Preventing Cash Ploys & Customer Theft

Although most inventory loss is attributed to vendor and employee theft, loss due to shoplifting should not be ignored. The following are red flags that will help you spot shoplifting and cash ploys before it's too late.

Building Customer Buying Habits - Sales Policies & Procedures

Listed here are policies and procedures that will build your customer's buying habits, improve the hit rate in your food mart, increase gross profits, and add to the success of your business.

Food Mart Gross Profit Percent Guides

These are recommended gross profit percent goals based on industry standards. The listed percentages should be used only to establish initial goals. After a history of gross profit has been established,  percentages should be customized to the individual location. Measure your store against our numbers.

Possible Indicators of Vendor Theft

Should you observe any of the following activities, there is a good possibility the vendor may be stealing from your store. Listed here are 25 "red flags" that may indicate a vendor is stealing from you. Consider what other food mart operators are doing in this area.

Legal and Illegal Pre-Employment Inquires

A chart that outlines the type of information you can ask for in applications and during job interviews as specified in federal laws.

Human Resources - Basic Employee Training

A proper training program, even a simple and informal one, gives your new employees the best possible chance at success. It’s also the best way to make them feel good about their job, and your company.

Minimizing Those "Out-of Stocks"

10 percent of customers said they have stopped going to a convenience store that was out-of-stock on a favorite item. Customers, if faced with an out-of-stock on their favorite item, will leave the store without purchasing a substitute; the average store loses 3–6 percent of sales.

Coffee Merchandising & Marketing

Many of our clients enjoy $5000 plus per month in coffee sales! Here you'll find factors that influence the taste of a cup of coffee, and some of the secrets to their success.

Five Traits Food Mart Employees Need

Listed here describes the five basic skills and traits that all retail employees need so that your store will shine from the moment customers walk in.

Sample Classified Advertisement - Help Wanted - Cashier

Classified Advertisement -Cashier  Here is the best classified help-wanted ad we have seen that really attracts qualified candidates to apply at your station.

Coffee & Fountain Merchandising Ideas

Coffee and fountain promotions are traffic builders and can be combined with other products to build complementary sales. Here are some ideas our food mart clients have successfully used to increase their transaction rates and add to the success of their business.

Dealing With Problem Cashiers

After you've investigated a problem or complaint, if you find that action is necessary, you'll need to deal with the cashier in question.

Beverage Sales Techniques and Merchandising Ideas

Here are 25 ways to improve the beverage sales in your store. Merchandising tips are included. Follow these guidelines to maximize your gross profit.

Food Mart Advertising Layout Guidelines

Many a novice designer has tried to cram too much information or too many design elements into an ad layout. Here are some tips for increasing the power of your message using white space as a design element.

Factors Affecting Today's Convenience Store

From our survey and in-depth analysis here are the factors that could be affecting your convenience store's sales and profits. Check them out, you're sure to recognize a few.

Robbery Deterrence: Steps For Safer Stores

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports more robberies take place during early dark hours than other times. How do you deter a robbery from happening in your store? We have come up with a set of robbery awareness/deterrence tips based on policies and procedures our clients use in their stores. Here are a few of their good ideas.

Preventing Internal Food Mart Theft

Those of our clients with the least amount of cash shortages and fraud have written policies regarding the handling of cash and cashiers. Protect your business easily by putting into effect these simple and easy to use guidelines. Also listed is the S.O.S. of cashier fraud.

Inventory Control Management

Proper inventory control is critical to quality merchandising. Improper controls or no controls at all can result in holes on the shelves, which can affect your sales. After all, a customer can't buy what you don't have.

Cut Costs to Increase Profits

What is easier to do ... reduce your monthly expenses by 5% or double your food mart sales?

Candy Merchandising Techniques & Ideas

The candy department has one of the fastest turnovers in the Food Shop; therefore, this department is one of the most profitable. Successful merchandising depends on proper placement and competitive pricing.

Beverage Quality Control Management

To keep your fountain sales high this winter, follow these simple steps to ensure your customers get the quality beverage product they know and expect.

Avoiding Employee Fraud and Forgery

Falling victim to counterfeiting, check or credit card fraud can devastate a small business. Since counterfeiting is mushrooming, entrepreneurs must focus their resources on prevention.

The High Cost of Shrink

If you own or manage a snack shop or food mart, you know the high cost of shrink eats away at our profits and restricts our ability to attain desired gross profit percentages. The following example shows how little things can become big. Check this out.

Vendor Receiving Policy

To ensure an accurate delivery, and maintain the highest gross profits possible, consider implementing our easy to follow Vendor Receiving Policy.

The Ways Employees Steal From You

In today's economy, controlling employee pilferage can be the difference between success and failure. Indeed, 60 percent of all business failures are a direct result of internal theft, reports The Small Business Administration.

Securing the Workplace in Food Marts

When food mart operators list their top workplace concerns, seven out of 10 have to do with the behavior of employees. This is now backed up by a new survey by Pinkerton, the nation's largest security company.

ATM Merchandising Ideas, Fees, Facts & Benefits

More and more people are using ATM's than ever before. Our clients indicate that these machines are not only profitable in themselves, but also attract people into the store where they actually spend some of the money received from the machine.