Whether an organization maintains an existing fleet offering or they’re evaluating fleet as a new opportunity, one of the most common barriers that retailers face when attempting to gain incremental market share is that their offering assumes a universal need across the fleet portfolio. In reality, the needs that over-the-road...
For Petroleum Marketers frustrated with their Mobile Payment Processing Application, where should they turn?
An important first step in solving any problem is to accurately identify the root cause of the problem and any potential solutions. For petroleum marketers with a mobile payment solution in place, looking at the entire ecosystem, evaluating where improvements could be gained, and looking at what solutions reside in...
Outdoor EMV helped defray fraud, but what about improving security and protecting cardholder data for petroleum marketers?
For petroleum marketers, now on the other side of Outdoor EMV implementation, payments at the pump seem more secure and less prone to fraud. This view is only somewhat true, however: Committing fraud by way of stolen card is now more difficult, but sensitive payment data is both more vulnerable...
How should petroleum marketers think about electric vehicles and their impact?
As the number of electric vehicles on the road begins to climb, gas station operators need to begin thinking about how they will keep consumers who have long filled up their gasoline engines on their lots. For petroleum marketers looking to be early movers, the lack of mass adoption of...
POS Systems Advance
The following has been re-posted from the April 2019 edition of Convenience Store Decisions. Don’t blink. It’s only been two months since NRF’s Big Show, where I thought I had learned everything happening with point-of-sale (POS) systems that could possibly impact the convenience and petroleum industry. Well, as time moves...
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...
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...
Salty Snacks Charge Forward
The below article, which includes quotations from W. Capra Executive Consultant Ed Collupy, has been re-posted from Convenience Store Decisions. The original article can be found here. As more consumers are shifting to healthier and protein-filled salty snacks as meal replacements, c-stores are well positioned to reap the rewards. By...
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,...
Approaching Consumer-Facing Programs
“Do my consumers really want this? Will they use it?” This is one of the most fundamental questions any merchant must ask when venturing into a new consumer engagement or payment program. It is also a huge lesson to be learned from both the successes and failures from some of...
Forecourt Evolution
The following excerpt, re-posted from Convenience Store Decisions, is an excerpt from Lisa White’s article “Back Office & Forecourt Evolution,” which contains contributions from W. Capra’s Ed Collupy. FORECOURT BREAKTHROUGHS When it comes to new developments in forecourt marketing, much of the focus has been on incorporating technology, such as...
Follow Your Own Technical Compass
The following article has been reposted from C-Store Decisions. No matter where you choose to operate your c-store chain, technological opportunities exist throughout the U.S. By Ed Collupy Compasses have been sailors’ companions for years helping them navigate unfamiliar waters. This election year we’ve certainly heard of the moral compass...
