With Donald Trump ready to serve as president beginning Jan. 21, political journalist David Gregory (above) says there is risk and opportunity for the United States. "We're at a really polarized time in our history," he said. "There's a lot of uncertainty and anxiety. But I'm also reminded today that only in America do we have a peaceful passing of leadership every four or eight years. ... We've been through a lot of division in the past and we've come through it successfully. That's what makes this country great; there's an opportunity to turn this into a [time] of progress for the country."
With three of four states voting down cigarette tax increases this week, Kerry Paulson of Altria Client Services said it "showed what we can do when we're all in." The one that got away, not surprisingly, was California. "Sadly we lost ... [but] it shows the importance of getting engaged."
A PepsiCo effort called Build to Order brought the process of a driver having to open all 16 truck doors per stop down to one or two doors, according to Al Carey, CEO of North America for the company.
Sure, Tracy Markie of Small Box Energy aims to sell retailers on systems that reduce energy use in convenience stores, but he makes a good case for the need. Energy consumption in c-stores is among the highest of any retail channel, averaging 52.2 kilowatts per hour, he said. "We’ve got lights and canopies and coolers and HVAC, and on top of that, they're running 24 hours a day," he said. "Seventy-five percent of the energy used in c-stores is used by machines we can control ... with simple automation."
What irritates 7-Eleven franchisee Barry Yost the most? An employee who uses "But I sent an email" as an excuse for not seeing a problem through to its resolution.
Appraisal is not an indication of market value, said Glen Kunofsky of Marcus Millichap at the Financial Outlook panel. "The market value and alternative use of real estate is sometimes significantly greater than the appraisal value," he said.
Big trends to track in the natural/organic/specialty space, according to David Winter of SPINS, include the “destigmatization of chocolate as just a pure indulgence,” bars with enhanced benefits and comfort veggies, or chips beyond potatoes.
Winter of SPINS recommends c-store retailers try an “integrated-segregated” approach to merchandising better-for-you products: grouped together, but right next to conventional products. From there, ensure proper signage. “You’ve got to make it apparent and easy for the customer to find,” said Winter.
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