The Promise and Challenges of a New Year

May your c-store resolutions bring you profit and the satisfaction that comes from sustained success.

New Year’s resolutions? Yep. It’s that time of year. More than that, it’s already January 5, which means a lot of those resolutions have already been broken!

But that’s okay. There’s always next year, and the next, and the next. There’s no expiration date for improvement, and no one ever said that it had to start on a specific date. Still, most of us continue to rally around the promise of a new January 1, though truth be told if you look on most people’s lists of resolutions, you’ll find few surprises.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. New Year’s resolutions contribute to an optimistic outlook, which is beneficial to the individual as well as a business. The convenience store industry, known for keeping its eye on the future and the growth potential found there, is no stranger to celebrating the challenges and promise of a new year.

This is why around the country, you’ll find any number of convenience stores that are using the new year to launch promotions and otherwise provide new deals for 2023 to their customers. Here’s a Convenience Store News story on how c-stores are helping customers ring in the new year. And this article from Chain Store Age looks at how petroleum retailers can create opportunities by providing support and merchandise to consumers—49 percent of which are likely to spend money to keep their New Year’s resolutions alive and well. For good measure, here’s a look at the trends convenience stores can expect in 2023.

On a more intimate note, there’s the Big Deal convenience store in Brattleboro, Vermont, right across the Connecticut River from New Hampshire. This is the kind of small town store that has established itself as a neighborhood gathering place for socializing and sharing news. No surprise then, that on the morning of January 1, the topic of conversation for store regulars was resolutions, as well as predictions, for the coming year.

So, what about you? Is this the year your store resolves its technology issues with a system and team to increase customers and profits? If that’s the case, may we suggest you pick up the phone and give SSCS a call at 1-800-972-7727. Find out what our software and service can do to help you meet your resolutions to grow your business in 2023 and beyond. After all, we have one major resolution each year and it’s always the same one: make our customers more successful than they were the year before.

Happy New Year!!