite Stores' Report
"There are many excellent food retail reports. We believe this to be a first, where 101 retail leaders from around the world have shared their favourite stores. In producing the report, a sense of fun was our number one priority—but also continued learning and relevance, because food retail in all its shapes and sizes should have these components to thrive."
READ MORE >
Top Women In Convenience: A Decade of Achievement
Convenience Store News
KAY SEGAL, Founding & Managing Partner, Business Accelerator Team. Dedicated to the Business Accelerator Team's philosophy of existing to help others succeed, Segal oversees a seven-member team with a combined 400 years of experience. Her responsibilities include development strategy for the company, project assessment and internal management, as well as client acquisition, growth and retention.
READ MORE >
Convenience Report: Driving Growth
STOREBRANDS
Convenience stores are boosting their assortments of private brands to offer shoppers unique, high-value products. Sales of private brand products across numerous categories continue to grow as mass merchants, grocery stores and home retailers among others have their respective product development pipelines running at full-speed.
READ MORE >
The New Convenience Imperative
Convenience Store News
Delivery, pickup and drive-thru are quickly becoming necessities for the convenience channel. Food Delivery and pickup started in the restaurant space years ago with a few brands offering it nationwide, such as Pizza Hut and Domino's. Over time, more restaurants jumped into the mix and suddenly options like Uber Eats, Door Dash and Grubhub became popular for food orders.
READ MORE >
Differentiating Through Private Label
Convenience Store News
A growing number of convenience stores are boosting their assortments of private brands to offer shoppers unique, high-value products. SALES OF PRIVATE BRAND products across numerous categories continue to grow as mass merchants, grocery stores and home retailers, among others, have their respective product development pipelines running at full speed.
READ MORE >
C-store Operators Face a New Convenience Imperative
Convenience Store News
Delivery, pickup and drive-thru are quickly becoming necessities for the convenience channel. Food delivery and pickup started in the restaurant space years ago with a few brands offering it nationwide, such as Pizza Hut and Domino's. Over time, more restaurants jumped into the mix, and suddenly options like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub became popular for food orders.
READ MORE >
Looking For New Ideas
NACS Magazine
Convenience stores are hubs of communities. They're where consumers pick up snacks, beverages, tobacco, gas and other sundries, but they can also be a place to do a lot more than that. Consumers at c-stores can play games, use simulators, wash their dogs and their cars, go bowling, trade cryptocurrency and even pick up dry cleaning.
READ MORE >
CSP FOODSERVICE: Why Now Is the Time to Beef Up the Dinner Hour
CSP Magazine
Ring the dinner bell! Consumers in search of an evening meal to grab on the way home have been finding the answer at their local convenience store. In the past year especially, more c-stores are offering quality cuisine for their guests' evening meal and as an alternative to fast-casual and quick-serve restaurant (QSR) meals.
READ MORE >
CSP Tobacco: How to Keep Up in a Changing Environment
CSP Magazine
At CSP's Tobacco Plus Forum, held in August in Orlando, category managers and other experts shared tips on how to promote tobacco, work within regulations, keep up with a changing environment and more. Here are highlights from the event.
READ MORE >
CSN EXCLUSIVE: Convenience Retailers Score With Sports Marketing Initiatives
Convenience Store News
C-stores can benefit from the exposure offered by a partnership with a sports team or league. For convenience store retailers looking to tap into those enthusiastic sports fans, the value isn't just in the sheer number, but also in the cross demographics, according to Bill Nolan, a partner at the Business Accelerator Team, a firm that provides business development expertise to retailing and foodservice channels.
READ MORE >
Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? Snack? It's All A Blur
CSP Magazine
The walls separating traditional dining times are eroding – here's how foodservice operators can capitalize. Among today's convenience-store foodservice dayparts, the lines are far more blurred than they've ever been before.
READ MORE >
NAG Talks AI and Foodservice Marketing
CStore Decisions
Attendees at the 2024 NAG Conference participated in sessions with topics on artificial intelligence and foodservice marketing during the morning on day two of the event.
READ MORE >
Foodservice Technology: Safety, Savings, Freshness and Speed
CSP Magazine
If a convenience-store employee is preparing a food item without wearing the required protective hat or gloves, an alert can be sent to remedy the situation immediately thanks to the eye of a camera in the foodservice area.
READ MORE >
Mastering Foodservice Marketing
Convenience Store News
From limited-time offers to billboards, convenience store retailers are getting the word out about their high-quality food offerings and boosting profits. Foodserivce is a huge category for convenience store operators because it offers the opportunity for high margins and more profit to the bottom line.
READ MORE >
MASTERING THE FORECOURT-TO-STORE CONVERSION
Convenience Store News
Store appearance, lighting, marketing technology and personalized offers are helping c-stores draw customers inside to buy higher-margin items. For years, convenience store operators have been focused on getting gas-only customers to come into the c-store where the high margin items are found.
READ MORE >
In The News
Business Accelerator Team Ranks #12 in Most-Visited Exhibitor Showrooms
BATeam is proud to be featured in the January issue of NACS Magazine highlighting the popularity of our virtual showroom at the recent NACS Crack the Code Experience that held hundreds of showrooms from big-name brands and new exhibitors!
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