How Is a Road Trip Like a Computerized C-Store?

All you need is a little imagination to see the parallels.

Welcome to summertime, when the road trip rules supreme. America’s love affair with long-distance travel has been going strong since right after World War II, kick-started by a post-war surge that featured growing families, more cars, and the beginnings of the national highway system.

As motels and roadside stops cropped up next to this new network of travel thoroughfares, fuel retailers with a growing c-store presence were right in the mix. It didn’t take long for motorists to associate them with the growing network of freeways, where often colorful convenience retailers are today known as vital hubs for fueling up and getting refreshed.

We’ve blogged about the link between the c-store and the road trip one or two times before, so we’re changing it up a little today by making some comparisons between the road trip and the computerized c-stores of the present, analogies that are, like the most interesting summer travel destinations, a little off-the-beaten path.

Toss your paper. Just like a GPS keeps you from fumbling with maps or leafing in haste through a Thomas Guide (remember them?), the central store of data technology provides you keeps your operation aligned across all stores, most of it viewable through a shared display. Instead of bouncing between spreadsheets and non-integrated software packages, you can track performance, inventory, and margins from a single display point, updated on a timely basis.

Fuel data matters. Okay, most people don’t refer to fuel gauge readings as data, but, of course, that’s exactly what they are. No driver would ever ignore this display, just as no c-store operator should ignore the fuel sales data passing through the store from the pump. The right c-store back office technology monitors fuel pricing, inventory, and delivery with precision, and places it right in front of you, so you can tell when profitability is getting dangerously low.

Don’t get derailed. Some drivers love to travel with a spur-of-the-moment approach, taking detours whenever they see a sign for the next meteor crater, curio shop, or alligator farm. Variety is the spice of life, until you get lost or run out of gas, that is. For the c-store operator, the potential for getting derailed is even higher given the different kinds of information and processes that have to be accounted for during daily work. Having technology that shores up concerns like pricing control, vendor relationships, and promotional effectiveness keeps you focused on the job at hand: maximizing profit.

Appreciate the differences between sites. Experienced travelers savor the differences among landscapes and regional traditions and culture. Likewise, a decision-maker for a multi-site operator has to understand the subtle and not-so-subtle operational differences between their stores, so that appropriate action, if needed, can be taken. The best c-store technology allows you and analyze site-level trends, without losing sight of the enterprise-wide picture.

If you are looking for a c-store software solution that has the attributes we’ve just discussed, consider SSCS’s back office program, Computerized Daily Book. We’ll help you find the best road to increased profit and growth, with fewer wrong turns. Managing c-stores shouldn’t feel like driving in the dark. Call us at (800) 972-7727 and find out how our technology can help you see where your business is headed.