Octane - July/Aug 2017 by ensembleiq

TOOLS OF THE TRADE VACUUM, EXTRACTOR TOOL, AND CHEM DELIVERY NOW EASIER THAN EVER PAGE 8

CANADA’S CAR WASH & PETROLEUM MAGAZINE

AUTOSPA GOES BIGGER PAGE 11

APPEALING FORECOURTS ATTRACT SALES PAGE 14

Kirby Kazeil and Natalie Kazeil

SUDS FULL SERVICE CAR WASH PHOTOCREDIT TK

Renovating to compete

PAGE 18

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JULY | AUGUST 2017 OCTANE

PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT

CANADAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHEMICAL & EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER TAP & WASH PAYMENT NOW HERE!

SUPERIOR PRODUCTS UNMATCHED SERVICE

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MONDO PRODUCTS manufactures and distributes a complete line of concentrated chemicals and equipment for the car wash industry. Mondo is the largest supplier of vehicle washing chemicals in the Canadian marketplace and has built its reputation on supplying superior products at the lowest cost with unmatched service.

MONDO PRODUCTS COMPANY LIMITED www.mondo-products.com 695 Westney Road South, Ajax, Ontario L1S 6M9 | 1.800.465.5676 2

OCTANE JULY | AUGUST 2017

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JULY/AUGUST 2017

CANADA’S CAR WASH & PETROLEUM MAGAZINE

Volume 22 | Number 4

14 18 ADVERTISERS

CONTENTS

Bulloch Technologies ..............................................5

Drainvac International...........................................10 Eurovac.................................................................10 Innovative Control Systems .................................21 Mark VII Equipment, Inc. .....................................13

Mondo Products Co. Ltd. ......................................2 National Energy Equipment Inc. .........................17 Pumps & Pressure Inc. ..........................................5 Universal Valve Co., Inc, .......................................17 WashLinks/Sonnys ...............................................20 Washtech ...............................................................5

Fuel Marketing Conference 2017 2017 Canadian Fuel Marketing Conference sets the stage for the future of the fuel marketing industry Product news Products, equipment and services

08 Tools of the trade It’s in the details

11 14

Car wash development Taking it higher

COVER

Operator Spotlight Suds Full Service Car Wash CCA NEWSLETTER Industry forum

Forecourt/ Curb Appeal What does your forecourt’s appearance say about your business?

COVER: GREG HUSZAR

Wiz-Tec Computing Technologies Inc. .................16

Editor’s Message Market Responsive

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EDITOR’S MESSAGE

CANADA’S CAR WASH & PETROLEUM MAGAZINE 70

2300 Yonge Street, Suite 1510 Toronto, ON M4P 1E4 (416) 256-9908 (877) 687-7321 Fax (888) 889-9522 www.CCentral.ca GROUP PUBLISHER Jennifer Litterick jlitterick@ensembleiq.com VICE PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR, EVENTS & MARKETING Michael Cronin mcronin@ensembleiq.com AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Lina Trunina ltrunina@ensembleiq.com WEB OPERATIONS MANAGER Valerie White vwhite@ensembleiq.com

MARKET RESPONSIVE

EDITORIAL EDITOR Kelly Gray kgray@ensembleiq.com ONLINE EDITOR Nikki Lockington nlockington@ensembleiq.com

Three trends are working to drive Canada’s car wash sector forward. New easy-use payment systems that allow operators to track and communicate with customers, new generation automation that lowers cost and enhances the clean, and greater professionalism in detailing services are all helping to make the industry more profitable than ever before. Indeed, one market researcher comments that profits (since 2012) are expected to climb from 11% to over 19% this year. Sales are up too. Thanks to lower gas prices more Canadians are putting on extra miles. This means dirtier cars and more opportunity for business. Vehicles also represent a larger investment for the driving public and more expensive vehicles creates a need to pamper and baby luxury sedans and SUV’s to protect their resale value. Canadians are also more time starved and with this comes a need to find services to take off some of the pressure. Car care facilities have been doing just this and finding detail services are up by some 4%. Once upon a time, detail wash sites were exclusively high labour, low tech businesses. This is now giving way to greater professionalism with uniformed crews better trained and equipment more versatile and portable. In this issue we look over the detailing sector and offer some great examples of success in operation. In fact, one site we examined is currently in construction and may well be the largest tunnel wash in Canada with a detailing service second to none.

TRANSLATION Danielle Hart ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS David Wood dwood@ensembleiq.com SALES REPRESENTATIVE Elijah Hoffman ehoffman@ensembleiq.com SALES & EVENTS COORDINATOR Claudia Castro DESIGN & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION & DESIGN CANADA Derek Estey destey@ensembleiq.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Michael Kimpton mkimpton@ensembleiq.com

CORPORATE OFFICERS EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN Alan Glass PRESIDENT & CEO Peter Hoyt CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Richard Rivera CHIEF BRAND OFFICER Jeff Greisch CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Len Farrell CHIEF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER & PRESIDENT, ENSEMBLEIQ CANADA Korry Stagnito PRESIDENT OF ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS/ CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER Ned Bardic CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER Joel Hughes CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER Greg Flores

ART DIRECTOR Glenn Taylor gtaylor@ensembleiq.com SENIOR DESIGNER Josephine Woertman jwoertman@ensembleiq.com

SUBSCRIPTION / ADDRESS CHANGE Please contact Lina Trunina ltrunina@ensembleiq.com

LICENSING AND REPRINTS Please contact Wright’s Media ensembleiq@wrightsmedia.com 1-877-652-5295

YCM Distributor Advisory Board G. Stevens, R. Robertson, ITWAL Limited; L. Hand, J.B. Hand & Sons Ltd.; T. Tetlock, Pratts Limited; J. Beaudry, J.P. Beaudry Ltée.

YCM Editorial Advisory Board Brian Benison, Bic Inc.; Melani Melnyk, y Mondele¯z International; Tim Corkum, Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc.; T. McGowan, Nestlé Canada

– Kelly kgray@ensembleiq.com

YCM/OCTANE NE is i published bli h d six i times ti a year bby Stagnito St g it PPartners t Canada C d Inc. I YCM/OCTANE YCM/OCTA is circulated to managers, buyers and professionals working in Canada’s convenience, gas and wash channel. Please direct inquiries to the editorial offices. Contributions of articles, photographs and industry information are welcomed, but cannot be acknowledged or returned. © Copyright 2017. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, including photocopying and electronic retrieval/retransmission, without permission of the publisher.

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CIPMA

FUEL MARKETING CONFERENCE 2017

EYE ON THE FUTURE

2017 Canadian Fuel Marketing Conference sets the stage for the future of the fuel marketing industry BY KELLY GRAY

More than 220 delegates from Canada’s largest fuel retailing brands gathered at the Sheraton Centre in downtown Toronto from April 10-12 for the 2017 Canadian Fuel Marketing Conference, hosted by the Canadian Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (CIPMA).

Tricia Anderson, President and CEO, CIPMA addresses the conference

The three-day annual conference is the number one networking event for the fuel marketing industry, and features informative guest speakers and workshops that cover the most relevant issues in the industry. Given the current political climate in the U.S. and Canada’s upcoming 150th anniversary, the conference’s overarching theme focused on the past, present and future of the fuel marketing industry and the larger role it plays in the North American economy. The event featured a range of dynamic, highproﬁle experts in their respective ﬁelds, including renowned National Post columnist Andrew Coyne, public opinion pollster Nik Nanos and Executive Director of the Fuels Institute John Eichberger.

Attendees gained insight into key topics such as Canadian public opinion on key energy and environmental policies and what it means for government and industry, how politics in the U.S. and Mexico will affect the Canadian fuel market in the years to come, and the realities surrounding the electric and autonomous vehicles market. “The record-setting attendance at this year’s conference is not only a testament to the valuable information and opportunities it provides, but also to the unprecedented growth of the Canadian fuel marketing sector,” said Tricia Anderson, President and CEO, CIPMA. Two post-conference workshops also delved into the effects of Ontario’s cap and trade system on businesses, and the opportunities for independent fuel markets in the clean fuels future. As the voice of Canada’s independent petroleum marketing sector representing more than 36% of all fuel sold in Canada, CIPMA hosts several events throughout the year to bring decision-makers together to help shape Canada’s fuelling future. In addition to its pivotal role in the industry, one of CIPMA’s main priorities is advocacy, ensuring members have a voice on important issues at the municipal, provincial and federal levels of government. “We have made great strides in advancing the fuel marketing sector,” said Anderson. “Our members are always aware of current and impending legislation, major market and regulatory trends, and valuable networking events such as our annual fuel conference.” OCTANE To stay up to date on upcoming CIPMA events, check out their website at www.cipma.org<http://www.cipma.org> and follow them on Twitter @CIPMAssoc.

OCTANE JULY JULY| |AUGUST AUGUST2017 2017

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Product NEWS PRODUCTS, EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES

Saving Money and Energy Through Innovation Save energy! Innovative design increases performance. Be a good neighbor! Internal sound reduction is standard on all models. Freestanding, maintenance free dryers which complement all brands of washes. Systems are also available for auto plants and vehicle processing facilities as well as truck, train and bus facilities. See us at major carwash events and ask for a demonstration. 303.438.0120 aerodrysystems.com

Krown Salt Eliminator Salt build up on a vehicle greatly accelerates the corrosion process. Krown Salt Eliminator safely removes these harmful chlorides leaving behind a beading shiny finish. Made by Krown, Canada’s #1 rust proofing company, Salt Eliminator effectively fights the corrosion process. Add it to the premium package of your car wash to provide incentive for your customers. Salt Eliminator can give you a powerful edge over your competition. 800.267.5744 krown.com

Mark VII Equipment Inc. Give your customers a hand wax quality shine in a fraction of the time. ShineTecs Tri-Foam buffs green, orange, and purple foam into the vehicle’s surface instantly clarifying the paint finish. Unique shine polymers within the tri-foam generate a deep gloss shine like your customers have never seen.

The BumperBoard Advantages of Advertising at the Pump. Research shows over 65% of your customers that fuel up never enter the store. Outside signage at the pump is the number one recommendation to increase sales in the store. By utilizing Universal Valve Co.’s BumperBoard at the pump, 100% of your customers that are fueling their vehicles will be aware of your in-store specials. Simple installation and easy poster change-out make sales specials a snap to update. Customizable to match your stores décor. Available in standard and rounded corners. 800.223.0741 universalvalve.com

866.658.9274 markvii.net

Mosmatic Wheelblaster Compact Mosmatic offers a comprehensive range of products for self-service car wash, tunnel carwash or universal use. Manufacturers and service technicians trust the high quality and performance that we provide. A NEW product is the Wheelblaster compact. Mosmatic Wheelblasters are versatile and highly effective cleaning solutions for almost any style vehicle or equipment cleaning. The water pressure makes the rotor arm begin to turn on its own. These products are mainly found in automatic car wash facilities in the area of rim/tyre cleaning and rocker panel cleaning. If you have a specific application or any question, please contact us. 844.384.1602 canada@mosmatic.com mosmatic.com

SUPPLIERS, WHAT’S NEW IN YOUR PRODUCT LINE? CONTACT ELIJAH HOFFMAN at 647.558.0103 ehoffman@ensembleiq.com to promote your product, equipment or service here.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

DETAILING

(From left) Gena Proven, Team Leader, Birchwood Reconditioning Centre and Jessica Hale, Reconditioning Centre Manager

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S IN THE DETAILS

Vacuum, extractor tool and back room chemical delivery equipment manufacturers have been busy. Operators and their customers are happy about the enhanced capabilities. BY KELLY GRAY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY THOMAS FRICKE 8

OCTANE JULY | AUGUST 2017

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Professionals know that a really clean car is in the details. To get to those hard-to-reach places, car wash employees need the right equipment for a job that must ‘wow’ the customer. Fortunately, the industry is liberally peppered with manufacturers that compete hard to impress. In Winnipeg at Birchwood Automotive Group’s Reconditioning Centre, Manager Jessica Hale knows well the challenges of making a vehicle look the best it can be. Hale and others from Birchwood travelled to Adesa Vehicle Auction sites in southern California to discover the latest in car clean technology and even attended York University’s Lean Six Sigma Black Belt program to help them organize the new service centre they were planning to open in 2015. “We got a lot of great ideas on how we could master our car cleaning challenges here in Manitoba,” says Hale, mentioning that Birchwood Automotive Group is the largest new and used vehicle sales organization in the province with 14 car brands and 12 dealerships with more than 1,000 staff. She and her team have turned to companies such as Eurovac and NAPA to help them build in a consistent quality clean for every vehicle they prepare for their clients - the managers at each of the company’s locations. She reports the new centre offers four lanes of detailing capability in a three stage thorough process. Teams can take up to four hours to remove coffee stains from upholstery, buff dashboards, clean carpets and generally renew the vehicle from tail pipe to front grill. Birchwood uses Eurovac’s central chemical dispensing system as well as vacuum technology to both speed and enhance the service where their teams detail as many as 30 cars a day, many of which move directly from cleaning bay to the reconditioning centre’s photo studio for beauty shots prior to sale. According to Eurovac’s Canadian Sales Director Rob Retter, their chemical dispensing system offers a big change from how things used to be. “In the past car wash operators had to hand mix water to chemicals in a process that was time consuming and not as effective as it could be. Eurovac’s system mixes the correct

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ratio and sends it to the bays saving time and enhancing product efficiency. And, its customizable for each operator,” he says, pointing to chem varieties such as tire cleaner, engine degreaser, wax, glass cleaner and shampoo. In the back room at Birchwood’s Reconditioning Centre, their Eurovac dispenser uses 16 varieties of chemical to create the kind of appearance that sells cars. “We also use Eurovac extractors with carpet cleaning chemicals coming from the dispenser,” says Detailing Team Leader Gena Proven, remarking that the overhead carriage that holds vacuums and extractors also features convenient AC plugs. “This really helps get powered tools right to where we need them.” When it comes to interior hygiene, Power Steam Technologies may well have the answer to some of the challenges that face detailers. Working as an add-on tool for detailers, the product’s hot vapour jets can remove bacteria, fungus and mould, especially in hard-to-reach areas such as air vents and door jambs. According to company director Le Vinh Vu, some cleaning systems can leave a lot of moisture inside vehicles. “Ours is a dry system with only 5% water in the flow. With a typical system detailers leave a lot of moisture behind. This often means a high chemical odour in the car and wet carpets that can take time to dry, especially in cold weather.” Vinh remarks that Power Steam Technologies system is just being readied for the Canadian market. “This technology is well understood in Europe where people use similar devices at home,” he says, adding that their units will be portable and profitable. Under the company’s various plans operators can lease, buy out right or use like a vending system where customers pay for what they need. “Our systems save water, creates value and can create a new revenue stream with earnings of about $1 a minute of use,” he says, noting that they are currently in a pilot project in Mississauga. Another innovative solution comes from DRAINVAC, a vacuum system that handles both wet and dry applications. An ideal product for car dealerships, car washes or even food processors, DRAINVAC offers reduced maintenance, greater efficiency and easier use than other vac systems on the market simply because it catches debris, dust, dirt at the intake of the unit. When its full DRAINVAC units first flush into a decanter filter to catch large material before going into the sewer line or the recycle tank. The ‘intelligent’ self-flushing DRAINVAC enables cleaning specialists to get more jobs done in less time with less manpower than with regular systems. The fact is that without any need of bags or filters, the

JULY | AUGUST 2017 OCTANE

CAP:Free vac service at Klassic’s Mississauga site

system will automatically detect when it is full. It will then stop and dump trash into a decanter (enabling the user to recover lost goods later on ) before sending the grey water to sewage or recycling tank before starting again within 10-15 seconds. According to DRAINVAC President Martin Sevigny, a major trend in the car wash indus-try is the use of ‘free vacuum’ at wash sites. “Customers love this service, but they tend to abuse the ‘normal’ equipment by blocking the vacuum with light plastic bags, wet de-bris or big chunks of mud. This creates equipment breakdowns that does not happen with a DRAINVAC wet-dry system. Our vacuums will pick up about anything you throw at it and then some. Your customers are happy, your employees are happy and your bank account is happy too!” he says, adding that the DRAINVAC Automatic Central Vacuum also comes with an inhouse designed and made equipment hose reel. Called ‘VACREEL’, the device holds 50 ft. of 1.5 in. hose and is easily mounted on walls or ceilings to keep the ﬂoor clear of tripping hazards.

Good looks. Great performance. Take your carwash to the next level with Vacuum & Detailing Systems from Eurovac – a trusted leader for over 30 years. Our high quality, custom engineered solutions are designed to deliver superior suction and ﬁltration at sensible pricing.

At Mississauga’s Klassic Car Wash they recently upgraded their vacuum assortment as well as other pieces of equipment. The busy site went with Vacutech from Canadian supplier Washlinks, a leader in conveyor tunnel equipment, in-bay washes, self serve, POS systems and Paystation Controllers as well as detailing equipment. Operators Garry Grewal and Tony and Rozi Thind have a 13 bay free vacuum station that is a great attraction for drivers looking to touch up interiors after a conveyor wash. Vacutech is a well-known and respected car wash industry solution provider with detailing products that are optimized to clean deeply while minimizing operator fatigue, offer convenient operation, feature hot water and/or shampoo extraction with hoses for easy application of solutions ranging from wax to shampoo. The central vacuum system such as the one on offer at Klassic, feature a custom approach. Indeed, Vacutech reports that their systems offer a range of options to enhance car wash capabilities. For example, configurations allow for multiple vacuum hose locations on each side of vehicle, overhead piping and hose management, wet and dry solutions for cleaning floors and seats, and tools for cleaning all areas of the vehicle. “You need to do lots of research before you make an equipment selection,” says Jessica Hale. “There are a lot of products in the market and operators have to determine which ones fit their businesses.” She concludes that important questions have to be asked before purchase decisions are made. “Will staff find the equipment easy to use? Is the equipment energy efficient and simple to maintain? Does the equipment have a reasonable ROI? Does the new equipment add value to the service promise?”. OCTANE

SELF-FLUSHING CENTRAL VACUUM

35 years of expertise and recognized globally, Drainvac offers a wide range of products which can be combined with one another to answer perfectly to your specific needs.

VACUUMS SOLIDS & LIQUIDS SELF-FLUSHES AUTOMATICALLY CONSTANT SUCTION POWER EASY MAINTENANCE

Cleaning Systems

1 800 408.1448 Contact Eurovac 1-800-365-3878 | info@eurovac.com

OCTANE JULY | AUGUST 2017

Don’t forget to visit us at the CONVENIENCE U CARWACS show in Calgary on October 3 & 4, 2017.

PHOTOCREDIT TK

Ready to experience a better system?

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CAR WASH DEVELOPMENT

1 ST OF A 3 PART SER IES

ON THE CON

STRUCTION

AUTOSPAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW SITE.

Taking it HIGHER

In Mississauga, Owner Ehab Shaheen and General Manager Fred Misheal are building a masterpiece of car wash technology that will be among the largest vehicle cleaning centres on the continent. |

BY KELLY GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY BY GLENN TAYLOR CCentral.ca

JULY | AUGUST 2017 OCTANE

WHEN YOU ARE AT THE TOP YOU HAVE TO KEEP innovating to stay ahead of the competition. This is the story at Burlington’s AutoSpa. Operated by Fred Misheal, the site at Appleby Line and Mainway currently offers North America’s longest tunnel wash and detailing centre. Now, Fred and his team are preparing to take things a step further with a new location that promises to be even bigger and better in how they service customers. Fred reports they started work on the new multi-million dollar AutoSpa location this May 2017 after lengthy planning and consultation with supplier Mark VII, a subsidiary of WashTec Germany. Situated at 9th Line and Eglinton, the new site, expected to open December 2017, will offer 43,000 sq. ft. of full-service wash facility that will include 236-foot twin tunnels that feature twin conveyor belts for express interior detailing. “Our plan is to have a state-ofthe-art facility that utilizes the most advanced wash equipment

OCTANE JULY | AUGUST 2017

in the world. This way we can offer the very best in customer service with express detail-ing in a convenient time frame that our customers will appreciate,” he says. According to Fred they have striven to take this new facility to greater heights. For ex-ample, during the planning stage they traveled to Germany and other countries in Eu-rope to view WashTec equipment at the manufacturing plant and in use at a number of European locations. What they saw convinced them the new site will feature equipment that is much improved from that in use at the existing AutoSpa Burlington location. Speaking about his initial discovery of WashTec products, Misheal says, “I saw it all on-line ﬁrst and then received and invitation to see the equipment in action. We traveled to Germany to see it ﬁrst hand,” he says, adding that after ten years in operation on Ap-pleby Line they were interested to make some changes and improvements even though the existing site was still providing an excellent vehicle wash that is among the very best available. “We just wanted to try to move forward in our capability and go beyond what we already saw as the very best. The knowledge and support from WashTec has been nothing else short of excellent.” The new location will use a full water reclaim system to make it as environmentally re-sponsible as possible. The wash equipment for each tunnel will include two sets of wraps, three sets of top brushes, one set of high side rockers and a dry station immedi-ately after the dryer zone. According to Fred his new system will feature SoftLine2, equipment that has been designed and equipped with Linear Following Technology. This

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Fred Misheal, General Manager, AutoSpa

means each brush will travel with the car for up to ﬁve feet in a feature that Fred sees as a big enhancement in cleaning performance. “The top and side foam brushes move with the vehicle as it’s being pulled by the conveyor, extending soft friction time, especially on the hard-to-clean front and back surfaces. The dryer also uses Linear Fol-lowing Technology in combination with contouring close to the surface of the vehicle to provide superior drying results.” Here, Chris Armena, Canadian Sales Manager, Mark VII tells that these technologies are new to North America. “This system

lost customers.

provides cleaning quality unmatched by con-ventional tunnel equipment,” he says noting that cleaner and dryer cars means happier customers who are willing to pay more for higher quality results and will keep coming back. If everything goes according to plan customers will keep coming for more than a great car wash. The new site will offer a host of ancillary services. For example, the new site will feature an expanded fine detailing service, a five bay do-it-yourself car wash, quick lube, rust proofing and tire storage as well as window tinting and paint protective films. “We are also looking at having a cafe like Starbucks on site,” says Fred, concluding that the competitive nature of car wash demands that operators push the service envelope at every opportunity. “There are a lot of car wash operators out there. Make sure your site is the one that goes beyond the ordinary to make you stand out and deliver the best wash in your market.” OCTANE

“Why risk losing customers who prefer either soft-touch or touch-free washing? We chose Mark VII’s ChoiceWash XT® so we can offer both types of wash packages on one machine. About 2/3 of our customers choose the top wash package, and 1 out of 5 spend $3.00 more to add the ShineTecs® polish program. Once they see how shiny it gets their cars, they keep coming back!”

Zaff Jiwani 5 Corners Convenience, Gas and Car Wash

866-658-9274 ext. 4 | www.markvii.ca

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JULY | AUGUST 2017 OCTANE

FORECOURT/ CURB APPEAL

Drawing THEM IN WHAT DOES YOUR FORECOURTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S APPEARANCE SAY ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS? HERE ARE A FEW WAYS YOU CAN ENSURE THE MESSAGE IS POSITIVE AND KEEPS YOUR CUSTOMERS COMING BACK.

PHOTOCREDIT TK

BY NIKKI LOCKINGTON

OCTANE JULY JULY| |AUGUST AUGUST2017 2017

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URB APPEAL is a well-known term when it comes to real estate. It’s all about drawing people in with an inviting, manicured exterior that shows just how well cared for the property is. As business owners, you need to do the same thing. What does the exterior of your car wash and forecourt say to prospective customers about your level of expertise and professionalism? After all, you’re in the business of clean, so you need to convey that focus in everything you do. There are many areas on which you can focus when tidying up your forecourt. The investment doesn’t need to be too steep to have a real impact on the overall look and feel of your site. Here are a few ways you can clean up your forecourt:

PHOTOCREDIT TK

FORECOURT CLEANLINESS: General site cleanliness is the ﬁrst step. Are there stains on the concrete? Gum stuck to the ground? Grungy gas pumps? All of these small issues add up to a big negative impact on your site’s curb appeal. CAF is a company that specializes in outdoor cleaning products, including concrete cleaners, stain eliminators, mildew CCentral.ca

and mold removers, and grafﬁti removers, just to name a few. “We believe that exterior cleanliness is business critical. By improving forecourt cleanliness and appearance we get customers from the pump into the store. This increases sales by as much as 15% and creates brand loyalty,” says Geoff Allen, Marketing Manager with CAF.

DOORS: Your car wash doors are one of your site’s most visible and heavily used sys-tems. Investing in doors that are both reliable and attractive will provide both peace of mind and positive customer experiences. “The appeal of a new door is amazing on any wash. A new door gives the customers an impression of a clean well-kept facility, which is very important when the product you are selling is cleanliness,” says Josh Hart, Airlift Doors. Another way car wash owners can improve the appearance of their doors and their wash in general is to tie in the doors with the overall building appearance. “With polycarbonate doors you can choose anodized rails to match a colour

scheme on the building or even choose to go with a coloured polycarbonate. We can even customize the door design to match an existing door or window scheme on the building so everything looks the same,” says Hart.

SIGNAGE AND BOLLARDS: “Without good signage, how do you tell your customers about pricing, in-store specials and convey your brand message to motorists who may be approaching your site at 50 kilometres per hour?” asks Daktronics’ South Dakota-based Re-gional Manager, Mark Meyer. He points to operators such as Co-op here in Can-ada as good examples of companies that pay attention to the opportunities a good sign offers. “This is a world of ever changing prices and promotions. You need a way to convince customers in a split-second to choose your facility in-stead the one across the street. At Daktronics we make products that modernize your facility’s appearance and allow operators to quickly change fuel prices and messages, display prices from long distances, attract attention by promoting specials, bring customers JULY | AUGUST 2017 OCTANE

from pump to store and stimulate impulse buys,” he says, reporting further that they offer digital signage for both text only and text image. “From the day you install digital signage you are protecting and promoting your brand,” he says. “We all know the name of the game is get the customer into the station and ultimately into the convenience store. Fuel isn’t where the money is, it’s the coffee, sodas and other in-store products that have the best margins,” says Peter Mascis with Universal Valve Co. The ﬁrst product Universal Valve Co. offers for curb appeal is stainless steel is-land forms and bollards. “Stainless steel offers a no-maintenance solution for the island while adding a clean, well-maintained look that is one of the ﬁrst things a customer will see when pulling up to the pump,” he says. If customers see painted islands and bollards that are falling to pieces, they might be concerned over the quality of the fuel or your wash. Mascis suggests stainless steel for its no maintenance attributes. “The price of stainless islands and bollards varies depending on the sizes and is more

Fexpensive OREC OURT APPEAL than the cost of standard steel,” says Mascis, adding that the offset is no maintenance versus repairing and painting the island and bollards every couple of years. How many of your fueling customers know about your in-store sales? “Without proper signage at the pump, probably a very small margin of your customers know about your in-store sales,” says Mascis. The BumperBoard is a product that attaches to existing bollards at the end of the island. This delivers the mes-sage where can really matter. “Its aluminum front-loading snap-frame allows easy poster changes while keeping your station looking clean and professional. The signs are available is several sizes and can be customized. Typically the standard unit is $200.00,” he adds. Whether your location is a small independent or a national player, branding is an essential element of success. This is where Revin Media comes in. Based in Mississauga, Revin works primarily with independent operators who are competing against the big chains. “We start by conducting a complete market analysis,

targeting demographics, sales potential and areas for growth. We look at the big picture and create a strategic design that pulls everything together,” says Revin Media principal Tim Walker. What Revin does is create total brand packages that include logos and colour themes, marketing supports, and attractive signage that tells customers to expect a professional service. “With proper branding and product messaging customers no longer just expect a car wash, they are ready for a car wash experience. We help take independent operators such as car wash sites to a higher level,” he says, noting that customers report sales increases of between 20% and 50% af-ter they take the branding step. Gorrie Forecourt Solutions is an industry leader in innovative roto moulding prod-ucts where they develop versatile, durable exterior merchandising units, island service units and portable curb advertising signs. Operators looking to stay on top of appearance look to Gorrie’s broad product range for items such as curb side pricing signs, lockable pump side merchandisers, and portable

Forecourt curb appeal

vPOS

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OCTANE JULY | AUGUST 2017

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merchandiz-ing pallets with highly visible signage. Gorrie is also there for operators with a range of bollards to protect pumps and store fronts. Bollards come in a number of colour configurations and sizes that can also feature branding and messaging such as handicapped parking notices. Helping visibility of sites and merchandising inside and outside, is CREE, a mar-ket leading innovator of energy efficient LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting for C-store Gas. National Energy Equipment reports that colour, an important com-ponent to site attractiveness and brand recognition can be achieved through the use of CREE LED Canopy, Soffit, Wall Pack and Area Luminaires. Indeed, CREE lighting technology not only saves operating expenses, but enhances col-our saturation that greatly enriches curb appeal..

PUMPS: Unless your station is full-service and no one ever gets out of their car, your customers will be getting an up-close look at your pumps. Are they clean and mod-ern,

or outdated and showing their age? “Fuel dispensers are the ﬁrst line of service and engagement for nearly every customer that visits a c-store,” says Michelle Saab, Wayne Fueling. “The entire package – shape, style, branding, and design working together – tells the world that the c-store is friendly, clean, up-to-date, and ready to do business with them,” she adds. “The Wayne Ovation fuel dispenser and Wayne Helix family of fuel dispensers are engineered to create the best possible fueling experience for customers,” says Saab. “Combining sleek, elegant design, with highly advanced security and payment technologies, Wayne fuel dispensers are ready to address the speciﬁc needs of users no matter their fueling demands.” When a customer has a great fueling experience — one that is clean, fast, se-cure, and friendly — they’re not only more likely to return, they are also more likely to step inside for a beverage, magazine, lottery ticket, or candy bar. “The Ovation fuel dispenser and Helix family of fuel dispensers are easy to use and just as easy to own; they are durable and

Promote Instore Specials at the Pump with the BumperBoard Sign Frame!

easy to maintain, while integrating ﬂawlessly into your IT and payment systems,” she says. National Energy Equipment (NEE), a company that has been specializing in petroleum equipment solutions since 1947, agrees that a site’s curb appeal must portray convenience, safety, quality and cleanliness as well as operational excellence. “All of these can easily be achieved by using the primary principles of vis-ual design elements. Colour, line, shape, texture, space and form are all aspects that must be taken into account,” says Chris St. Germaine, Marketing Assistant, National Energy Equipment Inc. According to St. Germaine, line, shape and texture can be tactile or visual. “The new Gilbarco 700S fuel dispenser has all 3 of these elements. Its curb side visual appeal and customer friendly technology with large screens are capable of streaming audio and video content that create an extraordinary sensory experi-ence customers will talk about and share with their friends,” she says, concluding that paying attention to curb appeal is just good business. OCTANE

Forecourt Solutions

Your Industry Specialists

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JULY | AUGUST 2017 OCTANE

O P E R AT O R S P O T L I G H T / S U D S F U L L S E R V I C E C A R W A S H

Getting into the business PHOTOCREDIT TK

A much-needed renovation helps Suds Full Service Car Wash in Regina stay on top of its game |

BY NIKKI LOCKINGTON PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREG HUSZAR

OCTANE JULY | AUGUST 2017

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UDS FULL SERVICE CAR WASH IS A

(From left) Kirby Kazeil, Natalie Kazeil CCentral.ca

bustling car wash business close to the downtown core in Regina, SK. But it wasn’t always this way, at least not a real car wash. Kirby Kazeil owned the land and was trying to sell it and the building on it back in 2002. Anytime he went to check on the building, he’d bring along his twin daughters. “My twin daughters were about ﬁve years old at the time. Whenever we’d come to the property, before it was a car wash, there were freezer curtains, and they would push themselves in chairs through those curtains and pretend they were in a car wash. So whenever I came to check on this vacant building, they always wanted to come along and they’d say they were going to the car wash,” he explains. They had an offer on the property but had to put that on hold while he went to Edmonton. While there, he stopped at a car wash and was speaking to his wife, Natalie, on the phone. His daughters asked where their dad was, and he responded, “At the car wash”. They got mad that he went to the property without him. At that moment a light bulb went off in his head. “It got me thinking that that piece of land would make a really great site for a car wash,” says Kirby. Less than a year later, Suds Full Service Car Wash opened up. “It was pretty overwhelming at the time, but we learned as we went along.” JULY | AUGUST 2017 OCTANE

Fast-forward 13 years, and the car wash was beginning to show its age. “We opened up in 2003 and we hadn’t really done anything since then in terms of new technologies or systems. The technology end of the business hadn’t changed; we kept the property maintained in terms of appearance, but we were fairly manual still,” he says. “Natalie and I decided that we either needed to get out of the business or get into the business.” Here’s how they did just that.

Think Small. (except when en it comes to proﬁts proﬁts.) ts.)

First step: LEARN Kirby and Natalie knew they wanted to update the site and find opportunities for automation. They took the opportunity to see the technology in action during a trip to Ontario where they dropped in to Wash Links and met up with co-owner and sales director Bill Barber. “My wife and I went out to Toronto in the fall and visited some of Bill Barber’s sites and we just loved what we saw: the technology, the monthly passes, etc. We were so manual before with paper menus and no billing magic,” he says. “It was really nice to see that technology in person and I knew this was what we were going to implement,” he says. The technology has not only helped to streamline operations, but it’s also made a difference in the traffic flow of the site. “People used to have to get out of their cars to use the wash, but now, they can stay in their cars, so it’s eliminated a lot of excess vehicle and pedestrian traffic on the site,” he says.

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Second step: RENOVATE To understand the extent of the renovation, it’s important to understand where they started. Back in 2003, they installed a basic conveyer tunnel wash with limited friction, as well as two vacuum bays. The 80-foot tunnel could handle about 15 cars per hour. “The first day we opened up we washed eight cars and I thought to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, what have we done?’ It was a whole lot of work to wash just eight cars. But it picked up from there,” he says. The renovation began in the fall of 2016, only closing down for a month to extend the tunnel by 25 feet. “We basically gutted the whole building and did a full renovation with the equipment and with all the interior walls we installed fiberglass resin board, refinished the exterior with brick front and back.” Looking to Wash Links, they installed a full 105-foot SONNY’s conveyer tunnel, and went with an ICS (Innovative Control Systems) Auto Sentry payment station and gates. ICS is an innovation leader with technologies that enable their customers to differentiate their operations and achieve competitive advantages. As such, the Kazeil’s went from a throughput capacity of about 15 cars per hour to 95 cars an hour. CCentral.ca

The ﬁrst day we opened up we washed eight cars and I thought to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, what have we done?’ It was a whole lot of work to wash just eight cars. But it picked up from there,. – Kirby Kazeil

Third step: MARKET There are lots of car washes in Regina, so there’s plenty of competition in the exterior wash business, Kirby explains. “But we’re on a very busy street in Regina, so we’re in a very high trafﬁc area. As a result, we’ve got the visibility that our competitors don’t have,” he says. On top of that, it’s a family owned business. Kirby admits it’s his wife Natalie who’s responsible for the level of care and attention to detail. “We’re family operated, and you know that when you come here. We have a very high standard of quality and our service is amazing.” To spread the word about business and service, Kirby turned to social media. “We’ve got 15,000 followers on our Facebook page, which

CCentral.ca

is pretty good for any business in any city,” says Kirby. “We’ve gotten so much positive feedback on social media about our new system, more than we’ve probably received in the last ﬁve years combined. It’s created a lot of excitement with our customers.” Kirby takes care of social media, posting pictures, running promotions, such as ‘like and share a post to win a free car wash’. He spends about an hour a day on Facebook answering people’s questions. He says it’s too much to also do Twitter, so he makes sure all Facebook posts also share to Twitter. “Social media and Facebook have been very positive for us,” he says. “In the tunnel we added all kinds of LED lights. A lot of people have been posting about that on social media. So when they’re going through the tunnel wash they’re taking a video on their phones. It’s a pretty cool ride down the tunnel, and that’s unique,” he says, suggesting that his twin daughters love the upgrade. OCTANE

JULY | AUGUST 2017 OCTANE

CANADIAN

CARWASH ASSOCIATION

JULY 2017

Directors Christopher Armena Brad Baldwin Mike Dietrich

– PARKLAND FUEL CORPORATION

Domenic DiMonte Terry Fahey

– MARK VII

– ZEP VEHICLE CARE INC.

– CROSSTOWN CAR WASHES

– FAHEY ELECTRIC/CAPITAL WASH SYSTEMS

Brad Goetz

– MONDO PRODUCTS CO. LTD.

Jason Kaye

– BAYVIEW CAR WASH LTD.

Kevin Krystik

– SUNCOR ENERGY

Sean McBride

– BELANGER INC.

Matt McCulloch

– TRANSCHEM INC.

Christal Narday

– VALET CAR WASH

Kirsten Potvin Chandra Saran Rudy van Woerkom

ANNUAL CCA GOLF TOURNAMENT BOOK YOUR FOURSOMES NOW!

or years, the Canadian Carwash Association has offered a rewarding networking opportunity to its members through the annual CCA Golf Tournament. Owners, Foperators and industry suppliers gather for a day of golf, dinner and prizes. Carwash operators and suppliers can learn more about this year’s Golf Tournament, at Blue Springs Golf Club in Acton, ON September 14th, on the CCA website. Join the CCA on the greens at the 2017 tournament! Book your foursomes now!

– CARWASH FINDER

– CANADA WASHWORLD

– BELVEDERE TECHNICAL SERVICE LTD.

NATIONAL OFFICE Finance Director Karen Dalton CAE Operations Director Kiki Cloutier Manager Membership

THE CHANGING WORKPLACES REVIEW

Elizabeth Tang Canadian Carwash Association 4195 Dundas Street West, Suite 346 Toronto, ON M8X 1Y4 Tel: 416.239.0339 Fax: 416.239.1076 office@canadiancarwash.ca www.canadiancarwash.ca

FIND A

CARWASH i THE CARWASH SEARCH FEATURE h

canadiancarwash.ca/search on the CCA website has close to a thousand member sites on it. Is your carwash listed? Member sites are listed for free, so contact office@canadiancarwash.ca for more information.

he Changing Workplaces Review proposes amendments to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, 2000 and Labour Relations Act, 1995. The 419-page final report Tcontains 173 recommendations. One of the recommendations is “the creation of a Workplace Forum to bring together senior representatives of government, business, organized labour and employee advocates on a regular basis”. Carwash owners and operators in Ontario will face challenges if some of the recommendations including changes to basic standards relating to parttime, casual, temporary, seasonal and contract employees are enacted. The CCA encourages employers to familiarize themselves with the recommendations and consider the impact on their business. CCA will continue to provide updates for Ontario based members. For more information visit: www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/about/workplace/

INDUSTRY FORUM DEDICATED TO SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND BEST PRACTICES IN THE CARWASH INDUSTRY

WASH VOLUME REPORT – Q1 RESULTS CANADA AVERAGE CYCLES PER MACHINE BY MACHINE TYPE Combination

25,000

Coin Operated 20,000

Conveyer Hybrid 15,000

Rollover Hybrid Friction Conveyer

10,000

Touchless Conveyer 5,000

Q4 2017

Q4 2016

Q4 2015

Q3 2015

Q2 2015

Q1 2015

Q4 2014

Q3 2014

Q2 2014

Q1 2014

Q4 2013

Q3 2013

Q2 2013

Q1 2013

Q4 2012

Q3 2012

Q2 2012

Q1 2012

Q4 2011

Q3 2011

Q2 2011

Q1 2011

Q4 2010

Q3 2010

Q2 2010

Touchless Rollover

CANADA AVERAGE REVENUE PER MACHINE BY MACHINE TYPE Combination

200,000

Coin Operated 150,000

Conveyer Hybrid Rollover Hybrid

100,000

Friction Conveyer Touchless Conveyer

50,000

Q4 2017

Q4 2016

Q4 2015

Q3 2015

Q2 2015

Q1 2015

Q4 2014

Q3 2014

Q2 2014

Q1 2014

Q4 2013

Q3 2013

Q2 2013

Q1 2013

Q4 2012

Q3 2012

Q2 2012

Q1 2012

Q4 2011

Q3 2011

Q2 2011

Q1 2011

Q4 2010

Q3 2010

Q2 2010

Q1 2010

Friction Rollover 0

NEW MEMBERS

The Canadian Carwash Association (CCA) is pleased to welcome new carwash owners and operators and suppliers to the Association. In 2017, the following companies became new members of the CCA:

Friction Rollover Q1 2010

WELCOME

Touchless Rollover

The 2017 first quarter results of the Wash Volume Report (WVR) have just been released by the CCA. Average revenue per site of $75,948 was virtually the same compared to the first quarter of last year up just 1%. Average cycles per site at 10,405 were up 10.8% compared to the 2016 first quarter results. Undertaken for the CCA by Kent Group Ltd., a research firm specializing in the gas station and car wash industry, the WVR is a national quarterly survey of carwash sites. Members of the CCA may participate in the WVR program and receive results specific to their regional at no extra cost beyond their membership fee. All CCA members can access the full first quarter results on the CCA website. Also available online is information on how you can add your site to the WVR.

ANDERSON CONSULTING INC, CALGARY, AB BLACKSTONE CAPITAL CORP., INDIAN HEAD, SK GODDARD, SUTTON WEST, ON; PATEL, CALGARY, AB BRAITHWAITE MANAGEMENT CONSULTING LTD., EDMONTON, AB VANCE MOTORS, BANCROFT, ON GILBERT’S CORNER AUTO, SHEDIAC CAPE, NB BLACK TO WHITE, WEYBURN, SK RED RIVER COOPERATIVE LTD, WINNIPEG, MB HOSE OFF CARWASH, STAYNER, ON MAC’S CONVENIENCE STORES INC., TORONTO, ON 2093924 ONTARIO INC., EDMONTON, AB DELOITTE, MONTRÉAL, QC SHINE-ON WASH SERVICES, BEAUMONT, AB

New members are joining a strong community of carwash owners and industry suppliers that stretch across all corners of the country. Membership in the CCA provides member benefits that will make your business stronger. Through the Association’s benefits program, CCA members can take advantage of the Carwash ToolKit™ series, preferred insurance rates through Erb & Erb Insurance Brokers Limited, free access to CARWACS in Toronto in March and Calgary in October, member-only access to industry statistics, and so much more.

CCA COMMUNIQUÉ: BI-WEEKLY INDUSTRY NEWSLETTER The CCA Communiqué is an informative e-news brief that delivers the most relevant content to your inbox bi-weekly. This newsletter is available at no cost to both members and non-members of the CCA, and signing up for it online is as simple as adding your name and e-mail. The Canadian Carwash Association knows you want to be the best in the industry, and the best way to stay on top is to stay informed. Subscribe to the CCA Communiqué online canadiancarwash.ca and get your industry news every two weeks. CANADIAN CARWASH ASSOCIATION

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IS A PROVEN SALES DRIVER PAGE 15

ENERGY EFFICIENCY USING LESS TO DO MORE PAGE 22

AUTOMATED TOBACCO MERCHANDISING PAGE 28

Orangeville,ON operator Yogi Salanki

23 FEATURE OFFERS PAGE 32

C-Store

CURB APPEAL

A GREAT LOOKING EXTERIOR SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT THE SERVICE INSIDE A C-STORE. DOES YOUR OUTSIDE DRIVE SALES INSIDE? PAGE 18

PM42940023

JULY/AUGUST 2017 $12.00 CCentral.ca @CCentral360

HAPPY 150th CANADA! Celebrate with the Return of Lay’s* Chalet Sauce Chips

LAUNCH: July 16th – Aug 12th, 2017 TERMS: 4-Week Limited Time Offer

LAY’S* BRAND & SWISS CHALET

2 Iconic Canadian Brands 1 Great Chip! * Trademark used under licence by Frito Lay Canada © Frito-Lay North America, Inc. 2017

INTRODUCING...

8-Week Limited Time Offer

07.16.2017 2

JULY | AUGUST 2017

Please Pl leas contact your PepsiCo Foods Canada representative for more details. CCentral.ca

PHOTOCREDIT TK

Indulgent and Delicious Caramel Flavour

JULY/AUGUST 2017

Volume 22 | Number 4

18 ADVERTISERS

CONTENTS

Casa Cubana .................................................. 31

CCentral.ca ..................................................... 14 The Convenience U CARWACS Show – Calgary.............................. 9 Ford Motor Company of Canada ...................... 5

Havana House .................................................. 6 PepsiCo Foods Canada ............................... 2,24 Perfetti Van Melle ........................................... 21

Promo Select - Period 4 ................................. 32 Scandinavian Tobacco Group Canada ............. 11 Vidal Candies Canada ..................................... 13

10 COVER BY JEFF KIRK

CCentral.ca

Editor’s Message Property performance

Chew On This Upcoming industry events Build A Buzz Celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday with Dare REALJUBES Expert Opinion Site selection

Community Involvement Convenience stores are at the heart of communities across the country. Are you involved in making your community a better place to live?

COVER

C-Store curb appeal Strong curb appeal is a winning strategy that generates trafﬁc

NEW OFFERS PAGES 32-33

Save your energy Operators are discovering a bit of effort to reduce energy use is having a big impact on proﬁts CNUW Preview The Convenience U CARWACS Show CALGARY Snapshot Digital Edge

Data Mine Foodservice

JULY | AUGUST 2017

EDITOR’S MESSAGE

CANADA’S CAR WASH & PETROLEUM MAGAZINE 70

PROPERTY PERFORMANCE

EDITORIAL EDITOR Kelly Gray kgray@ensembleiq.com ONLINE EDITOR Nikki Lockington nlockington@ensembleiq.com

Canada is home to more than 25,000 c-retailers. Each day these sites makes a promise to their customers to offer convenience, selection, value and service.

TRANSLATION Danielle Hart ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIPS David Wood dwood@ensembleiq.com SALES REPRESENTATIVE Elijah Hoffman ehoffman@ensembleiq.com

Without the right location and the right landlord, the promise can be lost and customers go elsewhere. Across the country the majority of our c-retail sites are independents. Many are up to speed on curb appeal and the importance of a great looking exterior. However, there are also many that are failing in their attempts to win over customers who can have a hard time looking past the peeling paint, crowded windows and old school signage. Certainly, the ﬁrst rule of retail is location. However, without the follow through of attractive professional appearance stores cannot live up to their opportunities. In this issue we look at key elements in the property equation. We discuss the importance of location, curb appeal, mechanical efﬁciencies, and how the site works with the community. Together with our writers we found that operators that paid attention to property won the challenge for customers. Today, competition is tougher than ever with well capitalized c-retail chains growing in market share. Want to compete? Get in the game by thinking how your property’s opportunities can be maximized.

SALES & EVENTS COORDINATOR Claudia Castro DESIGN & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION & DESIGN CANADA Derek Estey destey@ensembleiq.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Michael Kimpton mkimpton@ensembleiq.com

ART DIRECTOR Glenn Taylor gtaylor@ensembleiq.com SENIOR DESIGNER Josephine Woertman jwoertman@ensembleiq.com

SUBSCRIPTION / ADDRESS CHANGE Please contact Lina Trunina ltrunina@ensembleiq.com

LICENSING AND REPRINTS Please contact Wright’s Media ensembleiq@wrightsmedia.com 1-877-652-5295

YCM Distributor Advisory Board G. Stevens, R. Robertson, ITWAL Limited; L. Hand, J.B. Hand & Sons Ltd.; T. Tetlock, Pratts Limited; J. Beaudry, J.P. Beaudry Ltée.

YCM Editorial Advisory Board Brian Benison, Bic Inc.; Melani Melnyk, y Mondele¯z International; Tim Corkum, Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc.; T. McGowan, Nestlé Canada

– Kelly kgray@ensembleiq.com

Printed in Canada at Transcontinental

CCentral.ca

E-newsletter

JULY | AUGUST 2017

Convenience Central

@CCentral360

PHOTOCREDIT TK

PM42940023

BE A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY!

CHANNEL ALLIANCES

ConvenienceChannel

CCentral.ca

SO EFFECTIVE, THEY’RE YOUR EMPLOYEES OF THE MONTH – EVERY MONTH. CHOOSE YOUR LINEUP FROM THE MOST AWARDED LINEUP. Build and customize your Áeet from our highly award-winning lineup of Áeet vehicles. No other manufacturer has won twelve Fleet Value awards* in Canada this past year. Your money goes further with Ford thanks to high residual values, and excellent fuel economy. Visit your local Ford dealer today to learn how we can help you create a fully customizable Áeet tailored speciÀcally to your individual business needs. This is why we are

FORD.CA/BUILTFORBUSINESS

2017 TRANSIT CONNECT

2017 F-150

2017 TRANSIT

Vehicles may be shown with optional features. *Based on Ford Motor Company’s performance in the 2016 Vincentric Best Fleet Value in Canada awards. ©2017 Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited. All rights reserved.

2017 SUPER DUTY

Tobacco advertising is not available in the digital issue

CHEW ON THIS CCentral.ca

E-newsletter

Convenience Central

@CCentral360

ConvenienceChannel

CALENDAR OF EVENTS OCSA CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT THURSDAY, JULY 20, 2017 Blue Springs Golf Course, Acton, ON ontariocstores.ca

CONVENIENCE STORE DAY, ATLANTIC CANADA AUGUST 30, 2017 Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Prince Edward Island theacsa.ca

LE SALON DES DÉPANNEURS DU QUÉBEC SEPTEMBER 19-20, 2017

THE CONVENIENCE U CARWACS SHOW CALGARY OCTOBER 3-4, 2017

Place Forzani, Laval, QC salondec.com

BMO Centre at Stampede Park, Calgary, AB convenienceu.ca

NATIONAL CONVENIENCE INDUSTRY SUMMIT (NCIS) SEPTEMBER 26-28, 2017

ACSA RETAIL CONVENIENCE AWARDS GALA NOVEMBER 9, 2017

Le Concorde, Quebec City, QC nacda.ca

Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel, Halifax, NS theacsa.ca

OPCA CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 Nottawasaga Resort, Alliston, ON opcaonline.org

CCENTRAL E-NEWS

Get a dose of industry news delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up for CCentral E-News online at CCentral.ca!

WISE WORDS

WEIGH IN TO WIN! Answer our latest poll question on CCentral.ca for your chance to win a Regal Confections prize pack!

‘‘ WIN!

“Our community supports us, so it’s really important we support them when we can. Doing special events is a lot of work but it is a great benefit to our store.” TJ Sheehan, Enniskillen General Store, Enniskillen, ON

Turn to PAGE 15 to learn more about the importance of c-store community involvement.

CCentral.ca

Have Your Say

for a chance to JULY | AUGUST 2017

BUILD A BUZZ

CONFECTIONERY

JOIN THE CELEBRATION

Celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday ay with Dare REALJUBES BY NIKKI LOCKINGTON

Sources:*Fresh Intelligence Dare Custom Research July 2015

This summer, REALJUBES from Dare will honour Canada’s 150th birthday with limited-edition packaging for its all-red Jubes. This will provide an interesting opportunity for convenience retailers to turn their stores into gathering spots for the big celebration. Whether you’re planning to join the celebration by creating a Canada-themed section in store, host a neighbourhood BBQ, or you’re planning to decorate your store with Canadian ﬂags or red and white balloons, showcasing Canada-themed packaging from leading suppliers is an important opportunity to engage customers and create an exciting event in store. Reach out to your suppliers and ﬁnd out which Canadathemed packaging is available for order, and start planning your party now!

5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

ABOUT CELEBRATING CANADA’S 150TH WITH DARE REALJUBES RED: 1. THE REALJUBES RED CHARACTER WILL BE IN COSTUME.

The well-known character will be dressed up in Canadian-themed attire: as a hockey player, a moose and a Mounty.

2. THE PACKAGING IS MADE FOR DISPLAY.

The Canada-themed packaging will come in 385g stand-up pouches, which will be ideal for display opportunities.

JULY | AUGUST 2017

3. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE RED JUBES.

Red Jubes are the top flavour for 42% of Jube consumers*, and this special packaging will feature Dare’s naturally flavoured red jubes.

5. THERE’S MORE TO THE CELEBRATION.

Dare is celebrating its 125th birthday this year, so this family-owned, proudly Canadian company has lots to celebrate this summer.

4. DARE HAS A MADE-BETTER PROMISE.

Conscientious consumers will be drawn to the candy’s positive attributes: no artificial flavours, gluten free, fat free, gelatin free and peanut free.

CCentral.ca

GAS

FREE TRADE SHOW PASS WITH PROMO CODE YCM17

ConvenienceU.ca

WASH

CONVENIENCE

WHERE BUSINESS HAPPENS!

CALGARY BMO CENTRE

OCTOBER 3-4, 2017

EXPERT OPINION

SITE SELECTION

CONVENIENCE IN SITE

Art and science combine to determine convenience location leaders BY RON CONLIN

Ron Conlin is President and Founder of SiteCheck Research Group

JULY | AUGUST 2017

In today’s marketplace, the introduction of ancillary facility components such as car wash, QSR/Coffee offers, a wide array of incentive programs and new types of retailers such as supermarket and big box memberships, have changed standard approaches to site selection. At one time, selecting fuel and convenience locations was more art than science. However with the latest GIS technology, combined with advanced mathematics, the task has turned into more science than art. Historically, the process for locating viable retail outlets in most commercial segments has been accomplished by measuring demand in the trading area, and assigning a per-centage of the market share within a 1 mile, 2 mile and 3 mile radius, with the market diminishing accordingly. This rudimentary distance decay model has become increasingly limited because convenience retailing sites are no longer homogeneous. Today, strong convenience locations are found by utilizing multicompetitive models, analogue models, regression models, huff models and a variety of combinations of all of the above. There are also different types of locations – residential, commercial and highway – with each type drawing their sales from different or further sources. For a residential location, the consumer generally does not travel far from their place of residence to purchase their fuel and convenience goods. Relatively high density areas with younger families and strong growth potential would be the first priority for a c-business location. Your site should have strong vehicle traffic with easy access from both directions from your primary traffic source. The c-store size should be slightly larg-er and should have a stronger emphasis on grocery merchandise line items such as bread and milk. Schools and playgrounds enhance the convenience sales within the salty snacks, fountain and fast food categories. The daytime population in these trade areas is often limited. Caution should be used when the site is near the far outskirts of the trade area as consumers typically do not travel past their place of residence without particular features to draw them. The commercial retail location requires a strong traffic count, unrestricted visibility and access-

ibility. High population density is not as necessary if there are strong complimen-tary retailers and strong unrestricted traffic. An example of strong complimentary retailers would be a mix of big box retailers in a power centre development or regional shopping mall. The c-store size can be slightly smaller with less emphasis and space on gro-cery merchandise with a strong focus on hot “food-togo”, fountain area, sandwiches and salads for the higher concentration of daytime population. The highway locations are the most difficult to determine simply because of the vast distances between cities and towns and the sparse population density. For this reason the source of the demand is difficult to explain simply due to the lack of residences in the trade area. It is important to stretch the trade area over a vast area along the highway being served. It is not unusual to have a 30-50 kilometer narrow trade area with few competitive outlets and lower numbers of residents. A cursory examination of the competition is valuable with a rating on each outlet for traffic, sales, ancillary components and c-store size. Once you have your competition ratings you can then rate your site and decide accordingly. The c-stores on highway sites can be smaller is size with less emphasis on grocery line items in favour of a strong “food to go” component, salty snacks, fountain and souvenirs. Consideration should be given to a national QSR brand either within the store or on the site. In all types of locations the underlying premise is that the consumer will shop at the most convenient location. The success of the location depends on its ability to either fill a spacial void where there are limited outlets or have stronger characteristics than the competitors in a crowded trade area. CCentral.ca

Tobacco advertising is not available in the digital issue

DATA MINE

FOODSERVICE

PROFITS ON THE MENU

Convenience dining is gaining ground every year as c-stores make the shift to more appealing fare and demonstrate greater quality BY KELLY GRAY

More customers are looking to convenience retail for quick snacks and meals than ever. Convenience dining has grown well over the past year with operators turning to established brands and creating interesting house products to fill the need for prepared foods. In fact, Technomic has reported that 34% of consumers in 2016 looked to convenience retailers for a prepared food item. This is up 4% over 2014 indicating a trend where consumers are viewing c-stores as places where convenience intersects with great tastes. Helping the perception is the drive to branded partnerships among quick service retailers. Wellknown brands convey tagon values that c-stores can utilize to their beneﬁt. This has been the experience of Yogi Solanki operator of RO 9 Convenience in Orangeville, ON. Yogi opened the store a couple of years ago and has built a considerable business with some 100,000 customers in his catchment. Helping to anchor the trade at his store are two foodservice brands, Mr. Sub and Country Style Coffee. “My idea was to create a store that is a one stop shop for everything people need and this in-cludes food for all day parts. This meant a good foodservice component and I was fortunate to ﬁnd solid brands people knew and understood,” he says, reporting that his customers are 30% foodservice only, 30% c-store only, and 40% blended with people using both channels. “It’s this 40% of customers that use both that allows us to increase basket size with in-store promotions and suggestive selling.” RO 9 Convenience is the number one Mr. Sub/ Country Style franchise in Canada. He reports his store sees an average of 550 foodservice customers a day in busy summer months and 350 a day in slower periods. While he covers all day parts his best trade is the lunch and dinner crowd. “I have been conservative in the use of social media for advertising. I believe strongly in word of mouth and this has paid off with customer counts growing as people tell others about our store and product offering.” Yogi tells that he has been very careful in his 12

JULY | AUGUST 2017

c-store stock assortment. “Why have things people don’t need? I listen to my customers and only stock what is necessary. As a result I only find about $100 worth of wear-dated stock every three months. The real volume is in the foodservice side. This attracts customers who may also pick up a quart of milk or a lottery ticket on the way out. While Yogi turned to national brands to convey the kind of trust in menu and kitchen that keeps his customers coming back, others have developed their own signature offering that utilizes lo-cal brand messaging. For example, TimberFalls Store and AutoSpa in Steinbach, MB offers Papa Peppies Pizza, a pie made in house and sold to area customers that know the taste and val-ue of the product. They also operate a Nana K’s Waffle Loft and sell locally made meats and cheeses. On Sunday the store is famous for its ‘Kieke’ a noodle dish popular with Mennonite folks who stop in by the van-load after church in the religious farming community. According to the operators, Lorne and Edna Funk, it’s not uncommon to sell 200 plates of noodles during Sunday lunch when people throng into the 70-seat dining area. In Whitecourt, AB, a town about 175 km northwest of Edmonton, the Hommy family operate the Esso at Kanata, a c-gas operation that is locally famous for its foodservice and nationally re-nowned for it restrooms (Esso at Kanata was Cintas’ top restroom in 2016). According to Esso at Kanata owner Landon Hommy, the 6,500 sq. ft. c-store has been open for the past 20 months. Working with a kitchen crew of five to six workers, the site has CCentral.ca

By the numbers: 2017 PROJECTED GAIN FOR FOODSERVICE: 4% (RESTAURANTS CANADA) QSR IN CANADA:

$23 billion

Market researcher Technomic asked more than 500 Canadians what would entice them to buy more foodservice items at c-store

More specials or promos 37%

What foodservice amenities drive increased visits to stores? Comfortable seating

22%

Convenient ordering

18%

in sales with

Delivery options

16%

Higher quality prepared foods 36%

2016: 42% of respondents stopped into a c-store weekly for a retail food product

2016: 34% of respondents purchased a prepared food item at c-store

made a considerable name for itself with a kitchen that makes custom pizzas that are ready in 3 minutes(#1 evening day part), breakfast sandwiches like the ‘Big Burly’, a double egg with 3 kinds of meat(#1 morn-ing day part), made to order omelettes and a host of other items such as panini and fresh made salads. “The economy is tough out here in central Alberta and we are seeing fewer people come to the pumps. We are making a difference with our foodservice offering where it’s getting to be the main attraction,” says Landon, remarking that with low margins continuing on gas sales he is looking at expanding the menu this

CCentral.ca

4.3 billion More healthy fare 35%

Asking 1,500 Canadians about their foodservice weekly buying habits Technomic learned

annual visits (NPD)

More unique offerings 30%

2014: 36% of respondents reported weekly retail foodservice purchases.

Name brand items 21%

Key Drivers:

*PRICE (78% of respondents)

*CLEANLINESS (78% of respondents)

2014: 30% of respondents purchased a prepared food item at c-store

*SPEED OF SERVICE (67% of respondents) (Technomic)

summer. “We will be looking at expanding the menu with more fresh items prepared in our kitchen.” The big seller is the build your own Wane Cut Pizza. Landon states that the name is one that comes from the lumber industry where the Wane Cut is the piece often thrown away after milling. “This is often the best piece,” says Landon, reporting that they use Turbo Chef ovens to cook pizza at 800º. “We worked on getting the pizza just right for six months. Foodservice is not an easy task to execute well, but if you get it right customers will follow,” he says.

JULY | AUGUST 2017

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C O M M U N I T Y I N V O LV E M E N T

BRANDON GRAY

THE C-STORE CONNECTION

Convenience stores are at the heart of communities across the country. Are you involved in making your community a better place to live? BY NIKKI LOCKINGTON

CCentral.ca

JULY | AUGUST 2017

Sheehan took over the Enniskillen General Store in 2014, and has made a point of honouring the store’s long history in Enniskillen, ON ever since. The store was built in 1840 as a Canada Post outlet, and has since gone through a number of owners, but the community surrounding the store hasn’t wavered. The store has become a staple in the small town, and has become known as the destination for Kawartha Dairy ice cream. In 2014, the Sheehans launched a small event with a focus on the buttertarts they sold in their store. “We wanted to do a demo style day featuring some of the bakeries of the buttertarts we normally sell in our store. We quickly realized people really love buttertarts!” he says. And in its second year, The Butter Tart Fest was launched. “We had six vendors who brought approximately 1,500 buttertarts and they were all sold out within 20 minutes. It was a disaster. We had hundreds of people arriving, but we were not prepared for it. I was shocked and had to say sorry many, many, times during that day,” he recalls. As they say, the third time’s a charm. “Our third year was amazing! We invited 16 bakeries and they ended up selling 12,700 buttertarts in one day. We had some of local politicians as well as reporters come and we estimated 3,000 people came to our Buttertart Fest in that third year.” This sounds like a fun event, but why would a convenience store bother to get so involved in its community? “Our community supports us, so it’s really important that we support them when we can. Doing special events is a lot of work but it’s a great beneﬁt to our store.” In other words, the beneﬁt is mutual. A small business that not only takes from its community but also gives back to its community is essential in building relationships, regular clientele and a positive reputation.

JULY | AUGUST 2017

The Sheehans enjoy a family break

It’s not just small independent stores that can make a difference. Sean Sportun, ICPS Manager, Security and Loss Prevention with Mac’s Convenience Stores believes there are additional beneﬁts to being involved in the community. “Positive community engagement or involvement is an essential ﬁrst step to breaking barriers and building trust with all our stakeholders. Convenience stores are a staple within every community and our industry must recognize that we all play an important role in what we can all collectively do to enhance community safety,” he says. It can also help to raise your store up and deter criminal activity. “When a company or brand is invested in the communities where they operate and work, people are less likely to target you with criminality and are more likely to report incidents to police or Crime Stoppers if an incident does occur,” says Sportun.

HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED? Sportun suggests starting by simply getting involved. “Know the issues within your community and see if there is something you have to offer as part of the solution to correct the issue. Develop open communication with your local police service and community centers; and most importantly develop superior relation-

ships with your customers – especially the youth.” As Enniskillen General Store’s owner TJ Sheehan explains, there are many ways for independent retailers to get involved in their communities. “Retailers can easily connect through many service organizations such as the Rotary Club, Lions Club, Optimist Club, or even nearby community centres. Sometimes it’s as simple as hosting a customer appreciation day, or hosting a special product day, or even a fundraiser or BBQ,” he says. CCentral.ca

BRANDON GRAY

BREAKING BARRIERS, BUILDING TRUST

Case study:

FISHERMAN’S FRIEND: Friend of the Community award for Cree Land Mini Mart Ltd. As seen on CCentral.ca

THIS PAST WINTER, FISHERMAN’S Friend ran a contest called Friend of the Community. The contest aimed to recognize and celebrate independent retailers. The initiative was promoted through CCentral.ca and at The Convenience U CARWACS Show in Toronto this past March and asked retailers to share their stories about how they are making a positive impact in their hometowns. All contest participants had the chance to win an iPad, Visa gift card and Fisherman’s Friend prize packages, along with one recipient being awarded the Fisherman’s Friend: Friend of the Community Award. Cree Land Mini Mart Ltd. in Regina, SK stood out and was awarded the top honours. This past winter, Cree Land Mini Mart donated 3,000 toques to schools and daycares in its neighbourhood and every year supports the First Nations University of Canada Pow Wow, an event that takes place every April. Doug McRae operates the neighbourhood store. “Our store has been here for about eight years now. The property and the store are owned by Piapot First Nations and we’re located on status land in north central Regina,” he explains, adding that they’re a very busy community store with a lot of foot traffic. “There are many cultural events that happen in this community, as we’re heavily populated with First Nations people. Whenever there’s

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anything like a cultural walk, we always supply the bottled water for that,” he says. Every year they host a customer appreciation day where they cook hamburgers and hot dogs and give them away to their community. It’s their way of giving back to their customers. Cree Land Mini Mart also makes a section of its parking lot available for community fundraising initiatives. If a sports team or local charity group would like to run a fundraising BBQ, a section of the busy Cree Land Mini Mart parking lot is available to them free of charge. Giving back is an essential part of the store’s success. “We live and work here. My staff lives in this area, and it’s certainly where my customers come from. We believe in giving back. It’s part of our mandate here,” says McRae. “With this promotion, we wanted to recognize and celebrate our independent retail partners who are actively involved in their communities,” said Voula Papadakos, Marketing Manager, TFB & Associates Ltd. “We were so pleased with all the wonderful stories we received from our retailer partners that we intend to make this an annual initiative to showcase all the great community good will.” How are you making a difference in your community? Look out for the second annual Fisherman’s Friend: Friend of the Community contest, launching later this year!

AS SEEN ON CCENTRAL.CA

FISHERMAN’S FRIEN D WANTS TO KNOW HO W YOU ARE A FRIEND OF YOUR COMMUNITY? We want to know how you make a difference. Tell us your story for a chance to win an iPad and other exciting prizes!

CLICK HERE to learn more!

JULY | AUGUST 2017

PHOTOCREDIT TK

CURB APPEAL

JULY | AUGUST 2017

CCentral.ca

Yogi Salanki, Operator RO9 Convenience

Best T

FRONT FORWARD

A great looking exterior speaks volumes about the service inside a c-store. Does your outside drive sales inside? PHOTOCREDIT TK

BY KELLY GRAY PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF KIRK

CCentral.ca

HE FIRST THING A BUSINESS owner must consider is location. The second is appearance. A business with a shabby exterior is sending the wrong message to its customers. “The most common mistake in store design is to underestimate the importance of the frontage of store. If you’re in a mall or on a street, the customer has a moment to decide if she’s going to come into your store,” says Steve Goldberg, President The Grayson Group, New York-based retail design consultants. “Don’t cover your front windows or displays with large, dense signage, he says, suggesting to focus on simple, well-branded graphics and plenty of interior visibility from outside the store.“Shoppers will come in because they need something or recognize the brand or the merchandise looks exciting. The frontage always has to have open, clear view toward the interior of the store.” This just what Yogi Salanki is doing at his Orangeville, ON c-store. Salanki has operated RO 9 Convenience for the past couple of years and looks to his curb appeal as well as positive word of mouth to create trafﬁc ﬂow at his site. “The store has to look professional, clean and attractive if you want to really compete,” says Yogi. He reports that with a new c-store opening very close by, he is continuing to pay attention to the welcoming nature of his operation. “Windows must be clean, the signs must be well lit with no bulbs missing and front door must be visible from the parking lot.” Yogi remarks that operators must be prepared to keep property managers and owners responsible for their obligations toward upkeep. “Parking lots must be cleaned regularly in both the winter and summer seasons. Chipped concrete should be repaired and parking JULY | AUGUST 2017

Fighting against grafﬁtti, Valour Convenience in Winnipeg looked to a local ‘Biz’ program that offers mural paintings

Shelly’s Food & Gas, Edmonton

JULY | AUGUST 2017

lines kept fresh,” he says, reminding readers that what people see on the outside suggests much about the interior experience. Grafitti has been a long standing problem across Canada that has impacted c-store appearance. Combatting this are products such as coatings and paints as well as civic programs designed to make wall surfaces less attractive to ‘taggers’. Sacrificial coatings are among the most popular deterrents to graffiti. These coatings provide clear-coat barriers over wall surfaces. If graffiti appears the protective coating can be removed using a high-pressure washer. This technique sacrifices both clear coat surface and the offending graffito. Permanent coatings are often a more expensive way to go, but are easier to utilize. Permanent coating products create a protective surface to which aerosol paints cannot bond. The ‘tag’ is simply wiped off with a specified remover, leaving the coating and the surface it protects intact. In Winnipeg retailers plagued by graffiti can work with a City program to have prominent mural artists paint community-building artworks on the sides of businesses. According to Mandy Van Leeuwen, a local artist that has undertaken a score of these sites, graffiti taggers are not as likely to spray over works they see as art. She suggests that with this in mind it is not so necessary to use coatings and protective paints. Winnipeg is currently home to well over a hundred of these murals that depict community, prominent cultural personalities, and history. Edmonton has had huge success with its neighbourhood revitalization programs that assist small retailers such as c-stores with curb appeal. Spending upwards of $250,000 per retail hub, the City has transformed derelict sites and underperforming real estate. Like in Winnipeg, Edmonton teams offer business an initial curb appeal audit and then a number of solutions. “For us the value in curb appeal goes well beyond just picking up litter. We are engag-ing these sites to help generate more CCentral.ca

business and contribute more to the communities they serve,” says Jeff Chase, City of Edmonton Director of Small Business and Local Economy. He reports that they assist with streetscaping, retail market analysis, and business supports. Since 2014 they have worked with 30 enterprises to enhance the appearance of commercial centres. One location is Shelley’s Food and Gas. Located at the Newton Centre shopping mall on 54th st. NW in Edmonton, Shelley’s offers a 3,500 sq. ft. c-store and Fas Gas pump island. The City worked with the landlord of the shopping centre to help refurbish the appearance of the group of retail operations that include a bowling alley, dental centre, hair salon, ﬂorists and boot camp training facility as well as Shelley’s c-store and Fas Gas site. The project assists with up to $250,000 to refresh curb appeal where they pay for things like ﬂower pots, streetscaping, and painting. At Shelley’s they took it a step further. “We did quite a bit of renovation outside the work the city assisted with,” says operator Dave Agnihotri. He reports they spent some $300,000 on upgrades to the gas tanks as well as a new look for both inside and out-side areas. “After 25 years it was time,” he says, noting that even though business is quieter due to the economic slowdown in Alberta, they saw value in an improved ap-pearance. This new appearance included new wood paneling, glass tinting, signage and paint as well as other features. “There is no doubt it has improved business. We are seeing a 1% to 2% increase which is good considering the economy here in Alberta right now,” says Dave, concluding that a good looking site says you respect your cus-tomers and you pay attention to the details.

TIPS FOR CURB APPEAL

Paint the exterior every five years and consider anti-graffiti paint products on large street facing walls

2. Keep signs and canopies

looking good by replacing bulbs and repair worn areas. make this part of regular maintenance.

3. Maintain parking lot with fresh paint on lines and keep debris swept and in the bin

4. Beware of impediments in front of the door. Keep the entrance accessible and safe.

5. Remove clutter from windows so customers can see inside.

Growing by Double Digits!

Contact your local representative to learn more about our oﬀers 1-800-268-5542 *Source: Nielsen Strat Planner; National all Channels; 52 wks ending March 4, 2017

CCentral.ca

JULY | AUGUST 2017

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Save your Operators are discovering a bit of effort to reduce energy use is having a big impact on profits

SHUTTERSTOCK

BY KELLY GRAY

JULY | AUGUST 2017

CCentral.ca

etting on the right side of energy efficiency in your c-store is just good business. Available savings can be massive with a bit of investment in research and new equip-ment. Consider an upgrade that a BC-based food store undertook with the result being a 35% saving in energy costs. For this operator savings over the past few years add up to six figures. What about your store? Where can savings and efficiencies be found? The best place to start is with an energy audit of your site. Organizations such as Hydro One in Ontario offer assistance to businesses to get this work done. Hydro One’s Save on Energy Audit Funding program provides incentives to businesses to complete energy audits assessing the potential for energy savings to be achieved through equipment replacement, operational practices, or participation in Demand Response initiatives and other building system and envelope projects. Hydro One offers financial analysis that provides data needed to fully understand the financial benefits of installing

G CCentral.ca

and upgrading to a variety of energy-efficient equipment. Up to $25,000 in financial incentives are available, depending on the size of the building. The Building Systems Audit incentive is an energy audit that offers an analysis of savings operators might be able to achieve with modifications to balancing and optimizing auxiliary fans, pumps, compressors, domestic water and all associated distribution systems. The program covers 50% of audit costs up to $5000. For tenants in business sites Hydro One provides electricity survey and analysis and offers incentives to identify potential energy-efficient equipment upgrades and replacements and the financial benefits associated with each project. Here the utility gives back 0.03 cents per sq.ft up to $7500 or 50% of the audit costs. According to BC Hydro, one of the most common upgrades for retail stores is to replace older high bay metal halide lighting and T12 fluorescents with more efficient T5s coupled with LED accent lighting. As well, store upgrades generally include new, energy efficient refrigerator cases offering features such as LED JULY | AUGUST 2017

NEW AND EXCITING INNOVATION FOR 2017 PERMANENT LISTINGS LAUNCH TIMING: FEBRUARY 26, 2017

Marketing Support

PHOTOCREDIT TK

- Digital Amplification - In-Store Display Tools

Please contact your PepsiCo Foods Canada representative for more details. 24

JULY | AUGUST 2017

CCentral.ca

One of the most common upgrades for retail stores is to replace older high bay metal halide lighting and T12 ﬂuorescents with more efﬁcient T5s coupled with LED accent lighting Source: BC Hydro

lighting, efﬁcient fans and coils, and more efﬁcient glass doors. The utility reports that when operators upgrade to refrigeration cases with LEDs, they save twice as much energy. For example, with older-style cases stores are paying more to run the lights and the case is being heated with the illumination so stores use more energy to get that heat out. With LEDs, the lighting uses less energy, and the science of LED means huge reductions in heat being introduced into the case. Another frequent upgrade is to set up refrigeration systems for waste heat recovery. On colder days they might need a little boost, but otherwise the recovered heat (cast off by the cooling systems) supplies most of the water and space heat required by the stores.

SHUTTERSTOCK

NEW PRODUCT INVESTMENTS SAVE ENERGY DOLLARS In Ontario at Capstone Markets, a three site operator in the Muskoka region, contractors used ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) to create walls and floors that were highly energy efficient. Designers also turned to Robur Advanced Heating and Cooling Technologies for natural gas systems that helped them attain a 60% reduction in energy costs for each of the three 3,000-sq. ft. convenience retail stores where air conditioning and floor heating is natural gas. Robur manufactures heating and cooling products that utilize high efficiency heat pumps that can save up to 40% of operational expenses alone. “We placed all our refrigerator compressors outside to help keep the store cool and cre-ate further savings,” says operator Larry Greenwood, reporting that forecourt and grounds are lit with LED (Light Emitting Diode), another major factor in reducing the site’s environmental footprint. The industry suggests that longer lasting LED can save as much as 70% in dollars with energy usage dramatically reduced. US-based Sheetz, a 500 location chain with a strong foodservice offering, is transitioning to LEDs for both its interior and exterior lighting and is turning to Cree as a partner in this initiaCCentral.ca

tive. At its Raleigh, NC, location, Sheetz has installed Cree® lighting featuring Cree TrueWhite® Technology inside its stores and BetaLED® Technology in the canopy outside. The company reports total energy savings of 45% with and ROI of two and a half years. At Hussmann they have introduced EcoShine II LED lighting to improve food merchandising and reduce energy costs for c-stores and food retailers. According to Hussmann’s Western Canadian representative Delia Molloy EcoShine II LEDS – Save up to 70% in light energy costs over current fluorescent lights. “LEDs also have merchandising benefits including an improved product presentation with more vivid colour and even illumination across product displays, reduced heat inside the product display zone and savings on maintenance costs for reduced number of bulb changes needed for fluorescent lights,” she says. Ice machines are another area where savings can be found. Natural Resources Canada suggests that ENERGY STAR certified batch ice systems save, on average about 1,200 kWh annually, or $130/year in electricity bill costs. The machines also save on water use with ENERGY STAR equipment saving operators an additional $40/year and 6,300 gallons/year due to reduced water usage. Continuous-type ENERGY STAR certified ice machines save, on average about 1500kWh annually, or $160/year on utility bills. Here manufacturers such as Scottsman, Hoshizaki, and Ice-O-Matic have all been stepping up with products that offer greater efficiency. When it comes to refrigeration, operators know what a draw these systems have on power use. For example, Hussman’s Styleline Walk In Cooler Doors meet DOE 2017, standards that went into effect this past June 5. The company states that this product may deliver energy reductions of as much as 80% from current product offerings. Other product lines such as Protocol and Proto-Aire utilize a distributed refrigeration system that puts the mechanicals closer to the load so they are more energy efficient, have reduced refrigerant leaks and improved operating performance over traditional single condensing units. The bottomline on energy efficient systems is that operators need to spend a little to make a lot. If you aren’t involved in a rebate program, updating equipment or looking for savings through an energy audit you are leaving money on the table. JULY | AUGUST 2017

CALGARY PREVIEW

Show

BUSINESS For two days this October, the convenience retail, fuel and car wash sectors are in the spotlight at The Convenience U CARWACS Show. Find yourself among friends and colleagues. BY NIKKI LOCKINGTON 26

JULY | AUGUST 2017

CCentral.ca

A true Canadian trade event classic, The Convenience U CARWACS Show is the place to be this October 3-4, 2017. Sited at BMO Centre at Stampede Park in Calgary, the show gathers hundreds of c-gas attendees who come to discover the latest in products and services as well as learn valuable insights from the event’s slate of industry leading presenters. This year, organizers are touching on two key themes for the core educational sessions at the western event (The Convenience U CARWACS show also appears in Toronto). During both days presenters will address challenges and opportunities in Foodservice as well as Human Resources.

DAY 1 CARWACS carwash tour. Interested in discovering the latest in vehicle clean technology and seeing how leading practitioners of the car wash arts create sales? Register for the CCA sponsored CARWACS carwash tour. This eye-opener is dedicated to showing off the region’s top wash performers. Plan to arrive at BMO Centre for an 8:00AM departure where busses will take attendees on an interactive tour of top wash sites before heading back for a networking luncheon at the show.

Education Sessions Leading off the days education sessions at BMO Centre are two insightful programs – Stafﬁng solutions: Finding the right people and setting them up to succeed and Foodservice excellence: Which model is right for you? Both are held from 9:00A.M. to 10:30A.M.

Staffing solutions: Finding the right people and setting them up to succeed According to presenter and business coach CCentral.ca

George Anastasopoulos Stafﬁng Solutions is a fun and interactive session where business operators can discover how to better understand where to ﬁnd good employees, how to interview job applicants, and how to get employees motivated to better represent the business.

Foodservice excellence: Which model is right for you? Foodservice Excellence is an ideal way for operators to ﬁnd out how to zero in on the right foodservice model for their sites. Presented by industry maven Hugh Large - The Convenience Guru, the session asks ‘which foodservice model is right for you an established brand or a more customized build-your-own?’ and answers with a targeted discussion on leading trends and opportunities. Want to get started on foodservice? Start here.

Keynote session This year the Keynote session is presented by Michael Kerr. Known widely as the “Workplace Energizer’, Kerr seeks to inspire leaders, energize employees, turn customers into raving fans, and build an inspiring workplace culture that will drive OUTRAGEOUS results. His 10:45A.M. address is titled The humour advantage: Why some businesses are laughing all the way to the bank

Trade show floor The trade show ﬂoor opens 12:00P.M.5:00P.M. for business with a remarkable broad range of equipment and service suppliers.

DAY 2 The CCA opens the second day with their Carwash Investment Seminar, industry panel and luncheon. Starting at 9:00 and running till noon this get together offers strategies to help operators leverage their investments. Expect to ﬁnd the most respected and knowledgeable industry professionals offering their experience. From 9:30A.M. - 11:00A.M. George Anastasopoulos and Hugh Large will offer a second set of education sessions focusing on event’s key themes - staff and foodservice.

Staffing Solutions:Training, incentives and performance management In his Stafﬁng Solutions:Training, incentives and performance management presentation, George Anastasopoulos will offer a variety of easy-to-apply techniques to help you set standards and expectations, communicate more effectively, provide the types of incentives that motivate, lead your employees so they want to perform at a high level, and identify and deal with performance problems you’ll likely face.

Foodservice excellence: The critical success factors. Hugh Large will present Foodservice excellence: The critical success factors. Hugh points out that no successful offering comes without challenges. Come to this session to get a solid grounding on the critical elements you need to get right to succeed in foodservice. Following a short break attendees are invited to join their colleagues for a fun-ﬁlled quiz – Who’s telling the truth? Hosted by George Anastasopoulos and held 11:15 A.M. to12:00 P.M. participants can turn their vast c-store knowledge into prizes. Who will win this year? Visit www.calgary.convenienceu.ca for more information. JULY | AUGUST 2017

SNAPSHOT

DIGITAL EDGE Given the size of tobacco’s clout in convenience, new tools that counter challenges are a welcome addition to c-retail’s business kit BY KELLY GRAY

There is little doubt among Canada’s convenience retailers that tobacco is a challenging category. Still the largest sector in the $50 billion convenience channel, tobacco can often add up to 50% of a store’s sales. Remarkably, these sales are created on a product that cannot be viewed by the customer who makes a purchase without the aid of any product messaging.

JULY | AUGUST 2017

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“This creates confusion at the till that can mean longer lines and less convenience for customers that can become irritated when clerks can’t find their brand,” says Regina-based retailer George Kline. He and others have been quick to find solutions to the challenges that Canada’s heavy-handed regulatory environment has delivered. Most often the solution is one that has clerks learning the assortment of tobacco products kept in under-the-counter drawers or behind the curtain wall. This can result in a fast paced transaction or, as is frequently the case, another block to convenience of service. Equipment manufacturers have seen the need and have been working to address the tobacco challenge with an assortment of solutions. Retailers now have more choice in merchandising techniques with systems that offer greater security, faster customer through put and more potential for profit thanks to more accurate stock management. The Smart Shelf from NeWave Sensor Solutions is rolling out now to a major Toronto c-retail site. Smart Shelf is described as an active deterrent against organized retail crime (ORC) and out of stock shelf (OSS) conditions. The company reports that with Smart Shelf using NeWave’s core patented antenna technology, the issues related to metal shelving have been overcome. “NeWave mounts the RFID tags on the shelf not the items, which simplifies implementations and saves time and money,” says Kevin Schiissler, Managing Partner and Operating Executive with NeWave. Smart Shelf provides item level movement history and reports. “Operators know what products are in stock, when they were put on the shelf and when they were removed from the shelf, instantly or historically.” He mentions that NeWave Sensor Solutions eliminates RFID tag orientation issues due to the antenna’s built-in polarization and beam diversity that overcomes fading and polarization mismatches. Operators place tags on the shelf or shelf dispenser rather than the items provides a very cost-effective solution by eliminating the need to tag each item and thereby reduce recurring labor costs. Schiissler suggests that with Smart Shelf staff can forego the multiple tobacco counts that take so much time during a typical day in c-retail. “This technology delivers the ability to analyze real item level movement off the shelf not just POS sales,” he says, reporting that the system measures stock every five minutes. “This results in CCentral.ca

significant reduction in theft and works to eliminate stock outages that can typically be are around 10% to 12% of the category. No stock means lost customers. Lost stock means lost profits. Smart Shelf is one of the most effective tools to reduce ORC and OOS,” he says noting that ROI for an 8-foot Smart Shelf unit is about 9 months. VDMS (Vend Data Media Solutions) is another point company in the new frontier of automated digital merchandising for tobacco. The company is currently working with leading c-gas chain operators in Canada to install its unique vending system that combines media display with tobacco dispenser. According to Markus Merrill, General Manager, VDMS Canada Inc., “This technology allows operators to have greater stock control, eliminate shrink, reduce both staff and management time on tobacco, and transform the store’s appearance through eye catching media messaging.” The Canadian introduction of VDMS equipment a couple of years ago followed success in Australia, the first plain packaging nation, where the company has thousands of machines in use. In the UK, where plain packaging has now come to the market, VDMS is seeing good traction with operators that like the product’s ability to not just ease ‘dark market’ sales but offer back wall messaging to counter the plain packaging merchandising blot that hidden tobacco brands creates. Indeed, VDMS machines offer bright and engaging digital marketing right at checkout to stimulate purchase decisions in product areas beyond tobacco. In the UK many c-retailers now use the traditional tobacco back wall for alcohol brands and other high traffic items. Coming soon will be a new VDMS entry with ‘pushers’. This new product will feature re-al time sales data, planogram mapping tools, button touch operation and LED highlights. “These will work for any location even if they have their own pushers. The technology is wireless and live,” he says, adding that they are just now releasing a mobile app that will work alongside their technology to offer reports in real time on things like out of stocks. Markus reports that the power of the VDMS is one that really saves money. For example, a Shell operator using the system reported $15,000 in freed up cash per store. “Our equipment showed him what was not selling and he was able to change his product assortment resulting in less slow movers. The system also saves on staffing charges. We estimate that a VDMS system can save each store two hours a day with

DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK. HERE ARE 5 TIPS FOR TOBACCO SALES. 1. Let your customers know you still sell tobacco products 2. Know your customers and their preferred brands to limit OOS 3. Have a system in the tobacco drawers to help speed throughput 4. Train staff on new brands and product innovation 5. Consider merchandising high traffic items on the back wall where tobacco used to be more prominent

staff not having to count tobacco at the beginning and end of each shift. This is real money that pays for the machine,” he says. Retailers are seeing the benefits. Here in Canada we are in still working out the bugs with dark market sales techniques. However, other locations such as the UK, Australia, and Germany have been implementing electronic solutions to their tobacco merchandising challenges. For example Germany has automated tobacco dispensing in more than 70,000 locations. True, Germany is not a plain packaging site, but retailers find the push button simplicity of automation a proven tool that speeds throughput and limits theft. Australia has been a top spot for sales of VDMS technology as regulations there took a heavier hand. In the UK companies like Navarra offer automated gantry systems that keep product safe, more fully utilize footprints for visible high traffic items, and offer greater convenience to the smoking public as well as feature full POS interface. Reports suggest Navarra has been installing 10 units a week in the UK since 2015, a number that points to retail’s acceptance of the technology. JULY | AUGUST 2017

…You can do to keep your property looking fresh BY NIKKI LOCKINGTON

Keep windows clear of clutter, and keep them free of smudges and fingerprints on a daily basis

9 30

JULY | AUGUST 2017

In the spring and summer, plant colourful flowers outside to brighten up your exterior

Keep washroom facilities clean by maintaining a cleaning and restocking schedule

Keep any exterior dumpsters and recycling areas well hidden and organized

Replace burnt-out light bulbs immediately so your store is always well lit

Ensure indoor and outdoor garbage bins are emptied on a regular basis and cleaned when necessary

Keep exterior displays (window washer fluid, plants, etc.) well organized and fully stocked

Be selective when it comes to promotional displays; too many at one time will end up looking cluttered

If it’s in the budget, replace outdated or broken signage to convey a professional image

Lead by example: take pride in your store’s appearance and your employees will follow suit

SHUTTERSTOCK

THINGS …

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