Merchandise

Journeyers Don’t Pass Up As They Pass By Best-Sellers at Truck Stops and Travel Centers

Most customers at the TA Travel Center in Hurricane, W.V., are men. So Store Manager Donna Gray stocks the kinds of graband-go items that appeal to busy truckers: larger-sized prepared meals, lots of sweet and salty snacks, and plenty of beer.

“And water — travelers buy a lot of water,” observed Gray. “We have a big display of water right down the center section of the store.”

Men, especially those who drive for work, tend to be fast and purposeful shoppers. So do most patrons at truck stops and travel centers off the nation’s highways, which cater to people who are hungry, thirsty, craving sweets — and, especially in summer, in the market for postcards and other local mementos.

Travel retail outlets boost sales by meeting those needs conveniently. At TA Travel Center, most wares are displayed at 4 feet or higher, since most shoppers are souvenir merchandise like postcards and magnets. “But they really didn’t sell, so we discontinued them,” said Store Manager Heidi Nmars . About half of the customers at Donna’s Travel Plaza are truck drivers, and the other half are typically busy commuters. men. Anticipating surges of weekend traffic, Gray fortifies racks of snack cakes on Fridays. The Travel Center also does a brisk business in magnets, postcards and other inexpensive, impulsive souvenirs.

With limited floor space, Nmars stocks her shelves with the can’t-miss merchandise her hungry patrons are looking for — soda, candy and snacks. “We’ve got four shelves of chips and three shelves of candy,” the manager observed. Eye-level shelf displays let busy drivers find exactly what they’re looking for quickly, so they can pay and get back out on the highway.

It’s a very different picture at Gear Jammer Truck Plaza & Chevron Gas Station in Union Gap, Wash. Along with truck drivers, many visitors are weekenders or tourists to this scenic part of Washington State, so they’re inclined to linger.

Donna’s Travel Plaza in Tulalip, Wash., used to carry

“A lot of people stop to eat at our restaurant,” reported Manager Laurie Tudor . Others appreciate country Gear Jammer’s gourmet deli department, which features a selection of pastas, chicken, corn dogs and other hot foods, along with a refrigerated case stocked with fresh salads.

Tudor deliberately has a souvenir display in the center of the store, so shoppers can’t fail to see the variety of T-shirts, shot glasses, coffee mugs and other Washington-branded mementos. Maps and postcards are Continued on page 78