Atlanta’s Best and Brightest
NACS, the Association for Convenience and Petroleum Retailing, is holding its annual trade show this year in a state that is home to more than 6,260 convenience stores – the fifth-highest statewide total, trailing only Texas, California, Florida and New York.
In addition, the state is home base for some 30 convenience retail companies, including such notable retailers as Parker’s, Pacer Fuels and Race Trac Petroleum. The Atlanta market alone contains several interesting and innovative convenience stores within easy driving distance of the Georgia World Congress Center, site of the 2007 NACS Show.
Here, Convenience Store News profiles three noteworthy c-stores that any retailer should visit during their stay at the NACS Show, or on their next trip to the area. To see a photo slide show of all three locations, scroll to the bottom of this page and click the Atlanta Virtual Store Tour link. For driving directions, view the map provided by Google at the botttom of this page.
After experiencing the stores in person or through the slide show, check out CSNews' Spare Change blog post dedicated to the topic -- Retailing in the Peach State -- to post opinions and read what others have said about the stores.
Pit Stop
Quick Facts:
Address: 1183 Hwy. 54 E., Fayetteville, Ga.
Size: 3,080 square feet
Built: September 2002
Stores in the Atlanta-area: Three
Company HQ: Peachtree City, Ga.
Pit Stop is a three-store chain operated by The Hyde Group, based in Peachtree City, Ga. For nearly 30 years, the company has operated convenience stores in the region, holding approximately 25 stores during its history and supplying fuel to other retailers through its Omni Fuels division.
This store in Fayetteville, Ga., about 20 miles south of downtown Atlanta, is an ideal, high-traffic location, generating 125,000 gallons of fuel sales and more than $80,000 in inside store sales per month, which includes the location’s foodservice operation.
According to Mike Hyde, president of The Hyde Group, the Pit Stop chain began in Peachtree City, Ga., where Hyde was the landlord for a c-store operated by a colleague. “One thing lead to another. We built it larger than expected, and in trying to make my investment more secure, we realized in 1978 that we could make more money replicating this idea,” he said.
Without a “grand plan,” the Pit Stop went through various business cycles, eventually expanding its store count, then leasing various stores to other operators, before reaching its peak of 10 locations in the late 80s.
“We’ve been down to three to five stores a number of times. We started making good money at three,” he said, noting that additional stores negatively affected the performance of the chain. “It took us several times to realize what was going on.”
In 1999, when Pit Stop was a four-store chain, Hyde realized “things weren’t as nice as when we had three stores,” he said. As a result, he changed the company’s business model, opting to maintain a small store count, develop stores when possible, and then lease them to other operators.
Hyde’s Fayetteville location has invested in a number of the latest in convenience trends, such as digital price signs, an eat-in food area for its company-operated Blimpie foodservice and a wine section.
“We’ve always been a leader in pricing as well as image. Folks have taken our ideas and incorporated them elsewhere,” said Hyde.
While the Fayetteville, Ga., location is the only one in the chain to feature digital price signs, Hyde would install the feature in all his locations “just as quick as I could make the phone call,” he said, explaining that signage restrictions in one area keeps him from doing so, and a possible rebranding and resigning of another prevents him there.
But not all the investments have been a sure thing. Hyde installed a self-serve check cashing machine, which was in place when Convenience Store News visited the site, but was since removed, due to software issues.
“It’s something we are pursuing,” he said. “I know it’s being done elsewhere. We’ve got to find something for the onesies and twosies. I can’t roll something out like 7-Eleven has and make it work downstream.”
For more information and images about Pit Stop, scroll to the bottom of this page and click the Atlanta Virtual Store Tour link. For driving directions to this location, view the map provided by Google at the bottom of this page.
Flash Foods
Quick Facts:
Address: 9140 Roosevelt Highway, Palmetto, Ga.
Size: 3,800 square feet
Built: 2007
Stores in the Atlanta-area: Less than 10
Company HQ: Waycross, Ga.
Walking into Flash Foods’ newest store in the Atlanta-area, located in Palmetto, Ga., about 25 miles southwest of Atlanta, could be likened to walking into a specialty beer retailer, a gourmet coffee bar, a quick-serve-restaurant or upscale convenience store, depending on a customer’s wants or needs.
“We differentiate ourselves by having stores that are inviting,” said Jeannie Amerson, advertising coordinator for Flash Foods. “Visually enhancing things does a better job of presenting the merchandise in the store,” she said, adding the company wanted to achieve an upscale environment with the new design.
Besides offering everything an on-the-go consumer might need, the Palmetto Flash Foods does convenience in a sleek, elegant way. The store’s bronze-colored aluminum accent is incorporated into the tile floor, and reflected in the warm tones of the hardwood floor near the coffee and beverage bar. Complimentary royal blue – the same color present on the Flash Foods’ logo -- is used on the walls and at the entrance, giving the store a bright, modern feel. The trim was supplied by Moz Designs, a custom design firm that specializes in applications ranging from store exteriors to the interior design of elevators.
“It all started with the flooring in our beverage area -- the wood planks -- and we thought it was a neat application,” said Amerson. “We were ready to reinvest in our interiors and exteriors, we knew our color palette, and wanted to keep it more inviting.”
In the back corner of the store, customers will find “The Beer Keg,” an approximately 14- by 16-foot beer cave. More than just a walk-in cooler, the entrance features vertical wooden planks constructed in a semi-circle and copper-colored trim, evoking the form of an old-fashioned beer barrel.
The Beer Keg was the brainchild of Patrick Jones, vice president of marketing for Flash Foods, according to Amerson. The concept has been installed in a number of different stores over the past four years, she said.
While CSNews couldn’t vouch for Flash Foods’ claim of “the coldest beer in town,” (although we would have if we didn’t have to drive to our next Atlanta c-store location) as stated on the cooler door, it was a refreshing 34 degrees in the cave, a nice relief from the 100-degree Atlanta heat in August.
“It’s a great way to pull that hot product off the floor and have it ready for customers,” she said.
For more information and images about Flash Foods, scroll to the bottom of this page and click the Atlanta Virtual Store Tour link. For driving directions to this location, view the map provided by Google at the bottom of this page.
QuikTrip
Quick Facts:
Store Address: 4050 Buford Hwy., Atlanta, Ga.
Size: 4,600 square feet
Built: 2005
Stores in the Atlanta-area: 110
Company HQ: Tulsa, Okla.
Look closely at the offerings inside QuikTrip’s store on Buford Highway in Atlanta, approximately 10 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, and a theme appears – private label promotion. From the energy drink cooler door, where the company’s wide array of proprietary energy drinks are front and center; to the fountain, where regular and Lite varieties can be poured; and the frozen carbonated beverage section, where a cold burst of energy awaits customers – all this points to a company that knows how to promote its own options.
“We feel the quality of our private label products are outstanding and priced extremely competitive,” said Kevin Thornton, division operations manager for QuikTrip.
An extensive product selection is not the only thing that this QuikTrip store does well. It also promotes its offerings through collapsible cooler bags featuring the private label mascots on the exterior – Rooster Booster and Donkey Kick.
The approach appeared to be working well for the company. While CSNews was visiting the store, a customer explained what flavors made up the frozen carbonated beverage he was pouring – two parts Cola, two parts White Cherry and topped off with Rooster Booster “for that extra kick,” he explained.
It doesn’t matter if it’s the company’s private label energy drinks, or a national brand, every item sold by QuikTrip is guaranteed.
“We are well known for having a unique guarantee on everything we sell,” said Thornton. “We believe in being consistent, whether it’s store layout or customer service.”
Another unique offering at the location is 24-count cases of 20-ounce bottled water stocked in the cooler. Thornton explained that consumer demand for cold product was the reason behind its placement. The demand was evident when CSNews observed one customer purchase three cold cases of water.
One hard to miss feature in the QuikTrip is a large, dual-sided roller grill, placed prominently at the left-hand side of the entrance. Ready-to-eat hot dogs, egg rolls, corndogs, taquitos and stuffed breadsticks rotate on six grills, with the condiments on one end, and accessories – such as buns – stored below the rollers.
“As a retailer, our job is to satisfy our customers’ wants and needs. All of QuikTrip’s fresh food and roller grill items have been well-received by our customers,” said Thornton.
The company’s goal to satisfy customers even goes beyond its need to compete.
“We really don’t focus on the competition very much. We focus on our customers instead of competition,” he said.
To view a slideshow of the three retailers with additional information, click the link below:
Atlanta Virtual Store Tour (Note: It may take up to a minute to download the slideshow.)
To get directions to these featured retailers, click one of the blue markers on the map to display the address. Then, click the "Get Directions: To Here" link that appears in the address box, input the starting address, and press Go.
