There is no blueprint for handling the current economic situation. There are no pandemic seminars and nothing written in textbooks. Early this year, COVID- 19 hit quickly, and today, convenience stores with foodservice operations struggle with a new reality.
At NACS, we wanted to connect with stores Gas Station Gourmet profiled in the past to see how they’ve pivoted to survive in a business environment like none before.
Stop and Go Mini Mart
The Stop and Go Mini Mart in Bend, Oregon, started a delivery service as the pandemic took hold. On the forecourt, attendants use grabber tools to handle credit cards and offer customers disinfectant wipes as part of social distancing.
Kent Couch is a c-store innovator. Whether it’s a beer cave—that’s an actual cave—or putting gas pump attendants in retro uniforms (Oregon is one of two non-self-serve fuel states, although the pandemic has temporarily changed that), Couch is always looking to offer great customer service at the Stop and Go Mini Mart in Bend, Oregon. We profiled the c-store in the February 2020 issue.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Couch gave away a roll of toilet paper with each fill-up. “We ended up giving away 1,300 rolls. The goal was to put a smile on customer’s faces,” Couch said, adding, “We didn’t realize how many customers didn’t need the fuel but needed the toilet paper. We should’ve just given away the toilet paper.”
Once the toilet paper promotion ended, the store continued to add a bit of flare to the customer experience. Attendants use grabber tools to retrieve credit cards, and customers get free disinfecting wipes to clean off their steering wheel. With wipes a scarce commodity, Couch innovated. “We created our own wipe using a special towel soaked in a disinfectant. Customers enjoy it; it’s a lot of fun,” he explained.
Couch also acted quickly to start foodservice delivery. “It’s doing really well, but it’s a big risk. We deliver up to five miles, and we’re doing $1,000 a day,” he said.
Our main goal is to be transparent and let customers know all of the precautions we're taking to keep employees and customers safe.
Beer sales are up 36% since the start of the pandemic. “We’re down 22% on fuel, and in-store, we’re way up,” Couch said. “Beer and cigarettes are a primary growth factory. People are home probably drinking more beer; maybe they’re nervous and smoking more.”
Supply chain hiccups make it difficult to find some commodities. “Our main provider is out of all kinds of products like chicken and beef,” he said, adding, “So, we just call all the [purveyors] who’ve wanted our business. We’re trying to forward-buy two months ahead and preparing freezer space.”
Hand sanitizers have been placed at the entrance to the store, at the register and outside the restrooms. There’s plexiglass at the register. It’s all about keeping employees and customers safe. “We met with employees to see what they felt it would take to feel safe,” said Couch, who also believes the store is “giving customers the peace to come in.”
ShopRite/Bourbon St. Deli/Tobacco Plus
ShopRite Inc./Tobacco Plus is a family owned chain of 62 convenience store locations throughout southern Louisiana. (NACS Daily in April featured ShopRite’s new alcohol delivery service via a partnership with Drizly.) Carter Ledbetter, marketing director, said of the current situation: “Our main goal is to be transparent and let customers know all of the precautions we’re taking to keep employees and customers safe.”
Hanging on to employees in this environment is a challenge. Fear is often a factor for staff leaving, so making work fun is a strategy to keep employees comfortable. “At ShopRite/Bourbon St. Deli/Tobacco Plus we’re doing dress-up days to boost morale and make it enjoyable for employees to come to work,” Ledbetter said. “It’s a contest—whoever gets the most likes for pictures on Facebook gets a pizza party or donuts.”
Employees of ShopRite and its sister stores compete to see whose costume gets the most likes on social media. It's one way the Louisiana c-store chain is boosting morale during the COVID-19 crisis.
Overall, keeping the store safe is a priority. “We have a sanitizing program. We’re spraying down pump handles, keypads, cooler handles, and we have fuel assistants outside,” she explained, adding that “we wipe down touchable surfaces every 30 minutes.”
When employees at two separate stores tested positive for COVID-19, ShopRite shared the news on its social media account. “We fogged the store, which took a day. We let everyone know that we were also sanitizing the store according to CDC guidelines using EPA-approved chemicals. The cleaning process covered the entire store and started immediately,” explained Ledbetter.
“Everyone who works in the store, no matter what shift they work, is sent home and can’t return until fully released by a physician, which has been anywhere from seven to 14 days,” said Bobby McGee, director of foodservices.
Once the store is safe, the challenge of staffing it begins. “We have to pull from neighboring stores—if we have any—and pull from the office,” McGee explained. “We also have to adjust the hours until we can get some of the crew back.”
On May 1, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards relaxed some of the restrictions on restaurants. Customers can either take the food order to go, or they can eat outdoors. Tables must be 10 feet apart, and the exterior capacity for customers must be only 25% of the maximum allowed by the state fire marshal.
ShopRite/Bourbon St. Deli/Tobacco Plus has a team approach to dealing with everything, including the pandemic. “We meet as team and throw around ideas. There’s never a bad idea. I love that about this company,” Ledbetter said, adding, “Our goal is to be transparent and proactive. We want people to understand the precautions we’re taking for the safety of our employees and customers.”