Nobody saw this coming.   Just two months ago, we were in our eleventh year of an economic expansion; unemployment was at a 50-year old

In honor of “Emily the Cat” (the original gray cat from which the company name was created), Gray Cat Enterprises (along with my son Griffin

Below is an excerpt of a recent interview discusses the importance of connecting with the customer: Q: Why are brands so important? Matthews: Brands identify and

You own a bunch of stores all varying in size and age. Over the years, product assortments and sets have come and gone and you

I remember my first interview with a convenience store chain.   I had just spent 9 fast-paced years with Little Caesars Pizza as the National Marketing

The fight for share-of-customer by retail stores to effectively capture sales has never been fiercer. Retail stores that sit back and wait for their business

Gift cards continue to grow leaps and bounds allowing retailers that have implemented a program for their stores to reap vast benefits. In fact, total

Running a small, start-up business has it share of ups and downs. When I launched my company nearly sixteen years ago, running my own small

Budgets are tight, but you need to move top line sales – fast! What is a quick and easy way to expand your customer base?

In the convenience store marketplace, margins continue to tighten on core products such as candy, snacks and tobacco. Prudent operators are attempting to stem the