When It Comes to Sustainability, Less is More

There are many sound reasons for a business to control waste; for the best c-store operators, profitability tops the list.

“Waste” is one of concepts that defies a positive spin. You never hear anyone bragging about how wasteful they are. No, waste is something we try to avoid, whether we’re viewing events from a long-term global perspective or sitting across the table from a five-year-old admonishing them for not finishing their peas. In fact, the pervasive public sentiment, to make use of what we have completely, has even resulted in an unofficial holiday, “Use Less Stuff Day”. (Hey, that’s today!)

The convenience store industry consistently has been out in front of the anti-waste, pro-sustainability movement. In this incredibly thorough look at the trend, NACS presents a generous selection of articles reflecting on different aspects of what the industry is doing eliminate excess use in all areas.

A common theme runs through most of these NACS pieces: store efficiency keys sustainability, which in turn cues up improved profitability. Whether it’s turning off the lights at night or using every last bit of that tomato you diced, paying mind to just how much you’re using fattens the bottom line for a c-store.

Put another way, less can be more.

The rise and dominance of food service programs with “made in store” items has made controlling waste even more imperative. It takes a microscopic eye for detail and a thorough knowledge of your store’s operational habits to make sure you aren’t sweeping dollars into the dustpan or letting possible sales spoil on the shelf. And when you miss the mark, you need to know what it’s costing you, down to the very last slice of cheese on a deli sandwich.

SSCS has experience automating spoilage and waste tracking, calculations, and reporting within its Computerized Daily Book (CDB) back office. It keeps an eye on the negative impact waste has on gross profit across your books, presently and historically. If you are an operator pursuing a strategy for sustainability, but can’t quite get your arms around controlling spoilage and waste, feel free to give us a call at 1-800-972-7727. We’ll be happy to discuss effective means of spoilage and waste through SSCS Technology.