Run a register before you run a company 13 years ago, I traded in the manager’s keys of my gas station for a computer, a cubicle, and title of Operations Analyst. Many titles and office-based jobs later, I continue to call on the skills and experiences from my job as...
To PIN or Not to PIN?
A PIN— a Personal Identification Number. A customer’s PIN is the number that can verify a customer’s identity during a transaction. Most consumers and merchants believe that a PIN should be the de facto method for validating a cardholder’s identity. The question of whether or not a PIN will be...
Know Your Decision Makers and Build Your Community of Support
Having trouble getting a project or initiative in motion? Are people your biggest challenge? Regardless of your level or position within a company, you need to gain support for your effort and get the commitment to the next steps. Knowing how people respond to change and how they make decisions...
Approaching Consumer-Facing Programs: Asking the Right Questions to Deliver Maximum Impact
Earlier this year on CAPRAplus we discussed ensuring that the wants and needs of the consumer are put first when developing any consumer engagement program by asking the question, “Do my consumers really want this?” This time around we will look inward to the merchant to ensure consumer engagement programs...
Unlocking Security Issues
The following article has been re-posted from Convenience Store Decisions. The original posting can be found here. A multi-faceted approach to store security—from locks and cameras to smart safes and best practices in data security—is necessary to keep c-stores safe from theft in 2017. By Ed Collupy Around-the-clock business like...
The Dust Has Settled On Equifax. What Now?
On September 7, Equifax, one of the “big three” U.S. credit bureaus, announced a massive data breach impacting an estimated 143 million Americans. Now that preliminary information related to the breach has been released, this CapraPLUS post reflects on what happened, the impacts of the event (both immediate and long-term),...
Should I Care About The Blockchain? Part 2
This is the second piece in a 2-part series dedicated to blockchain technology. If you would like to read the part 1, which covers what the blockchain is, and how it works, you can do so here. When Will The Blockchain Affect My Business? All of the promises made by...
Should I Care About The Blockchain? Part 1
This is a 2-part series on blockchain technology. In part 1, we will explore what blockchain technology is and provide a simplified explanation of how it works. In part 2, we will identify when to expect enterprise blockchain adoption, and what you should be doing in order to prepare. The...
Click & Mortar – About To Be at a Whole Foods Market Near You
August 24, 2017 - Today Amazon announced several initiatives it will begin to execute on when it closes on its deal to acquire Whole Foods Market this coming Monday. I blogged about this just two months ago and my vision closely matches the plans Jeff Wilke, CEO of Amazon Worldwide...
What Have We Done To Consumer Expectations?
Whatever you think of him, Steve Jobs was excellent at product development. Consumer friendly, intuitive design was the at the core of every product he introduced. He felt that the user should be able to effectively use a device or software without being told or shown how, and he did...
How Net Neutrality Affects Your E-commerce Business
What is Net Neutrality? Imagine that the websites you access most often suddenly begin to charge subscription fees. Some of these fees you may opt into— online news subscriptions, video streaming, etc. Other fees you may not even notice you are paying— the shoes you want become more expensive as...
Technology as An Accelerator: Petroleum C-Stores
Focusing on Moving Juice The Petroleum Industry has a tremendous amount of fragmentation, from Brand representation, to supply chain economics, to terminal locations, dealer contracts, trucking and delivery, to promotions and retail operations. Within this fragmentation loop, technology, and the appreciation of technology, has been traditionally absent. Distributors, or Jobbers,...
