From the Target and Home Depot breaches to Marriott's most recent breach weeks ago, data breaches are becoming a near-daily part of the standard news cycle. In response to the increasing concern over consumer data privacy, numerous government entities are evaluating and drafting consumer data privacy protection laws. The European...
Don’t Miss Your Future – Four Blind Spots that Retailers Need to Recognize
Since Marc Andreessen’s prediction in 2013 that “…retail guys are going out of business and ecommerce will become the place everyone buys…,”1 there has been a cascade of opinions and predictions about the digital disruption of retail. Hindsight teaches us that digital disruption is about more than technology. In spite...
The Challenges of Being a Marketing Professional
Being a marketer often feels like living in a Holiday Inn Express commercial. An employee you’ve never seen before walks up to your desk and offers some advice: “I think you should make the logo bigger and use some glitter.” “I’m sorry, you don’t look familiar. Are you new in...
NACS Show: Innovating Like a Start Up
The following originally appeared in Convenience Store Decisions and features W. Capra Senior Consultant, Jim Duboyce. Sheetz aims to empower an incubator team to strategize new initiatives for Sheetz that will position it for the future. In a Sunday, Oct. 7 educational session on innovating like a start up, Moderator Jim Duboyce,...
Loyalty Points to Ponder
The following originally appeared in Convenience Store Decisions and is written by W. Capra Executive Consultant, Ed Collupy. When considering a new loyalty program, asking the right questions can help you determine which option is best for your business. Many convenience operators have their own experiences they can rely on related...
What’s Holding Up Contactless Payments in the US?
Contactless payments in the US have been lauded for years as the next consumer payment trend. Aside from a few very large retailers and transit use in cities like New York, Boston and Chicago, however, there are not many merchants that accept contactless payments in today’s market. This post will...
Winning with Electronic Invoices
The following has been re-posted from Convenience Store Decisions. The original post can be found here. Electronic invoices offer clear and measurable benefits and are supported by Conexxus EB2B Working Group, but there’s a need for more supplier engagement. By Ed Collupy Store managers, cross functional retail headquarter teams, merchandise...
My Compliance Assessment Didn’t Go Well… Now What?
It’s a scary situation: after all the meetings, evidence gathering and reviews, the compliance assessment comes back with red flags. Regardless of the type of compliance assessment (PCI, SOX, SOC-2, etc.) the prospect of fines and/or business interruptions can put a dark cloud over any organization. So what do you...
Leveraging Payments to Enhance Your Business Model
The subscription-based business model offer clear advantages, and many merchants may be overlooking opportunities for their business to grow in this space. Companies like Netflix and Hulu naturally lean toward a subscription revenue model, but less obvious products have found their way into the subscription space as well. The Subscription-Based...
Subscription-Based Revenue: It’s Time to Reevaluate Your Business Model
Subscription-based revenue models offer clear advantages to businesses, and many merchants may be overlooking opportunities for their business to grow in this space. Companies like Netflix and Hulu naturally lean toward a subscription revenue model, but less obvious products have found their way into the subscription space as well. The...
The Annual Expedition – A Look at NRF's Big Show
The following story is reposted from Convenience Store Decisions and is written by W. Capra Executive Consultant, Ed Collupy. Innovation in 2018 will be about retailer & solution provider collaboration, thinking about not only the new, but extending what’s in place today. It’s a journey that more convenience/petro retailers and...
2017: Observations in Review & What’s to Come
The following was re-posted from Convenience Store Decisions. The original posting can be found here. As the year ends, it’s a time for reflection and to look into the future. By Ed Collupy It’s that time of the year when it’s always good to take time to look back, reflect,...
