CSNC -July/August 2023

Special issue

JULY / AUGUST 2023

STAR WOMEN IN CONVENIENCE LEFT TO RIGHT

Rina Bauslaugh PETRO-CANADA | SUNCOR Ingrid Palmer DANONE CANADA Karen Allen SHELL CANADA Trina Roopnarine-Huether MONDELEZ Anna Harte 7-ELEVEN CANADA

C-STORE IQ: CONSUMERS CRAVE HEALTHY OPTIONS

ATTRACTING FEMALE SHOPPERS

MAKE SPACE FOR THESE DESIGN TRENDS

48 WINNERS

MEET THE 2023 STAR WOMEN IN CONVENIENCE

LEFT TO RIGHT

France Lessard JTI-MACDONALD Jamie Gnanapragasam PARKL AND Marietta Cini HAST Y MARKET Irene Reilly CIRCLE K Nicole Monks OLG

TOBACCO ADVERTISING IS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE DIGITAL ISSUE

Julie Pépin

Sales Analysis & Administration Manager

France Lessard

Legal Director, Operations

Reghan Peters Trade Marketer

CONGRATULATIONS TO JTI’S 2023 STAR WOMEN IN CONVENIENCE AWARD WINNERS!

As a Top Employer for the sixth year in a row, JTI strives to be an inclusive organization that provides equal opportunities for all.

Julie, France, and Reghan are essential to our success at JTI Canada.

They contribute to our company culture and play a vital role in the Convenience Industry through hard work, commitment, and continually nurturing relationships with our trade partners.

CONTENTS

J U LY | A U G U S T 2 0 2 3

VOLUME 6 | NUMBER 4

STAR WOMEN IN CONVENIENCE

7 Editor’s Message

CSNC EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Championing change

8 The Buzz

People, places, news and events

MIKE FORD; HAIR AND MAKEUP, VANESSA BAUDNER

10 Snapshot

Kathy Perrotta of Ipsos Canada on targeting the female c-store shopper

13 2023 Star Women in Convenience

Strength in community: Q&As with 48 outstanding women

42 Feature

Inside scoop: Retailers of all sizes are forgoing traditional c-store layouts in favour of future-forward designs that speak to evolving categories and consumers

46 2023 C-store IQ

National Shopper Study Healthy Eating Report: Consumers crave BFY options

C-STORE

iQ

Comprised of leading retail executives and convenience operators, this volunteer group of industry champions offer advice, key insights and on-the-ground perspectives that serve as an invaluable resource to ensure content is relevant and meets the needs of the industry.

Leslie Gordon, Circle K Marc Goodman, 7-Eleven Canada Wendy Kadlovski, Nicholby’s Robbie Broda, Little Short Stop Laurie & Randy Ure, Ure’s Country Kitchen Gino Vecia, Hasty Market

ALL CONVENIENCE E-NEWSLETTER

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Convenience Store News Canada July | August 2023

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EDITOR’S MESSAGE 20 Eglinton Ave. West, Suite 1800, Toronto, ON M4R 1K8 (416) 256-9908 | (877) 687-7321 | Fax (888) 889-9522 www.CCentral.ca BRAND MANAGEMENT

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, GROCERY AND CONVENIENCE, CANADA Sandra Parente (416) 271-4706 sparente@ensembleiq.com EDITORIAL

EDITOR & ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Michelle Warren mwarren@ensembleiq.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Daniel Real-Chin drealechine@ensembleiq.com ADVERTISING SALES AND BUSINESS

SALES DIRECTOR Julia Sokolova (647) 407-8236 jsokolova@ensembleiq.com ACCOUNT MANAGER Jonathan Davis (705) 970-3670 jdavis@ensembleiq.com SALES COORDINATOR Juan Chacon jchacon@ensembleiq.com DESIGN | PRODUCTION | MARKETING

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Nancy Peterman npeterman@ensembleiq.com ART DIRECTOR Jackie Shipley jshipley@ensembleiq.com SENIOR PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Michael Kimpton mkimpton@ensembleiq.com MARKETING MANAGER Jakob Wodnicki jwodnicki@ensembleiq.com

CORPORATE OFFICERS

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Jennifer Litterick CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Jane Volland CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Derek Estey CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER Ann Jadown CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER Joe Territo SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

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Email: csnc@ccentral.ca Phone: 1-877-687-7321, between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST weekdays Fax: 1-888-520-3608 | Online: www.ccentral.ca/subscribe Convenience Store News Canada | Octane is published 6 times a year by Ensembleiq. Convenience Store News Canada | Octane 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 welcome, but cannot be acknowledged or returned. ©2023 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, including photocopying and electronic retrieval/retransmission, without the permission of the publisher.

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Championing change

In 2018 the Star Women in Convenience Awards launched with one simple question: Do you know a star woman in convenience? The answer was, and continues to be, an enthusiastic YES! 2023 marks six years of celebrating and championing the accomplished women who innovate, influence and drive success across the convenience channel—from retailers to distributors, manufacturers, industry associations and consultants.

Once again, you nominated a record number of women from across the country—a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to nominate and champion SWIC. This program would not be possible without the dedication and support of the entire industry.

This year, we present an incredible 48 winners! Up from 42 in 2022, 30 in 2021, 23 in 2020, 17 in 2019 and 11 in 2018.

If you’re counting, that’s 171 women who wear the Star Women in Convenience badge of honour. These women (and their companies) are changing the narrative and making a difference.

After women’s participation in the workforce took a troubling tumble (to its lowest level in 30 years) during the early stages of the pandemic, women are back at it and stronger than ever. In fact, labour force participation among working women hit a record high of 85.6% earlier this year, according to a study by RBC. Still, there are challenges. The study shows, on average, across all sectors, men make up over two-thirds of senior leadership positions (even though the number of women and men in the labour market are equal) and women earn roughly 85 cents for every dollar earned by men.

I believe that shining a light on women leaders is an important step toward narrowing that gap. Women’s sphere of influence in this ever-evolving industry is growing and we have so much to learn from women at all stages of their careers. Thank you to the winners, who generously shared their insights, advice and career highlights (p. 13).

At Convenience Stores News Canada, a focus of our business is ensuring the viability and strength of the channel—part of this is championing convenience as a dynamic and exciting industry in which to build a rewarding career.

With that in mind, we are thrilled to follow in the footsteps of our sister publications and launch a new awards program that honours the next generation of convenience retail leaders. Nominations are now open for Future Leaders in Convenience Canada, and we are confident this program will grow to become an industry benchmark, much like the Star Women in Convenience Awards. CSNC

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MICHELLE WARREN

Editor & Associate Publisher

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Convenience Store News Canada July | August 2023

7

THE BUZZ

CROSS - CANADA ROUND - UP / PEOPLE / PL ACES / NE WS & E VENTS

READER POLLS

DOES YOUR C-STORE OFFER DELIVERY?

SAVE THE DATE

National Convenience Week: CICC August 28-September 1, 2023 ConvenienceWeek.ca

Cstore Days Ontario: OCSA August 28-September 1, 2023 OntarioCstores.ca

Star Women in Convenience Awards Event September 19, 2023 StarWomenConvenience.ca

CICC Summit

September 26-28, 2023 ConvenienceIndustry.ca

32% 53% 16% YES

NO

CONSIDERING IT

NACS

October 3-6, 2023 NACSShow.com

The Convenience U CARWACS Show March 5-6, 2024 ConvenienceU.ca

FAS T FACT

According to the Paytronix Online-Ordering Report 2023, while in-store orders have rebounded since the start of the pandemic, digital channels made up 25% to 35% of all restaurant and convenience store orders in 2022, up from less than 10% pre-pandemic. Of those digital orders in c-stores, between 50% to 60% of customers placed them as a member of the retail brand’s loyalty program. That represents a 22% lift in online orders made by loyalty guests in c-stores last year versus 2021. The trend has continued into 2023, with March numbers on the high end of that 50% to 60% range.

Loyalty PR OG RA M M EM BE R

8

July | August 2023 Convenience Store News Canada

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MOVING ON UP

Thea Bourne is moving into a new role as fuel brands manager at Greenergy. She joined the company in 2022 as a marketing specialist.

Karen Daneliuk is now senior manager, innovation - cold & partnership brands at Keurig Dr Pepper.

She joined the company in 2019 after more than a decade at Canada Dry Mott’s Inc. Filipe Da Silva is EVP and CFO for Alimentation Couche-Tard, effective July 1. The former SVP of finance succeeds Claude Tessier, who is retiring.

Phillippe Delorme joins Monster Energy as director of sales, Eastern Canada. He previously spent almost a decade with The Coca Cola Company.

Nicolas Dubuc moves into the role of senior manager client operations (order management & transportation) at Keurig Dr Pepper. He joined the company in 2021 after more than eight years with BAT. Sameer Haidariz is now senior manager - fuel customer journey at Circle K. He started as a store manager a decade ago, before moving into operations.

Anna Manz joins Nestlé as chief financial officer, replacing François-Xavier Roger. Manz comes from the CFO position at the London Stock Exchange Group.

Laura Malatesta is now senior development manager, real estate strategy & analytics - North America at Circle K. She joined in 2011.

ON LI N E E XC LU S IVE S

10 HEADLINES YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS! 1. Industry reacts: Health Canada mandates warning labels on individual cigarettes

2. Self-checkout vs. checkout free pros and cons 3. CICC Connects: A taxing situation for Canada’s c-stores 4. Premier Ford renews promise to allow Ontario c-stores to sell beer and wine 5. Parkland plans to build on loyalty

6. 7-Eleven Canada and Too Good To Go expand partnership

7. Aisle 24 expands footprint in downtown Toronto 8. Coca-Cola releases limited edition ‘League of Legends’ drink 9. G uru partners with The Amazing Race Canada 10. C adbury releases limited edition candy bar for charity Don’t miss the latest news and trends, get the All Convenience e-newsletter delivered to your in-box Monday + Wednesday.

Sign up at CCentral.ca/newsletter

Ryan Thompson is now foodservice sales manager at PepsiCo. He joined the company in 2016, while attending university, then full time in 2018.

A MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT ON PRODUCT LAUNCHES IN CANADA

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CSNC’s New on Shelf e-newsletter is a new monthly spotlight on products launching in Canada. Sent the first Thursday of every month, each newsletter will feature four to six products carefully selected by our editors, as well as guaranteed sponsored product placements. For the latest innovative products, subscribe at CCentral.ca/newsletter

Convenience Store News Canada July | August 2023

9

SNAPSHOT BY KATHY PERROTTA

Attracting women

Females shopping at C&G dipped during the pandemic. Here’s how you can win them back TIP: Consider portion sizes when building coffee orders. Perhaps a reusable and refillable cup would appeal to women coffee drinkers.

Afternoon delight Women are also most likely to drop into C&G locations in the afternoon and early evening hours. In fact 55% of visits occur between 2 and 7 p.m.

Conversely, men’s visits are more often book-ended with early morning and late-night stops.

Women show stronger development for seeking fresh snack options, particularly during the daytime hours

The millennial factor Women returning to the channel are more likely to be millennial suburbanites, with visit rates rebounding the most in Ontario.

Interestingly, women from multicultural origins (led by South Asians) are increasingly shopping at C&G outlets.

TIP: Consider the opportunity to refine shelf sets by targeted geographic locations to include more multicultural food options.

Noshing habits Men and women may have different preferences when it comes to the types of products they purchase at convenience stores. For example, both groups show strong development for sweet and salty snack options.

10

TIP: Consider the opportunity to add convenient meal solutions to meet rushed meal demand.

Female impulse While ease, low prep, craving, comfort, hunger/thirst and taste continue to be top emotional and functional triggers for C&G purchases, women are more likely than men to prioritize store location, cleanliness and price, with a strong inclination to impulse purchases. Women also show stronger development, particularly during daytime hours, for healthy and nutritious options that alleviate guilt.

TIP: In the continued quest to attract more women shoppers, rising environmental concerns should be top of mind, with sustainability and waste continuing to shape buying choices.

However, growth in salty snacks outpaces male buying habits by close to a two to one margin. Additionally, women show stronger development for seeking fresh snack options, particularly during the daytime hours. Coffee drinks (hot and cold) are also a strong draw for women shoppers.

July | August 2023 Convenience Store News Canada

Women are savvy shoppers with discerning tastes and high expectations.

In order to capture a greater share of the lucrative female spend, it will be critical for the channel to ensure that product mix, store layouts and overall shopping experience appeal to the daily routines and needs of women. CSNC Kathy Perrotta is a VP with Ipsos Canada Market Strategy and Understanding, working with Food & Beverage Group Syndicated Services.

SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Convenience & gas outlets have long relied on males to pay the bills, but the rising share of female shoppers tends to bring a higher ring and wield more influence.

In early 2020, Ipsos FIVE tracking study revealed that close to half of C&G shoppers were women (47%), which represented a notable shift in a five-year period (+18%). However, as pandemic lockdowns negatively impacted movement rates and trip frequency, the channel gave up some of the gains among this lucrative target.

Fast forward to 2023 and the most recent data release reveals that women are once again returning, with yearover-year visit rates up by 8%.

For retailers and manufacturers alike, understanding the evolving needs and preferences of women shoppers and, in particular, how they are different from their male counterparts, will be critical to ensuring their continued rebound in traffic in the channel.

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BUSINESS 2 BRING IT ON. Your industry. Your agency.

If you’re competing in B2B you need a strategic creative partner that knows your industry inside and out. Only EnsembleIQ’s BrandLab offers full-service marketing capabilities and deep experience across retail, CPG, and technology, infused with industry knowledge and marketing intelligence.

ensembleiq.com/marketing | brandlab@ensembleiq.com

Congratulations Johanne

Johanne Deblois

Groupe Beaudry is proud to have a dedicated, professional and respectful person like Johanne on its team. Johanne's good humor is reflected in every client or colleague she meets.

Congratulations to

Jamie, Nicole, Shauna, Jackie, Patty and Dayna and all the 2023 Star Women in Convenience Award Winners!

We are proud this talented group of women have been recognized for the outstanding leadership, dedication and passion they bring to Parkland and our industry. Congratulations!

Jamie Gnanapragasam Manager, Merchandising Systems

Nicole Dubé MBA | Manager, Canada Merchandising Execution

Shauna Hall Category Manager, Carwash, Private Label & Online Delivery

Jackie Pink Category Manager, Foodservice

Patricia Petretic Category Manager, Centre of Store

Dayna Palmer Marketing Manager, Canadian Channel Execution

STRENGTH IN COMMUNITY

MEET THE STAR WOMEN IN CONVENIENCE MIKE FORD; HAIR AND MAKEUP, VANESSA BAUDNER

B Y W E N DY H E L F E N B AU M , D O N A L E E M O U LT O N & M I C H E L L E WA R R E N

The 2023 Star Women in Convenience stand apart from the crowd, but one characteristic unites them: Their passion for what they do. That “doing” encompasses everything from running a convenience store (and pub) in a small town in Ontario to managing marketing in Canada for a global beverage company to co-founding your own snack company.

The 48 women you will meet in these pages thrive on innovation and collaboration. They believe fresh ideas will continue to revitalize the convenience sector, and those ideas come fastest and easiest when teams are engaged.

Indeed, connections with teams is a central theme that

runs through all the interviews. It’s not only internal relationships that are vital, however. The Star Women in Convenience winners point to the need for—and the benefits that come from—connecting with customers, suppliers, and vendors. There is truly strength in community. There is also strength in overcoming barriers. Many of these award-winning women spoke openly and frankly about the walls they had to climb to be successful in a sector that has been dominated by men. They also spoke about the struggle to balance work and home life.

The path they’ve forged is making it easier for those who follow behind them.

LEFT TO RIGHT SRIDEVI GUMMADI PETRO-CANADA|SUNCOR | MALLORY SJAARDA PORT ALBERT GENERAL STORE & PUB JESSICA CNOSSEN CORE-MARK CANADA | HELENA FIORE PEPSICO BEVERAGES

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Convenience Store News Canada July | August 2023

13

Proudly congratulates our outstanding leaders

NAILA ANSARI

ANNA HARTE

Area Leader,

Area Leader,

Calgary

Ontario

FRANCES COONS

KRISTINA SCHMIDT

ALISON DAEM

Market Manager,

Category Manager,

Asset Protection Specialist,

Northern Alberta

Fresh Food

Field Operations

For customers and teammates, you’ve made a difference.

SENIOR-LEVEL STARS Émilie Coulombe

Ashley Ehmann

Simran Kaur

How did you get into this industry?

We’re an independent PepsiCo franchise that began in 1905. I’m part of the fourth generation, and always wanted to continue the family business. I started my career as a chartered accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and joined our company 10 years ago.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last 12-18 months? Over the last 18 months, we’ve grown Twigz from a local Alberta company to a national brand in over 7,000 stores. We’re extremely proud to be able to offer Twigz to snackers like us across Canada.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of? With COVID, the world immediately had to adapt to a new working environment.

That meant the need for innovative measures to allow for the seamless flow of information. I moved most of our accounting process to paperless and invested in software that allowed for remote access and leveraged software to effectively read documents for faster processing.

Director of marketing & sales and co-owner | Alex Coulombe Ltée

What do you like most about your job? The beverage industry is very competitive and is constantly changing, which forces us to adapt and keep innovating.

What’s the best advice you ever received? You are the sum of the people around you. Building a strong team is the key to success.

What’s your career highlight?

Developing our sparkling mineral water, Montpellier, a brand my grandfather founded in 1984. In 2016, we rebranded and got a national distribution contract with PepsiCo. We’ve invested in our production line and marketing since then to drive growth and continued success.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last year? In early 2023, Montpellier became the number one sparkling mineral water brand in Quebec.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? Consumer needs and habits are constantly evolving. This drives us to look to the future and keep adapting with new products and packaging.

How do you define yourself as a leader? I’m engaged, collaborative and results driven.

CCentral.ca

Co-founder Twigz Pretzels

Senior finance director Canco Petroleum Ltd.

What was the biggest challenge of your career? Anyone who has started a CPG company will appreciate how challenging it is to scale a company with limited resources. As we’ve bootstrapped Twigz so far, our biggest challenge has been keeping up with growth while allowing the organic growth of the business to fund growth.

What’s your career highlight?

A combination of getting a “deal” on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, winning industry awards, and simply having customers reach out to tell us how much they love Twigz. These are all mountain-top moments for me.

What excites you most about the future of this channel?

Convenience excites us as there are so many locations and partners across Canada for us to work with, providing more opportunities for consumers to find and try Twigz.

What trends are you keeping an eye on right now? We can’t say too much, but our mom has been busy working in the kitchen creating an exciting fall SKU!

What do you like about your job?

No two days are the same. People have a stereotype that accountants love repetitive number-crunching tasks, but as a CPA, I am trained to be a strong strategic partner to drive business forward with full force and provide for a strong business infrastructure that supports multifold growth of the business.

Biggest challenge of your career?

I have been blessed to hold managerial positions in industries that have historically been male dominated and there is no denying that as a female leader you have to constantly push the boundaries and make your voice heard. Some might consider this a challenge, but I see it as an opportunity to prove why it is important for all industries to have more diversity in their management team. I love knowing that I receive an equal say on the table, as diversity is an important core value at Canco.

What will shape the business in the next five years? With changing customer dynamics and alternate power sources, it will be interesting to see what innovative route the industry takes to attract, and more importantly retain, customers and make a niche offering of the convenience in a true sense.

Convenience Store News Canada July | August 2023

15

SENIOR-LEVEL STARS Jennifer Lai

France Lessard

Michelle McGillivray

What do you like most about your job? Being in marketing, you are at the centre. You help set the vision, direction, priorities. You work with so many diverse groups.

How did you get into the business?

After 11 years in private practice, I was ready for a change. Thirteen years later, I’m still here and loving it. I came for the experience, and I stayed for the people.

How did you get into this industry?

My grandparents had an entrepreneurial spirit and purchased a small manufacturing facility in Calgary. My dad gave me my first job when I was 14: counting beef jerky and running machines during the summer. He became the owner of Big Chief in 2019 and asked my sisters, Angela Coverdale and Jennifer Wagner, and I to continue the family legacy.

Head of category management for marketing Petro-Canada | Suncor

What was the biggest challenge of your career? The most difficult leadership challenge was the relocation of our head office from GTA to Calgary during COVID. It was an extremely challenging transition as we worked to rebuild our teams and culture, while ensuring business continuity and not dropping any balls.

What’s your career highlight/ biggest achievement? It’s always about getting outside your comfort zone. That can be hard to do by yourself. I had a leader who strongly recommended I try sales, an area that never appealed to me. However, I leveraged my strengths and that job was a turning point—and I was nominated for a sales award. It’s still far from my favourite roles, but I learned so much and it was one of the most rewarding.

What’s the best advice you ever received? One line has always stuck with me from a senior leader: make something happen that would not normally happen or stop something from happening that would normally happen. That is the role of leadership. Sometimes you have to step in front of a moving train.

Director, legal department JTI-Macdonald Corp.

What do you like most about your job? Diversity. I interact with every function of the business. Every day brings a new challenge.

What was the biggest career challenge? I’ve learned not to fear challenges but to embrace them.

I’ve leaned on amazing colleagues.

Together, we’ve transformed challenges into opportunities.

What’s the best advice you ever received? Always keep your door open and your profile “green” in Microsoft Teams! This allows me to connect with many colleagues; knowing them makes this journey worth it.

Career achievement? As an in-house lawyer, I now know the business well; if an issue arises or a new project lands on my desk, I can connect the dots to measure the impact of my legal interpretation.

What work accomplishment are you most proud of during the last year? Creating digital training modules for anyone joining the business from a different industry or country.

How do you define yourself as a leader? Leadership is about collaboration and inspiring team members to be their best. I lead by example, bringing passion for my work.

What trend or innovation will shape the business in the next five years?

Artificial intelligence. The concept raises several legal implications but provides tremendous opportunities.

16

July | August 2023 Convenience Store News Canada

Director of business development Big Chief Meat Snacks Inc.

What do you like most about your job? I love that I’ve been given the opportunity to support my family’s dream and tell our story. Every day is a new adventure full of challenges or little wins. At Big Chief, we’re a team that builds on each other’s strengths and creates a family feel throughout all aspects of the business.

What was the biggest challenge of your career? Learning the industry and that the word ‘no’ doesn’t always mean forever, but to try again later. Also, the death of my sister Angela in August 2022. She was my best friend, mentor, colleague and biggest supporter. She continuously pushed me outside of my comfort zone and said that together we’d continue to expand the brand.

What’s your proudest achievement? When we chose to rebrand and create a logo that resonated with the third generation of family members, while still honouring the memory of our grandfather’s nickname.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? There’s always room for innovation. The meat snack market continues to grow and is driven by the rising demand for on-the-go high protein snacks.

CCentral.ca

SHINING STARS Karen Allen

Naila Ansari

Rina Bauslaugh

How did you get into this business?

My experience in retail sales and management prompted me to apply for a position with a convenience store chain, and since then I have embraced the fast-paced everchanging convenience retail industry.

How did you get into this industry?

I worked in several fields before joining convenience, but they never gave me the satisfaction I was looking for. This industry keeps me challenged and motivated.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last 12-18 months?

I led the team that organized our first annual Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation Charity Golf Tournament. It was important to me to deliver an event that had a meaningful opportunity to connect while bringing awareness to such an important cause. It was an amazing day that far exceeded our expectations. I was blown away by the enthusiasm, participation and generosity of our vendor community.

Convenience retail enablement manager | Shell Canada

What do you like most about your job? My current role has enabled me to broaden my knowledge and skill set by working with diverse teams across the organization. Every day brings a new learning opportunity, which keeps it interesting and fun.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last 12-18 months? I am the recipient of the Mobility Global NFR Alliance and Commercial Award 2023.

Area leader – Calgary 7-Eleven Canada

Category manager Petro-Canada | Suncor

What do you like most about your job? I love working with the people.

I’m passionate about inspiring others and supporting them to be the best version of themselves.

What’s the best advice you ever received? You cannot always change the circumstances around you, but you can always change your mindset. Sometimes when situations get tough, I’m preoccupied with finding solutions and taking care of others. I remind myself that if I don’t take care of myself, it will impact my team and overall desired outcome.

What’s the best advice you ever received? Treat others as you wish to be treated. Respect is earned, not given.

Career highlight? Going from store leader to area leader. The positive feedback and energy from my team made me feel very proud.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? Creating solutions for a seamless customer experience and that involves understanding our constantly changing consumer’s behaviour and shopping needs, while keeping on top of the latest trends.

How do you define yourself as a leader? I’m motivated by challenges and consider myself an influencer as well as a leader. Making a positive difference in people’s lives will always be remembered; I make this my key priority.

What was the biggest challenge of your career? At the start of the pandemic, it was often challenging to maintain a healthy work and life balance. Ensuring care and connectivity with the team in a virtual environment also proved to be challenging at times.

CCentral.ca

What are you most proud of? I had several underperforming locations, and I’d challenged myself to improve their profitability. With effective planning and solid execution with the store teams, we closed the gap significantly.

What was the biggest challenge of your career?

The continuous goal for worklife balance. The needs of both have peaks and valleys, but understanding this is something to be achieved over time, and not in every specific hour or day, is important. I’ve learned to prioritize, accept offers of help, and make time for myself.

What trends or innovations are you keeping an eye on right now: Is there anything you think will shape the business in the next five years?

At the forefront of consumer demand is the need to save time with the definition of “convenience” rapidly evolving. How to cater to these demands and stay ahead of these changing dynamics is critical.

What will shape the business in the next five years? Adoption of technology such as self-serve stores and the increased demands for personalized shopping experiences amongst gen Z.

Convenience Store News Canada July | August 2023

17

CONGRATULATiONS TRiNA ROOPNARiNE-HUETHER 2022 STAR WOMEN AWARD WiNNER Mondelēz Canada would like to congratulate Trina RoopnarineHuether one of this year’s recipients of the coveted STAR WOMEN OF CONVENIENCE. Trina is our Customer Strategy Manager for Convenience and has built a reputation for unbiased thought leadership that drives long term sustainable growth. Trina provides local and global insights for our Convenience & Gas customers that helps them and Mondelēz win in the marketplace.

We are proud to have Trina on our team. Thank you Trina for your thought leadership, passion and customer partnership.

You truly are a STAR. Congratulations to all the 2022 Star Women Winners!

At Mondelez, we recognize that diversity is a strength that drives innovation and growth. We strive to champion Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for our colleagues, culture, and communities.

New

Flavours

Retail start ship date: Sep 4th, 2023. ©Mondelēz International. Contact your wholesale representative or your Mondelēz Canada representative for more information.

!

SHINING STARS Shawna Bickford

Marie-Andrée Bonneau

Cristina Caruso

How did you get into this business?

I started with Payment Source back in 2008 when I was only 19 years old.

I was very young but knew I wanted a career in dealing, speaking and helping people. As the years went by, the company grew significantly, and my role changed within many different departments. Once I moved into a sales position, I knew I was in the right place. Not only did I love the fast and stressful environment it came with, but also the satisfaction of closing deals, hitting quota and overcoming any obstacles that came my way.

How did you get into this industry?

My father spent decades in the gas industry, and I learned so much from working with him while in school. An opportunity came up at Canadian Tire and I’ve been here 37 years.

What’s your career highlight/ biggest achievement? Successfully navigating different roles and working with different people. I think in terms of the team. Maintaining relationships is important to me.

Sales manager Now Prepay, by Payment Source

What do you like most about your job? I love building new relationships, I genuinely enjoy making new contacts and spending time talking and getting to know new people. I also enjoy developing and streamlining new processes and workflows. Now as a sales manager, I get to help my team embrace and love sales as I do. The best part of my job is when my team hits or overachieves their quota and I receive the positive feedback from their customers that shows just how much my team cares about the clients they serve. I adore the people I work with. Payment Source is definitely my second family.

What’s the best advice you ever received? Listen more. To always seek to understand what is being said to you before having (and sharing) an opinion. You have two ears and one mouth. There’s a reason for that.

What’s your career highlight?

This year has been a big one for me.

Not only was I promoted to sales manager, but after being part of the convenience store industry for 15 years, receiving this award has been a true highlight for me.

CCentral.ca

Manager, field operations Canadian Tire Gas+

What do you like most about your job? I adore working for this company; we’re a big family. I have an extraordinary team and enjoy seeing my colleagues succeed.

I also appreciate the hard work our retailers have done for our customers these past few years amidst a labour shortage.

What’s the best advice you ever received? A few years back, someone advised me to transform challenges into opportunities.

This has brought about wonderful surprises while keeping me connected to achieving positive results.

What’s your career highlight Evolving within the same company, while keeping my passion over many years. I’m proud of our core values.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? With new opportunities, innovative technology, adapting to new generations of customers, electric vehicles—it’ll be interesting to watch the c-store and gas industries evolve in the coming years.

Category portfolio manager | Car wash Petro-Canada | Suncor

What excites you most about the future of this channel?

There will continue to be a demand for convenience. This channel is changing from being functional to providing consumers with an experience. What’s really exciting is being able to focus on enhancing and elevating that experience.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last 12-18 months? This past year we hit key milestones—strategic and financial targets—we’ve had on our radar for a number of years and seemed unattainable. This was absolutely a team effort. We work together to get results. We also rely on our vendor community to get ideas and feedback.

What do you like most about your job? I love category management. I get to collaborate and interact with a terrific group of people. We’re focused and willing to take risks. There is also an opportunity in this role to help shape and grow a business. You get to put something out into the market and see it grow in real time.

How do you define yourself as a leader? I always listen to my employees. I love collaborating with them with total transparency so we can achieve our common goals in the field. I’m part of the team! I’m compassionate with everyone and always keep a sense of humour.

Convenience Store News Canada July | August 2023

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Congratulations to the 2023 Star Women in Convenience Award Winners!

SHINING STARS Marietta Cini

Jessica Cnossen

Fran Coons

What do you like most about your job? One day I’m in the field with my district manager team visiting stores, and the next day, I’m discussing strategy in a boardroom.

What’s the best advice you ever received? Focus on what you can control, let go of what you cannot.

How did you get into this industry?

I’ve been serving customers since I was a teenager. I love the everchanging, fast-paced environment, with the opportunity to make our customers’ day by delivering on convenience when, where and how they want it.

Senior director of store operations and development Hasty Market

What was the biggest challenge of your career? In 2021, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I continued working through treatment and the HM leadership team and my own team were very supportive of my journey. They provided an environment where I could thrive during such a difficult time. I’m very grateful for them!

Proudest achievement? Developing talent. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing individuals develop in their career and knowing you were part of their journey.

What work accomplishment are you most proud of? Growing the franchise banner. Over the last few years, the HM team has done a good job scaling the franchise business with store formats that boast a robust fresh food offering, such as produce, deli, bakery and HMR. What excites you most about the future of this channel?

The on-the-go customer has evolving needs, and the economic environment continues to be dynamic. I’m excited to see how companies navigate the operating landscape to deliver value and delight the consumer!

How do you define yourself as a leader? Authentic. I’m a big believer in servant leadership and hold myself accountable to its principles.

What will shape the business in the next five years? AI will become increasingly relevant in the store operations.

CCentral.ca

Market manager 7-Eleven Canada

Purchasing director Core-Mark Canada

What work accomplishment are you most proud of? In 2021, I was asked to explore to opportunity of centralizing the procurement team in Canada. For many years, the Core-Mark DCs had their own buying teams in their buildings.

We executed the centralization in January of 2022: We are now over a year in, a growing team with stable and increasingly better service to our customers. The centralization moved the purchasing team from a DC focus buying to a commodity buying focus, allowing for one point of contact for our internal teams and our vendors. It has created commodity experts and true partners internally and externally.

Career highlight? I was awarded Purchasing Manager of the Year for all of Core-Mark in 2019, but my biggest achievement has to be the centralization of the procurement team in Canada. It has allowed me to learn and develop myself, and at the same time teach and develop others.

What will shape the business in the next five years? The gas channel is where I believe a lot will change over the next five years. Where currently people are filling up their cars, going into the convenience location to pay, and maybe pick up a quick snack and drink, the electric vehicle will start to change this. It takes much longer for that vehicle to be ready to go, so people will have time to spend in this channel. Catering to these people and their needs will be the future of convenience/gas bars.

What do you like most about your job? The people. I feel so lucky to be part of a great culture with so much support around me. As a team, we’re all focused on the same goals.

Biggest challenge of your career? Starting a new role at a new company during COVID and navigating through the changes and uncertainty of that time while learning. It was almost one year before I met the rest of the team in person and built relationships.

Best advice? Be transparent, give honest feedback to the team and support them through hard realities rather than trying to protect them.

Don’t put my own limits on what they’re capable of.

Career highlight? Being nominated by my peers and leaders for this award.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of? Taking over the Northern Alberta market, including all locations north of Red Deer, putting the right team in place and delivering results together.

Launching a full restaurant concept, including licensed locations to meet the evolving needs of our customers and elevate their experience.

Anything else? I’m thankful for this nomination, a recognition of my team’s hard work. A diverse, inclusive and collaborative team will always drive success.

Convenience Store News Canada July | August 2023

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SHINING STARS Alison Daem

Johanne Deblois

Nicole Dubé

How did you get into this industry?

My family had a small chain of drugstores in B.C.; as a youngster I worked in the family stores then for several retailers before 7-Eleven.

What do you like most about your job? Interacting with clients and suppliers, and the diversity of my work—secretarial, accounting, office supplies, conference room bookings and programming.

How did you get into this business?

Many years ago, while working in marketing for a CPG company, I was approached by a recruiter for an opportunity at Chevron. I had not considered a career in convenience, but I went to the initial interview and the rest is history. Between Chevron and Parkland, I am grateful for 23 years of incredible opportunities. I love the industry: It’s exciting, dynamic, always innovating and touches all consumers

Asset protection specialist 7-Eleven Canada

What do you like most about your job? I love to improve things, coach, train and support our team members to become the best versions of themselves.

Biggest challenge of your career?

Staffing, stocking, keeping stores open and teams safe during COVID. With the support of my team, peers and leadership it became not just a challenge but a win, with new customers, home delivery and a new appreciation for teamwork.

What’s your proudest achievement? In 2001, I was managing a retail establishment in Vancouver and was community liaison, working closely with the Vancouver Police Dept. We opened a police drop-in office to keep officers in the community and improve conditions in the downtown area. After 9/11, I was invited as the City Envoy to New York City with the VPD to visit Ground Zero, attend funerals for fallen heroes, and see the amazing things individuals were doing.

What recent work-related accomplishment are you most proud of?

Transitioning from area leader to asset protection specialist. Learning the nuances of a new job, coaching and working with teams on the areas of shortage and safety, seeing associate’s engagement with discovering ways to improve their role and skills.

What excites you abou the channel? As we improve our stores, we improve our communities and individual lives. C-stores can be the heart of our future communities.

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Administrative assistant Groupe Beaudry

What was the biggest challenge of your career? During the pandemic, there was a lack of staff and supplies. And after many acquisitions in new territories, we have new clients to adapt to so we can meet their needs while offering quality service.

What’s the best advice you ever received? Always put yourself in your client’s shoes.

What’s your proudest achievement? Being at my desk each morning to say my favourite sentence: “Groupe Beaudry, hello! How can I help you today?”

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last year? My work is always diverse, with new technology to learn. I’ve adapted to new tools over the years.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? Food is essential to us all, and consumer needs are constantly evolving— we must adapt to meet them. The convenience store has become a destination, so we’ll continue diversifying our product offerings and services.

Anything else you would like to add? I’m touched to be recognized alongside fellow Star Women in Convenience, something I never expected in my career.

July | August 2023 Convenience Store News Canada

Manager, Canada merchandising execution Parkland Corporation

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last 12-18 months? In the past year, I was heavily involved in creating, launching, and scaling a National Field Merchandising program at Parkland. This program helps support the customer experience in our convenience stores and helps to ensure a consistent, positive customer experience regardless of where in Canada our customers live.

What do you like most about your job? This is a tie for me!

The two best parts of my job are definitely the people I am blessed to work and collaborate with daily and the entrepreneurial freedom my company provides to allow creativity and autonomy to make a difference for our customers.

What was the biggest challenge of your career? Personally, my biggest challenge was managing my career responsibilities while earning my MBA as a single mom of two great kids. These couple of years were very tough for me to navigate.

I felt I was not doing the best I could for any of the three. In the end, I managed to get through, graduated and was promoted shortly after so it all worked out!

CCentral.ca

SHINING STARS Helena Fiore

Jamie Gnanapragasam

Shauna Hall

How did you get into this business?

I connected with PepsiCo during a career fair at my university, SFX. I liked the idea of working with big brands in a tangible and fast-paced business. Twelve years later, and I have grown a strong passion for developing and connecting highlevel strategy to how we show up in C&G stores across the country, having our frontline teams, store operators and Canadian consumers top of mind. Always.

What do you like most about your job? The people and the pace!

Given the changes in the economic environment, technological advancements and the fast-paced industry we work in, there is never a dull moment in this job. This role also gives me the opportunity to interact with our retailers and collaborate cross-functionally. I get to work with and learn from some incredibly talented people.

What do you like most about your job? We work in a very fastpaced environment that really allows me to continue learning and developing my skill set every day. There is always something new to learn and be challenged by.

Tied with that is the people I get to work alongside and learn from.

Having exposure to team members and leaders within all parts of the industry, internal and external, I have had great opportunities to meet and learn from a lot of different people.

Sr. sales strategy & planning manager, small format PepsiCo Beverages

What do you like most about your job? My absolute favourite days are the days when I get out in the market and spend time with colleagues collaborating in C&G stores. You can analyze and discuss plans and results as much as you want, but nothing is more real than seeing what is going on in-store.

Biggest challenge of your career?

I spent eight-plus years in the field, in stores, with our frontline teams.

When I moved to HQ, I quickly learned I knew a lot less about our business, and the industry, than I thought I did. I was forced to learn quick, and transition to a different way of thinking. To be successful, I learned I need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. I am thankful for a strong support system of peers and cross-functional colleagues who helped me navigate through this challenging transition.

Best advice received? During times of uncertainty, find a way to bring calmness while communicating direction in a non-threatening way, keeping in mind the situation of the audience you are speaking to.

CCentral.ca

Manager, merchandising systems Parkland Corporation

Best advice you’ve received?

My mentors have all provided me with great advice and even some memorable one-liners. The one piece of advice they have all consistently drilled into me is to believe in myself and trust my abilities. I’ve had to remind myself of this many times over the years and ironically find myself coaching others similarly.

It sounds simple, but sometimes it’s the hardest to follow.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of?

I joined Parkland 20 months ago and stepped into this role without any systems knowledge. Being new and not being the expert in the role was a daunting experience. Thankfully, I have an incredibly strong and patient team. While I’m proud of my own progress and learnings, I’m most proud of my team’s accomplishments over the past year.

What excites you about the future of the channel? It’s been an exciting journey to see how this channel has evolved and redefined itself through sustainability, product assortment, digital engagement, payment technology, the list goes on! These changes represent a lot of new opportunities for our business, and I’m excited to see how we can leverage such advancements.

Category manager Parkland Corporation

What was the biggest challenge of your career? Being agile and adapting to change. It is a skill I am continuing to develop but working in an industry that moves fast comes with challenges and opportunities.

It has taught me a lot about prioritization for myself and my team, and also the need to be open and curious about change.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last 12-18 months? I am proud of the progress I have made within the car wash category. It is a large category, with many nuances.

Most recently we launched car wash functionality within the Journie app, allowing customers to purchase and redeem car washes all from the ease of their cell phone What excites you most about the future of this channel? It is ever evolving and changing with our customer needs. We are able to be flexible and agile to offer customers what they want and need while providing a community destination that can withstand the changes and challenges the last few years have thrown at us.

Convenience Store News Canada July | August 2023

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SHINING STARS Anna Harte

Karla Hewitt

Heather Hildenbrandt

What do you like most about your job? Being in the stores and supporting our teams is the best part of my day. Recognizing their hard work keeps us moving forward.

Helping team members engage in their communities and create strong positive relationships in the areas we serve provides a lasting impact in our stores.

What was the biggest challenge of your career? This current role as category manager. Learning the new role through COVID, while at the same time working through a head office transition from Mississauga, Ont. to Calgary, was challenging.

While I personally didn’t make the move to Calgary, many PetroCanada employees relocated or transitioned out of the business, which meant I had to develop my own knowledge and make hard decisions quickly. I navigated the learning curve while taking on daily retail challenges and finding ways to grow the Petro-Canada beverage portfolio. The beverage vendors, with their vast experience, helped me along the way and for that I’m truly grateful.

What do you like most about your job? The dynamic nature of my job. The fast-paced environment ensures that no two days are the same. I have a keen interest in marketing and interacting with consumers and it’s satisfying to witness the immediate impact of my campaigns and ideas in the market.

Area leader 7-Eleven Canada

Biggest career challenge?

Presenting on the National Conference Call was challenging and rewarding. Being able to learn and grow in a supportive environment, while working under pressure, was a great experience.

Career highlight? Being awarded the Rookie Area Leader of the Year was such an honour and surprise.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last year? Seeing someone I mentored take on a challenge and become a store leader. We always focus on creating an environment where people love coming to work every day. I visited his store and was so proud to see him coaching and mentoring his team. Being able to work with many other great women in our company and prepare for the launch of our 7Network of Executive Women 7NEW platform to further engage and help women in our company feel supported in their careers and their development.

What will shape the business in the next five years? Meeting the needs of our customers will continue to evolve. Digital rewards and delivery will continue to enhance the shopping experience. Seeking out avenues to reduce our waste and increase our environmental stewardship will set us apart from the competition.

CCentral.ca

Category manager, beverage and automotive Petro-Canada | Suncor

What excites you most about the future of this channel? The digital age and all the innovation surrounding it. Whether its digital signage or app development— anything that expands the reach of our product and service offering while making it more convenient for customers and retailers along the customer-experience journey.

Anything else to add? We all bring something valuable to each day and without the support from the talented group of people I work alongside, I wouldn’t be fortunate like I am today in having this recognition.

Marketing manager – Western Canada Alimentation Couche-Tard | Circle K

Best advice you ever received?

“The best idea is boss.” Recognizing this allows you to remain adaptable and open-minded, making space for diverse voices and viewpoints even if it means changing your perspective on a problem or a marketing campaign.

What are you most proud of during the last year? Spearheading the launch and rollout of our new Premium Pass. It offers our customers exclusive Circle K promotions and coupons, encouraging them to make repeat visits and engage with our brand on a deeper level. Through the collective efforts of our talented teams, we grew our user base to 50,000 in under nine months.

What excites you most about the future of this channel?

Convenience has taken on a new meaning, with food delivery platforms becoming a constant presence and digital screens curated to consumer preferences. Customers crave efficiency and a personal touch, and I’m looking forward to exploring how we can meet and exceed these expectations.

What will shape the business in the next five years? Developments in AI and how they will impact the marketing industry. We’re on the cusp of a significant transformation that will change the way we interact with consumers.

Convenience Store News Canada July | August 2023

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Switching to has never been so delicious. *Oat Beverage, 2023 BrandSpark® Canadian Trust Study. / Silk® NextmilkTM © 2023 WhiteWave Services, Inc. All rights reserved. ®

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SHINING STARS Anne-Marie Jeanson

Kylie Landry

Katie Logan

How did you get into this industry?

I studied biochemistry at Laval University and worked in pharmaceutical for 17 years. I’ve lived in cities across Canada, gaining experience in many marketing/ trade roles. Mr. Bonelli, head of trade at BAT Canada, sold me on the transforming tobacco vision so I joined five years ago. I’m now proud to lead the Eastern trade region.

What do you like most about your job? Every day presents new opportunities, challenges and an environment to be creative. I love collaborating with our sales teams to develop and achieve shared objectives.

How did you get into this industry?

I got my start in CPG initially working in the beverage alcohol industry and moving to a couple different companies since then. I love trying to understand why people shop the way they do, so I’m in the perfect industry for that.

Regional sales director Imperial Tobacco Canada

What do you like most about your job? My team—they’re the most brilliant, devoted, positive, driven, hardworking and fun people to work with.

Biggest challenge of your career?

Moving to different cities for work and learning diverse channel legislation, activation, and customer/ banner strategy. My manager and mentor at that time believed in my capabilities and career goals.

Best advice you ever received?

Be yourself; that’s your superpower!

Proudest achievement? I’m a very small hometown girl who made it to the big boys’ club.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last year? My team’s positive and devoted attitude while navigating a restructuration and having no long-term career confirmation— they made it all happen anyway.

What excites you most about the future of this channel?

Transforming the future and mindset of every Canadian; we are part of history with new categories.

How do you define yourself as a leader? The woman who doesn’t need a brief; she’s got this under control. I always say that I have a new BAT tattoo on my shoulder; I believe in our strategy and future.

CCentral.ca

Director of marketing Direct Plus Food Group

Category analyst BioSteel

Biggest challenge of your career?

Balancing my career, family, friends, and taking care of myself.

Best advice you ever received?

Appreciate and treat others with kindness above everything else.

Proudest achievement?

Re-branding the McSweeney’s meat snack brand. I loved being part of creating something new and developing a new brand story and strategy to appeal to a growing demographic.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last year? My promotion to director of marketing.

How do you define yourself as a leader? I aim to develop and empower others to reach their full potential. I believe in creating an environment with clear communication, strong teamwork and fun.

What trend or innovation will shape the business in the next five years?

I continue to keep an eye on healthy living and ways to improve our brands to offer the best to our consumers. We listen to what consumers are saying and bring new products to market quickly.

What do you like most about your job? The people I work with are great; they’re not only supportive and trusting, but they challenge me to be better.

What was the biggest challenge of your career? I got laid off right at the beginning of COVID. I took it hard but looking back, it gave me an opportunity to rebuild my career and invest in my own personal development.

What’s the best advice you ever received? Understand everyone’s motivations.

What’s your career highlight?

Seeing our brand grow in all channels in Canada and resonate with Canadians has been great.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last year? It was a team effort: Seeing the BioSteel NHL partnership come to life in stores with marketing programs and new products has been very rewarding.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? Seeing how it evolves with consumers’ changing shopping habits and changing consumer demographics.

What trend or innovation will shape the business in the next five years?

How social media and social media brands drive trends and can disrupt the industry.

Convenience Store News Canada July | August 2023

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We are honoured to celebrate Anne-Marie Jeanson as a 2023 Star Women in Convenience award winner.

Through her relentless leadership she continues to drive both business performance and people development.

As Imperial Tobacco Canada embraces its transformation of the industry, Anne-Marie plays a vital role throughout our journey towards A Better Tomorrow.

Thank you Anne-Marie for all that you do! We are so proud of you.

Your Imperial Tobacco Canada Family

careers.bat.com Anne-Marie Jeanson

SHINING STARS Alexandra Massam

Sandy Mercer

Nicole S. Monks

How did you get into this business?

I started as a refinery process engineer and have had the opportunity to work from manufacturing the product to its supply and distribution. Now I am in our retail business.

Career highlight? The culmination of all my work experiences that have brought me to where I am today.

I have extensive experience here and abroad, directing and executing marketing communications across a multitude of industries, regions and budgets. London, Dubai, Toronto, St. John’s. For over 20 years, I have had the most amazing career working on both the agency and client-side businesses.

What do you like most about your job? I enjoy the thrill of being able to provide information and solutions for my team members and my retail partners. The satisfaction of helping a retail partner grow their lottery business is really the best part.

Mobility district manager Shell Canada

What do you like most about your job? I love operations, and I love interacting with so many different people. There is never a dull moment, always something to learn, to share, to execute and a relationship to build that is super energizing.

Biggest career challenge ? I’m the kind of person who is “all in” in what I undertake—so finding the best way to juggle work and family, being fully engaged in both, and figuring out how to adjust as roles change and kids grow is a challenge.

Career highlight? I have many projects I am proud of having brought to life, but my biggest highlight is the impact I have had on people. As a team member, leader, and mentor, I hope that I have instilled confidence, developed other leaders, and inspired people at all stages of their careers to learn, thrive and contribute as their authentic selves.

What excites you most about the channel? There are many ways to positively impact people in our different communities, deliver outstanding customer service and at the same time grow the business. Change can be made on small scales at site level, or at larger scales across regions/the country, so finding efficient ways to adapt and update our offer to what the community wants and needs is a great opportunity ahead of us.

CCentral.ca

Marketing manager North Sun Energy

Manager, lottery field sales Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corp.

What work accomplishment are you most proud of during the last 12-18 months? Spearheading a complete overhaul of the foodservice category within our convenience store brand, Orangestore. This included the development of a new Café Orange brand that was positioned with the tagline: ‘bright spot in your day’.

With a relatively lean internal team, I directed several milestones for this project. The launch of Café Orange has been hugely successful in driving increased sales and traffic to our stores. Equally as important, Café Orange has strategically positioned Orangestore as a place to shop for grab-and-go convenience store items. The space is now brighter and more modern and consistent across the portfolio. ​​​​​​​ Overall, our foodservice sales YOY were up 36% (2022 vs 2021) and for 2023, we are already up 54%. The Café Orange relaunch project is an enormous success for the company.

What was the biggest challenge of your career? Hands down balancing being a mother of three children and continuing to deliver and perform for my team.

What’s the best advice you ever received? One, always trust your instincts. Two, control what you can control. Three, it’s okay to say no.

Don’t take on something you are not prepared to give your full attention to.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? The landscape is evolving so rapidly, and there are really exciting solutions being presented to help service customers in the way they want to be serviced. I’m excited to watch the innovations come to life in store.

Is there anything you think will shape the business in the next five years? I am keeping an eye on the Self-Serve Terminal. Looking forward to seeing the pilot and first phases being installed at retail. This will be a game changer for lottery at retail.

What will shape the business in the next five years? Making it even more about the customers. while the world may eventually transition towards the autonomous store concept, I do think some customers are still wanting the personalized and human connection even if it is even for a few minutes of their day at the c-store.

Convenience Store News Canada July | August 2023

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Congratulations ...to our very own Kylie Landry for her well-deserved recognition as a 2023 Star Women in Convenience winner. Kylie’s expertise, creativity, and leadership have been paramount in the success of McSweeney’s brand.

Direct Plus Food Group takes great pride in Kylie’s achievements and would like to extend our congratulations to the other Star Women in Convenience winners.

A Proudly Canadian Brand

SHINING STARS Joany Nadeau

Nicki Newfeldt

Marie-Pier Pagé

How did you get into this industry?

Being a dynamic person who loves to challenge myself, I was attracted by the active pace of the day-to-day operations. I thrive in an environment where solutions are needed quickly to make our customers’ lives easier.

How did you get into this business?

Shell was my client for many years.

I was always impressed with Shell’s culture, the balance between focusing on long-term strategy and delivering short-term results, and the dedication to being a responsible and sustainable energy provider. It was an easy decision to join Shell when the right role became available.

How did you get into this industry?

I started at Shell Canada as a student 15 years ago and quickly became assistant manager. When Mr. Mondor became owner, I became manager, then supervisor and I’m now in charge of eight gas stations and convenience stores.

Senior human resources manager Alimentation Couche-Tard | Circle K

What do you like most about your job? The people I work with always act in a caring, open-minded manner; they’re willing to help each other provide quality service to our internal stakeholders.

What’s the best advice you ever received? Be yourself. My mentor reminded me that my peers appreciate me for who I am.

What’s your proudest achievement? Sometimes, making the right decisions takes courage and I enjoy supporting my team members during challenging moments. Seeing them grow and accomplishing their goals is rewarding.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last year? I led a partnership project with a local university to allow our employees to complete a university microprogram. This project makes me proud because it allows some people who never thought they would be able to go to university to do so.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? It’s exciting to be a part of a company that recognizes women in our industry.

This channel is the perfect example of empowering one another to continue in our careers and make a difference. We must all persevere, grow and learn from one another.

CCentral.ca

Business development lead Shell Canada

General director Groupe Mondor

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last 12-18 months? We are working toward closing the transaction to purchase 56 stations from Sobeys, and I have had the honour of being part of this transaction from deal negotiation through implementation. I love working on something that will create positive momentum in the business today but also have long term impact.

What was the biggest challenge of your career? My biggest challenge is a common one among women: I needed to recognize it is okay to take a step back and ensure my well-being is looked after so that one day I could bring my best self to work again. I am the sole parent to twins who were six years old at the height of COVID: Trying to juggle work and having kids at home with intermittent childcare was hard enough, but then I was thrown the curve ball of being diagnosed with breast cancer. I had several projects on the go, and it felt very difficult to step away and focus on my health and my family. I am forever grateful to work for an organization that truly supports their employees: Not only was I able to take the time I needed to be physically and mentally healthy again, but also, I was promoted into my current role upon my return.

What do you like most about your job? I love interacting with clients, employees and representatives.

My days are full of challenges that motivate me to keep improving.

Biggest challenge of your career?

As supervisor, we quickly went from four to 15 gas stations, and it was challenging to train staff and manage sites that were far from each other and had different needs.

Best advice? Begin each day with a positive attitude.

What’s your career highlight? I’ve worked very hard for many years to attain my career goals and dreams.

My biggest success is learning all the details and secrets that allow me to be a better general director.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last year? In January, we nominated an employee from BoniSoir/ Sobeys as our manager of the year—recognizing someone from my team for her excellent work made me proud to have the best manager in Quebec.

What excites you most about the future of this channel?

We’re constantly proactive to follow the trends and stay on top of the competition. There may be fewer gas stations in the future, so we must continue offering exemplary customer service and attract clients with new products and promotions.

Convenience Store News Canada July | August 2023

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Nominate now for the Future Leaders in Convenience Awards Future Leaders in Convenience (FLIC) is a NEW awards program to celebrate and recognize Canada’s emerging leaders (under the age of 40) across all areas of convenience and gas— from independent retailers and dealers to those working for regional/national/international chains, as well as distributors, vendors and associations.

Winners will be announced and profiled in the November/December issue of Convenience Store News Canada, celebrated in a digital campaign and invited to a networking event in March!

Deadline to enter: Sept. 8, 2023 Details at: CSNCFLIC.ca

SHINING STARS Dayna Palmer

Ingrid Palmer

Julie Pepin

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last 12-18 months? One would be getting to know my new team and working with them to find some quick wins in processes as well as projects to make their jobs easier or more efficient. My team accepted me with open arms, collaborated with me to align our ways of working, and pushed to not only achieve our goals but exceed them everywhere we could.

What do you like most about your job? I’m proud of what Danone stands for—being in business as a force for good. This year marks our 5th anniversary as the largest BCorp-certified consumer-facing company in Canada; I’m proud to be part of a team that meets the highest standards of social and environmental performance.

What do you like most about your job? My position involves many elements including strategy, finance, decision-making and administration.

I love taking on challenges and being involved in projects that help me develop my strengths.

Marketing manager, Canadian channel execution Parkland Corporation

What do you like most about your job? I truly believe that the culture and the people that I get to work with are one of my biggest motivators.

We have such a variety of projects, programs and departments that my team deals with and we all love the challenge of coming together to absolutely rock each and every one of those initiatives that we’re working on. These people absolutely energize me and push me to be my best and I can honestly say, they are the piece of my job that I love the most.

Best advice you ever received?

Always take risks. It may sound simple but sometimes taking that first step or that risk is the hardest part of the journey since it can be so unknown. But, anytime I’ve dived in and taken the risk, it’s led me to brighter, bigger things and when perhaps it didn’t, it taught me an incredible lesson that I continue to use as I move forward in my future.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? The innovation. It has and will continue to drive this channel. At Parkland, seeing the absolute push to grow and expand our business in innovative ways is beyond exciting.

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Business development manager Danone Canada

Biggest career challenge? Growing and educating industry stakeholders about the opportunity that ‘betterfor-you’ offers would bring to the standard convenience store. We were ahead of our time!

Best advice you ever received?

Embrace change. Assume positive intentions. Treat each moment as if it were your own business.

Career highlight? Being part of the ‘bottled water’ revolution in convenience and watching it grow; growing new better-for-you categories in the convenience channel and seeing them thrive.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last year? Collaboration with convenience key stakeholders in the plant-based and yogurt categories and growing their space in stores; as well as bringing a destination for better-for-you in stores for shoppers.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? As consumer behaviours have evolved with a shift to better-for-you products, the convenience channel is embracing the change. Digital technology and home delivery are expanding the convenience shopping experience.

Convenience stores are becoming destinations for shoppers as opposed to a top-up stop.

Sales analysis & administration manager JTI-Macdonald Corp.

Biggest challenge of your career?

I had big shoes to fill when I accepted my new role, plus it was stressful working in another language. I adapted quickly and never looked back.

What’s the best advice you ever received? To have confidence in myself because I have the power to change things. Make it happen.

Proudest achievement? Succeeding in a mostly male-oriented industry, and never giving up on my desire for promotions. Perseverance and determination guided me through.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last year? Gratitude from my peers. Being recognized means so much to me, because it shows that the projects I worked on and achieved results for were appreciated.

What excites you most about the future of this channel?

This industry evolves quickly and constantly. We’ll continue having new ideas, challenges and projects in place. I look forward to the future within my company.

What trend or innovation will shape the business in the next five years?

The tobacco industry is declining and we’re seeing a growing trend for vaping products. I’m intrigued to learn more about this market and consumer behaviour, and the evolution of this channel.

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Congratulations to

Marie-Andrée Bonneau and all the 2023 Star Women in Convenience Award Winners!

With over 30 years of industry experience, Marie-Andrée is a respected and accomplished leader at Canadian Tire Gas+. Recognizing her with this award is a testament to her expert knowledge, talent and dedication. We are very proud of Marie-Andrée’s well deserved accomplishment in winning this award.

Congratulations to Sarah Richard for

being recognized as a Star Woman in Convenience.

Sarah is the ultimate coach who leads with passion, innovation, and demonstrates a team first approach in all situations. Sarah, your people first approach is an inspiration at Hershey and we wish you continued success.

Hershey would like to congratulate all winners of the 2023 Star Women in Convenience award.

SHINING STARS Reghan Peters

Patricia Petretic

Jackie Pink

What do you like most about your job? Communicating with people from different backgrounds, countries and communities; getting to know retailers and the stores they put so much effort into is rewarding.

How did you get into this business?

I started my career in C&G nine years ago with a contract position to coordinate a large-scale merchandising project. It was exactly what I was looking for. Since then, I’ve held various roles in supporting convenience stores from store layouts to working with wholesale distributors to working on the carwash portfolio to working on various major categories across the c-store.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last 12-18 months? My biggest accomplishment recently is developing and leading the rollout of two proprietary projects for On the Run, and knowing the foundation that is being built because of them, and the magic that will be unlocked from it as we look into the future.

Trade marketer JTI-Macdonald Corp.

What was the biggest challenge of your career? COVID-19. The immediate switch we all had to make from being in-person to suddenly working from home. Switching new territories right in the height of it was difficult, trying to connect with people I’d never met in person.

What’s the best advice you ever received? Show up with confidence even if you don’t feel confident and open yourself up to every single opportunity: Attend that trade show, go to that non-essential meeting, introduce yourself to everyone.

What’s your proudest achievement? This award is quite the highlight! To be recognized by others in the industry is a very good feeling, one I accept with gratitude.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last year? Launching a new SKU in a declining market while still dealing with aftereffects of COVID. What trend or innovation will shape the business in the next five years? The vaping category has skyrocketed so it will be interesting to see what’s to come. The industry has seen many changes in the past five years, and we’ve proven to be resilient, so we’ll just have to wait and see!

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Category manager, centre of store Parkland Corporation

What do you like most about your job? I love how cross functional this job is. Being in category management, you get to be involved with so many things from running the business to initiatives that drive value and move the industry forward.

Most importantly, you are working with amazing people along the way, both internally and externally.

What’s your career highlight/biggest achievement? I believe it was a series of achievements. I was lucky enough to have a variety of different roles over the years, each of which were complementary to one another and built upon the skills and knowledge I had. My experience and all the accumulated achievements, whether big or small, helped me become a very well-rounded member of this industry and allowed me to truly understand how this industry operates and what our customers value the most.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? The channel is redefining itself through home delivery, digital engagement, EV charging, and sustainability just to name a few. This represents new opportunities and tremendous growth potential.

Category manager, foodservice Parkland Corporation

What do you like most about your job? The people. Both current and former colleagues, vendors, even competitors. We are all a family, crossing paths over and over again, and it’s truly inspiring to see how we all work together to collectively grow an industry for the Canadian market.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? The changing needs of consumers and the environment excites me in a scary way. The opportunities that lie ahead with technology and energy transformation are endless, particularly as I think about food and beverages. Consumers are on site longer, they can get things from anywhere delivered to them with a click of a button, and they are not afraid to try new things.

Anything else you would like to add? I have definitely experienced the negative challenges and judgments that come with being a working mom. That said, I do feel that we have come a long way in this area over time, not only this industry but in our communities. We are becoming more inclusive. It’s wonderful to see and to be a part of this era.

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Your dedication to Core-Mark and your team have led us through some very tough times in the procurement world. You are critical to our success and for that, we Thank You. We are proud of your accomplishments and this award is well-deserved.

Purchasing Director, Canada

SHINING STARS Tammy Poirier

Irene Reilly

Sarah Richard

How did you get into this business?

I have worked pretty much my entire career within the CPG industry.

Although it was not my originally intended career path, I was immediately hooked by the excitement of building brands and the competitive nature of the business, as well as the joy of watching consumers engage and experience emotional connections with your products.

How did you get into this industry?

In 2013, I worked with Starbucks in Ireland on food and beverage. I wanted to move to the convenience and fuel channel because I loved the fast pace and wanted to learn a new business. I joined a leading Irish fuel and convenience forecourt retailer and became part of the ACT family in 2016 through an acquisition.

How did you get into this industry?

I have a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Sports Administration.

I fulfilled my love for and desire to work in sports with a part-time role on the stats crew for the Toronto Raptors. Then, I chose to focus on consumer-packaged goods. I’ve worked in multiple roles with FritoLay, Conagra Brands and Hershey Canada.

National account executive Coca-Cola Canada

Best advice you received? Come from a positive assumption. It is easy in our busy lives to read into people’s behaviours or emails or messages.

Career highlight? I like to look at my career highlights or achievements as a sum of many pieces versus one large event. It is in the little things every day, learning from mistakes, taking risks, being fair and defendable and honest in my relationships and the knowing the results will follow. I am honoured at the accolades and ‘Presidents Club Winner’ awards, but my ability to always foster great working relationships with my customers and having their trust means the most What will shape the business in the next five years? It is amazing to see the impact that social media/ TikTok and influencers can have on purchasing behaviours and sales performance. Also, as new generations continue to enter the market, I ponder brand loyalties or how we speak to and engage our audiences in new and different ways. The value and emotional connections to purchases will play a huge role in the next three to five years. People will want to feel really good about what they spend their money on and where they spend it.

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Regional director of operations Eastern Alimentation Couche-Tard | Circle K

What do you like most about your job? I love engaging with my market managers, frontline teams and customers. I thrive on the operational aspect—bringing solutions to any issues to make our customer’s journey easier and more enjoyable. Developing those around me is something I take great pride in.

Best advice you ever received?

Stay focused, keep learning and stay relevant to your business.

Proudest achievement? Mentorship for women is a meaningful way to encourage their advancement in the workplace. I’ve been so proud to see those I’ve mentored develop and grow in their roles.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last year? Achieving this fantastic award and being asked to represent our internal ACT Women’s Council as a panelist for our first International Women’s Day Global townhall. I had the privilege to share my journey and experiences with team members across the industry!

What excites you most about the future of this channel? Our industry is exciting and fast paced—we continue to look for ways to grow the business, bring innovation to our stores, and make it easy for our customers.

Sales team lead Hershey Canada

What do you like most about your job? Working with incredible colleagues, teams, retailers and brands. Being able to collaborate towards common goals, continually seeking to learn or teach others, and the drive to achieve success make every day unique and adventurous.

I love a team atmosphere: “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”

What’s the best advice you ever received? Treat everyone with respect and act with integrity.

What’s your proudest achievement? Coaching people and developing strong, loyal teams of individuals with their own unique skill set, characteristics and levels of experience who all want to learn, develop, succeed and win. It’s a true passion I have refined throughout my career.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? We survived a global pandemic that set new highs in retail pricing and new lows in supply chain sourcing. With post-pandemic consumer shifts emerging, convenience is resilient, and I look forward to what’s to come!

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SHINING STARS Trina Roopnarine-Huether

Sylvie Savard

Kristina Schmidt

How did you get into this business?

I launched my career in CPG at Kraft Foods right out of school as a co-op student in information systems where I focused on database management, software deployment and reporting. This provided me with a strong foundation that ultimately sparked my curiosity for how we leveraged the data, which led me down the path of category management and insights.

What do you like most about your job? Entrepreneurship is one of ACT’s core values—there are limitless possibilities in terms of strategy, business development, equipment and more. Collaborating with our different partners to grow our common goals is very gratifying and motivating.

How did you get into this industry?

I worked in operations in the mining industry. The office was moving far north, and my VP said, “Find a completely different industry to grow your leadership and challenge you.” I applied at 7-Eleven in 2014, and I loved it.

Customer strategy manager, channels Mondelēz Canada

What do you like most about your job? I love the uniqueness of the channel and the difference in the shopping occasions. The pandemic, in particular, has brought challenges to the channel that have provided opportunities to new shopper demands unlocking category potential.

I also love the variety within my role; my days are never boring or the same and I enjoy that. Plus, I get to be creative, which is a passion for me outside of my role too.

Best advice you ever received?

Get a mentor that is skilled in the area that you are looking to develop.

Early in my career, I had a mentor that really challenged me and held me accountable in a very encouraging way while developing that skill.

She was very clear that I didn’t need to replicate her style, but that I could develop that skill while still being true to myself. I learned it’s okay to be uncomfortable: I’ve had the greatest transformation, change and development in those moments.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? Broadening the demographics this channel can serve when we think about e-commerce and delivery. It is one of the only channels that has the ability or flexibility to offer services 24 hours a day seven days a week.

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Category manager - Eastern Canada division Alimentation Couche-Tard | Circle K

Biggest challenge of your career?

The pandemic made us all realize that everything is fragile, but together, we can get through anything and find solutions.

Best advice you ever received?

There’s always a solution, regardless of the problem. Make it happen!

Proudest achievement? They’re all important, whether it’s my involvement in the development of our private brand, innovations in bringing products to market or new exclusive equipment. I love seeing the results in-store and the impact on our team.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last year? Launching new private brand products, working on others to be launched this year, double digit growth.

What excites you most about the future of this channel?

Reinventing ourselves again and again with new technology, new market segments, new partners, new concepts and new ways to serve our customers.

Anything else you would like to add? “A woman is like a teabag; you never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.”— Eleanor Roosevelt. Bravo to all the exceptional women!

National category manager: Fresh foods 7-Eleven Canada

What do you like most about your job? The ability to be creative.

I’m lucky to work with an incredible team that brings new products to life.

Biggest career challenge? COVID. I was in the field for the first 18 months in a remote area and was the lifeline for my team. It was challenging making sure the team was safe coming to work every day. And during this period, I was promoted to my new role.

Best advice? From Dolly Parton: “I’m not going to limit myself just because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.”

Proudest achievement? When we had an excess of COVID-related supplies, I put together a plan with operations and logistics to donate $1 million worth of gloves, masks, sanitizer, wipes and more to groups in need.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last year? In January, I was privileged to lead and launch the first plant-based vegan sandwich in Canada in partnership with Just Eggs, Impossible Meats and Viola Cheese.

What excites you most about the future of this channel? We’re changing the expectation of convenience. We’re no longer just smokes and chocolates. We’re finding a new niche and becoming a choice beyond the traditional items.

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STORE-LEVEL STARS Sridevi Gummadi

Binal Patel

Mallory Sjaarda

How did you get into this business?

When I moved to Canada, my first job was with Petro-Canada as a guest service attendant. I loved the work environment, and with great leaders around me, I worked my way up the ladder till I was offered the opportunity to operate my own business in partnership with PetroCanada.

How did you get into this industry?

Owning a convenience store was a dream of mine. I worked in an auto parts company, but it closed so owning a small business was the right choice. After a lot of planning and discussions, we bought this store. My husband worked at a c-store in New York, which helped me in the training process.

How did you get into this business?

My grandparents owned a general store a lot like this one in a town similar to Port Albert, Ont. After I finished university, I started working here as a server for a summer job. A few months later when the opportunity arose, I became general manager.

Owner/operator Petro-Canada | Suncor

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last 12-18 months? First was my ability to have my business become a recognized contributor to the local community through numerous charity events. My team and I also were able to grow sales in a difficult highway construction environment.

Lastly, being chosen as the Associate of the Year for Petro-Canada in 2022.

What was the biggest challenge of your career? What I found to be one of the hardest challenges in my career was a lease expiry that forced two locations of mine to close. The hardest part for me was not the fact that I would lose two locations but having to be a strong leader for the staff that would not be able to report to the job they had been doing for so long. However, with help from Petro-Canada, we were able to help as many as we could and smooth the transition.

What is your biggest career highlight? Being chosen to run the next generation of the highway travel centre in the Petro-Canada network.

What’s the best advice you ever received? The one piece of advice that has stuck with me over the years is “when you know better, you do better.” It has helped me keep motivated and always striving for more.

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Owner Ding Mart Convenience Store

What do you like most about your job? My customers! I love meeting and serving them every day. I like working for myself and being my own boss. I love that I can motivate other women to also do what they like and open their own small businesses.

Biggest career challenge? Taking care of both my personal life and business at the same time. Sometimes, my husband and I had to miss important events to run our store.

Also, the long work hours and not getting days off for holidays are a big challenge.

Best advice you ever received?

“Don’t ever stop learning and growing as a person.” I believe the more you grow and learn, the better your life will be. There’s no age limit to learn new things, both in your personal and professional life. I’ve started focusing more on my leadership skills, creativity, problem-solving skills, attitude and ability to handle difficult situations, which play a significant role in my life, both as a business owner and a woman.

Career highlight? Getting this award. It’s proven to me that hard work and dedication leads to success and recognition.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of? Last year, I launched a bitcoin machine to increase my revenue by engaging in more trend-related sales.

July | August 2023 Convenience Store News Canada

General manager Port Albert General Store & Pub

What do you like most about your job? The sense of community in a small town. Getting to know the customers and working side by side with some wonderful people.

I’ve been fortunate enough to meet people from all over Canada and the United States. It’s especially rewarding to see the same customers come back year after year to Port Albert. Many of the customers have even become good friends of mine.

Biggest challenge of your career?

Navigating the business through the pandemic, with the restrictions, labour shortages and increased inflation costs. Several products were on back order or we were not able to get in. The constant changes to the restrictions during the pandemic meant making quick changes to policies in order to keep the staff and customers safe. Small businesses took a big hit during the pandemic and are still trying to get back to ‘normal’.

Biggest achievement? Learning how to run and manage a business with so many moving parts. Considering I have no background in convenience and my degree is in social work, I did not have very much experience going into this. It was a great learning opportunity for me, and I was able to connect with so many people, between suppliers, customers and other businesses. CSNC

CCentral.ca

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2023 STAR WOMEN IN CONVENIENCE! Senior-level stars Émilie Coulombe Alex Coulombe Ltée.

Ashley Ehmann Twigz Pretzels Simran Kaur Canco Petroleum Ltd. Jennifer Lai Petro-Canada | Suncor France Lessard JTI-Macdonald Corp.

Michelle McGillivray Big Chief Meat Snacks Inc.

Shining stars

Karen Allen Shell Canada Naila Ansari 7-Eleven Canada Rina Bauslaugh Petro-Canada | Suncor Shawna Bickford Now Prepay, by Payment Source Marie-André Bonneau Canadian Tire Gas+ Cristina Caruso Petro-Canada | Suncor

Marietta Cini Hasty Market Jessica Cnossen Core-Mark Canada Fran Coons 7-Eleven Canada Alison Daem 7-Eleven Canada Johanne Deblois Groupe Beaudry Nicole Dubé Parkland Corporation Helena Fiore PepsiCo Beverages Jamie Gnanapragasam Parkland Corporation Shauna Hall Parkland Corporation Anna Harte 7-Eleven Canada Karla Hewitt Petro-Canada | Suncor Heather Hildenbrandt Alimentation Couche-Tard | Circle K Anne-Marie Jeanson Imperial Tobacco Canada Kylie Landry Direct Plus Food Group

Katie Logan BioSteel Alexandra Massam Shell Canada Sandy Mercer North Sun Energy Nicole S. Monks Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corp.

Joany Nadeau Alimentation Couche-Tard | Circle K Nicki Newfeldt Shell Canada Marie-Pier Pagé Groupe Mondor Dayna Palmer Parkland Corporation Ingrid Palmer Danone Canada Julie Pepin JTI-Macdonald Corp.

Reghan Peters JTI-Macdonald Corp.

Patricia Petretic Parkland Corporation Jackie Pink Parkland Corporation

Tammy Poirier Coca-Cola Canada Irene Reilly Alimentation Couche-Tard | Circle K Sarah Richard Hershey Canada Trina Roopnarine-Huether Mondelēz Canada Sylvie Savard Alimentation Couche-Tard | Circle K Kristina Schmidt 7-Eleven Canada

Store-level stars

Sridevi Gummadi Petro-Canada | Suncor Binal Patel Ding Mart Convenience Store Mallory Sjaarda Port Albert General Store & Pub

*Interviews edited for clarity and length. Full Q&A profiles online at CCentral.ca

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FEATURE

INSIDE SCOOP

Retailers of all sizes are forgoing traditional c-store layouts in favour of future-forward designs that speak to evolving categories and consumers B Y C H R I S D A N I E L S

Refrigeration that lines the perimeter of a store like a chilly, monotonous border. Hot stations offering self-service coffee at the end of the checkout counter. Resin flooring in dull colours.

These and many other elements of a c-store’s look and layout have become standard. But designers like Oxana Boriak are being invited to challenge the norms.

Boriak is associate director at the Montreal office of Benoy, and before that was at Gervais Harding & Associates design

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July | August 2023 Convenience Store News Canada

studios, which the former, a London-headquartered architectural firm, acquired in 2022. A 25-year veteran of retail design, Boriak has previously led projects for the likes of Pusateri’s, on locations throughout Toronto, and the entertainment and retail centre American Dream in East Rutherford, NJ, on its Food Hall, which opened last year.

“We are playing with breaking out the monotony of how displays are in the middle and fridges along the perimeter,” she

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says, “as well as other predictable aspects of a c-store, through the use of materials such as natural wood, for a more natural appeal and feel, as opposed to obscure, dark shelving.”

A fresh approach Boriak is speaking about a creative direction project, of which she is lead designer, on KaleMart24, a new c-store concept from entrepreneur Oussama (Sam) Saoudi, the CEO of Toro Beverages, a brand of sugar-free energy beverages infused with matcha that he launched in 2019. Multiple locations in the Montreal area have been secured by the retail upstart (the first are to open in September), with a goal of having more than 30 stores across Canada by the end of 2025. Saoudi told CSNC earlier this year KaleMart24 will “breaking through the mould of c-stores being associated with junk food by offering healthier choices that cater to a mobile-savvy younger audience.”

It aims to break the design mould, too. Sketches from Benoy have the coffee counter moving to the middle of the store, and being round in nature, allowing space for customers to gather around and chit-chat over their morning cup of java.

While coolers can’t be removed from the walls without becoming an obstruction, “we are playing around with interrupting the refrigeration perimeter, like with a dry-product display in a different colour,” adds Boriak. “This would provide opportunities to cross-sell, like a salad from refrigeration with a dry product, like nuts, to add to the salad.”

In keeping with the kale theme (and given most of the walls will still be refrigeration), she says the goal is to make a brand statement with “patterned green tile flooring.” The Benoy team are experimenting with a “dynamic diagonal pattern which evokes a movement, much like a wave that invites you and carries you with it. Eye-catching and something that draws you in.” That would tie-in to other green touches being considered, like the growing of herbs from hanging planters.

Boriak says KaleMart24 reflects a design philosophy “that we have seen prevailing since the pandemic, which is to maximize every physical inch and space opportunity to create an experience—service and brand—and not just a transactional event.” She feels this has been traditionally overlooked within the c-store category. “A c-store is essentially that, to

A 25-year veteran of retail design, Oxana Boriak (above) is working on disrupting traditional c-store layout by creating an experience and “not just a transactional event” in the planning of the new KaleMart24 concept in Montreal

KaleMart24’s patterned green tile floor is designed to tie to other green touches for a fresh market feel. Experts note a growing movement towards organic design features that showcase fresh and local products

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Convenience Store News Canada July | August 2023

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provide convenience, but it does not mean the brand experience should be neglected. That brief moment of browsing for an on-the-go snack is an opportunity for the c-store brand to create a lasting impression of a pleasant brand experience through nice décor, scent, music and, of course, the reliability of carrying people’s favourite products or becoming the store with healthier on-the-go snack choices and the environment that actually goes with that.”

Experimenting at all levels While KaleMart24 is starting from a blank slate, existing brands are also challenging the status quo in design with concept stores, remodels and out-of-the-box sketches for possible future builds.

“Every year, we see interesting designs inspired by forward-thinking from our large corporate partners,” says Chris Soucie, director of sales and marketing at McCowan Design & Manufacturing. “Overall, the entire industry is trying out new ideas, new formats and interesting designs.

“These changes are being inspired from an evolution in the oil and gas industry to EV, migrations to cashierless grocery sites and an overall change in customer demands and expectations in convenience shopping,” he adds, pointing as an example of an expectation that c-stores support local.

“Research shows a growing migration in communities towards supporting local suppliers,” says Soucie. “And so, the future is looking like c-stores will become more of a micro-market within a community where you can get fresh bread from a local bakery, honey or produce products from local farmers. This is an exciting trend and huge opportunity for all c-store operators.”

meal for dine-in, take-out or delivery.”

In Alberta, the chain has seven locations with licensed dining. In Ontario, there are two and counting, with licenses secured for more than 50 sites. The first opened in December in Leamington. Following a renovation to add an enclosed seating area, in May a site in Niagara Falls began offering dine-in.

In addition to beer and wine for of-age guests, 7-Eleven diners can choose from a menu that includes, chicken sandwiches, potato wedges, pizza and more.

“The design of our dine-in spaces is increasingly important, with an emphasis on maintaining an open concept that complements the retail space,” says Goodman. “Low pony walls designate the licensed dining area, and allow for good visibility. Spacious dining areas are furnished with comfortable seating for 10 tables and chairs, lean bars and stools, as well as digital signage, music and free Wi-Fi. The dining areas signal 7-Eleven Canada is first and foremost a food destination to be enjoyed on- or off-premise. We continue to learn and will undoubtedly evolve as we lean into the food business.”

As the channel adapts to shifting categories, from foodservice to beverage alcohol, better-for-you snacks and more, while at the same time welcoming a new generation of consumers, layout and design are also undergoing an exciting evolution. CSNC

Making room for foodservice How will this trend shift store design? “In many future formats, we are seeing new space dedicated to local or craft-type products,” notes Soucie. “In these areas, you will see woodgrains or rustic-style finishes, warm colours designed to generate a ‘small batch’ locally made emotional response from shoppers.”

Canco partnered with Pita Pit to create a seamless open-concept When it comes to new builds, brands are also inQSR experience with a fresh design (note the attention paid to vesting in larger footprints. “They want to be able details, such as flooring, mixed woods and signage) at its One to offer a modern c-store design that incorporates Stop store in London, Ont. space for open-concept QSRs,” says Linda Thompson, managing partner at Fuel Partners. “These designs invite the consumer to linger longer and improve customer experiences.”

In London, Ont., for instance, Canco partnered with Pita Pit for a location on 1255 Kilally Rd. that features an open-concept QSR experience inside their One Stop convenience store.

7-Eleven Canada, meanwhile, has designed and launched new dine-in seating areas at licensed locations in two provinces so far.

“7-Eleven Canada is a food-first business with over 130 fresh food and beverage options, many of which are prepared on lo7-Eleven Canada is redesigning several of its stores cation,” says Marc Goodman, vice-president and general manto accommodate dine-in areas, with strong sightlines, ager of 7-Eleven Canada. “At our new licensed restaurants, our where guests can enjoy a bite to eat and a beverage adult guests can enjoy a glass of beer or wine alongside their

44

July | August 2023 Convenience Store News Canada

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NATIONAL SHOPPER STUDY Health Eating Report: Consumers crave BFY options B Y M I C H E L L E WA R R E N

When one thinks of healthy snacking, convenience stores aren’t traditionally top of mind, but that’s changing as categories evolve, companies invest in healthier options, and, most importantly, c-store customers’ tastes and expectations shift. Whether road tripping, popping in for an afternoon pick-me-up or a meal on the go, convenience shoppers are looking for better-for-you (BFY) options from their convenience stores. Six-in-ten (61%) shoppers consider themselves ‘healthconscious’ according to the 2023 C-store IQ National Shopper Study. Working with the research team at EnsembleIQ, Convenience Store News Canada surveyed more than 2,000 convenience shoppers across the country to examine their wants and needs at convenience.

The good news is, most shoppers are content with the assortment of healthy items at convenience, with a significant increase in the share that are ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ satisfied. Of note, generation Z, millennials and generation X are more likely to be satisfied than boomers.

It’s in your best interest to keep this segment happy, as more than half of those seeking healthier options say they are willing to pay more for BFY offerings. Digging deeper, females are generally willing to pay more than males. In addition, 61% of gen Z and millennials are willing to pay more vs.

41% of gen X and boomers.

The future has a healthy glow Indeed, the healthy snacks market is expected to be worth $152.08 billion by 2029, according to a report by Meticulous Research, with North America accounting for the largest share due “to its well-established food industry, the growing health awareness among consumers, the increasing prevalence of celiac disease, the growing demand

46

61% of shoppers agree with the statement “I am health-conscious”

56%

Satisfaction with selection of healthy / betterfor-you foods at convenience stores Extremely/ very satisfied 25%

Somewhat satisfied 46%

Gen X & boomers

No

Yes

FU N FACT

In South Korea, the government launched specific “health food corners” at 104 convenience stores located near schools.

for gluten-free healthy snacks, the rising demand for clean-label healthy snacks, and the easy availability of healthy snacks at grocery stores.”

Among Canadian c-store shoppers, freshness leads the list of concerns for health-conscious shoppers. At least onethird are also interested in all-natural and non-processed products (a growing concern). While concerns about sugar and calories have waned somewhat since last year’s report, it’s worth noting that gen Z have calories top of mind, while boomers are focused on sodium, fat and sugar.

Meal planning Convenience customers aren’t just looking for healthier snacks and here lies an opportunity for convenience

July | August 2023 Convenience Store News Canada

48% 52%

Not very/not at all satisfied 29%

Gen Z & millennials

67%

Willingness to pay more for healthy / betterfor-you foods at convenience stores

operators. When it comes to prepared foods, 18% of shoppers say they do not purchase from c-stores because there are “no healthy choices.” Healthier food/meal options are particularly important to gen Z and millennials.

Of note, Ontario shoppers are more likely to seek out healthier options, while Alberta shoppers are more intrigued by portion size.

Where is the healthier option trend going? On a macro-level the postpandemic world has promoted an intense focus on physical health and people are generally more informed and selective about the products they consume. Providing healthier options alongside traditional favourites is a balancing act that will meet the needs of the evolving convenience shopper. CSNC

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% Indicating concern or interest in health-related aspect of products

Fresh, all-natural and non-processed are among the Top 5 concerns for all shoppers.

Fresh

42% 47%

All-natural

Protein and calories are of interest for more gen Z and millennials, while sugar and understandable ingredients are key for gen X and boomers.

33%

Non-processed

28% 35%

Protein

27%

Sugar

23% 29%

Ingredients I can understand & pronounce

23%

Calories

21% 26%

Locally sourced/produced

18%

Non-GMO

Gen Z & millennials

17% 20%

Sodium

Gen X & boomers

1 Fresh

Fresh

2 All-natural

All-natural

3 Protein

Non-processed

4 Non-processed

Sugar

5 Calories

Ingredients can understand/ pronounce

15% 18%

Fat

13%

Carbohydrates

12%

Vegan/Plant-based

11%

Functional/Vitamin-enhanced

11%

Artificial sweeteners

10%

Artificial flavours

9%

Antibiotics

8%

High levels of caffeine Gluten Growth hormones

7% 5% 7% 4% 5%

Significant increase / decrease

23_003280_CN_Conv_Store_News_JUL_CN Mod: May 10, 2023 3:26 PM Print: 05/17/23 page 1 v2.5

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Battery pack powerhouse: All levels of governments are investing in EV and the commitment is too big to be ignored

Canada’s retail fuel network is a steady presence in a sea of change

Member benefits: Industry insiders share tips for building an effective car wash loyalty program to boost your bottom line

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THE ROAD AHEAD BY MARK HACKING

Battery pack powerhouse

All levels of governments are investing in EV and the commitment is too big to be ignored No matter which side of this debate you may land on, there’s no question that electrification is coming to Canada. The federal government is going all-in on zero-emission lightduty vehicles by the year 2035—this means 100% of vehicle sales, a big jump up from the 5.6% of sales recorded at the end of 2021.

Given this ambitious target, it’s encouraging that the government is also doing its part by convincing electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturers to set up shop in this country. Over the past 15 months alone, the province of Ontario has become a major force in the production of EV batteries. But the ever-changing nature of the electrified space has already meant that some of these contracts and arrangements are subject to changing market conditions.

In March of 2022, the Ontario government announced that it had partnered with the federal and municipal governments to support the first-ever large-scale battery manufacturing plant. The plant project, a joint venture between LG Energy Solution and global auto conglomerate Stellantis, was valued at more than $5 billion, the largest automotive manufacturing investment in the history of the province.

Based in Windsor, the facility was set to supply Stellantis plants across North America. Construction started last year and it was to open in the first quarter of 2024 and be fully operational by 2025. But then an even bigger deal was announced in Ontario this year—and the LG Energy Solution/Stellantis team threatened to take their football and go home. On May 15 of this year, the consortium paused construction and announced they were taking some of the original capacity to a plant south of the border.

(The EV space seems to be the 21stcentury equivalent to the gold rush—

CCentral.ca

lots of opportunity, more than a few ruthless characters.)

The bigger deal mentioned above was another battery plant, this one initiated by the Volkswagen Group, which received significant funding from the federal and Ontario governments. While the German manufacturer committed $7 billion to the project, the subsidies kicked in could amount to as much as $13.2 billion over the next 10 years.

The $13.2 billion was a major sticking point for the LG Energy Solution/Stellantis concern. Both governments listened, then sweetened the deal. As of this writing, the exact terms had yet to be announced.

Back to the VW project, it’s a 90 GWh battery cell factory set to open in 2027 before motoring on to full capacity in 2030. The plant will be in another former automotive manufacturing hub—St. Thomas, Ont. located just 28 kms south of London.

The venture is expected to create up to 3,000 direct jobs and 30,000 indirect jobs, welcome relief for an area that had fallen on some hard times. The 370-acre battery factory will be situated within a larger industrial park that spans some 1,500 acres. The factory will run on 100% clean energy.

Although these two factories represent the biggest of their kind, they don’t represent the sum total of all the many investments in electrification in Ontario.

General Motors has recently announced a forthcoming battery pack assembly plant at its CAMI facility in Ingersoll, Ont. The batteries will be used to power the BrightDrop Zevo 600 electric van, which started being produced at the plant in December.

Ford Motor Company also announced a new battery pack assembly facility, part of the $1.8 billion transformation of the Oakville plant into an EV industrial park.

In February, auto supply monolith

Magna International announced an investment of $471 million in six different facilities across Ontario.

Of that total, $265 million is going towards a new battery enclosure facility in Brampton that will supply the Ford F-150 Lightning and forthcoming EVs. The remainder will go towards boosting readiness for the next wave of EVs at facilities in Belleville, Guelph, Newmarket, Penetanguishene and Windsor.

If all of this development seems like a significant push in the direction of electrification, that assumption would be correct—and these are just the stories coming out of Ontario.

In a Bloomberg report published in November 2022, Canada vaulted into second place in its annual battery supply chain ranking. Although we’re a long way behind first-placed China, we’re also ahead of the United States, which grabbed the runner-up spot a year prior.

The report ranks 30 leading countries in terms of lithium-ion battery supply chain performance based on five key measures: availability and supply of raw materials; manufacturing of battery cells and components; demand for EVs and energy storage; infrastructure, innovation and industry; and environmental, social and corporate governance.

What does all this mean for the future in Ontario and in Canada? It means that our governments have shown a genuine commitment to fuelling the future with electricity.

Whether these investments ever match those in the petroleum industry in this country remain to be seen. But the movement towards electrification is now far too big to be ignored. OCTANE Mark Hacking is an award-winning editor/writer with an affinity for all things automotive.

OCTANE July | August 2023

5

FORECOURT PERFORMANCE REPORT

Canada’s retail fuel network is a steady presence in a sea of change B Y M I C H E L L E WA R R E N

6

July | August 2023 OCTANE

In a world of change, retail gasoline stations are a steady presence in communities across Canada, with the number of retail sites fluctuating little in the past decade, despite an array of challenges, disruption and innovation, from a global pandemic to industry consolidation and the rise of electric vehicles.

There were 11,893 retail gasoline stations operating in Canada at the end of 2022: This is a decrease of 41 sites over the previous year. Overall, the number of retail sites in Canada has changed little during the last decade, hovering near the 12,000 mark since 2008 after having contracted nearly 40% during the prior two decades.

The data comes from Kalibrate Canada’s latest National Retail Petroleum Site Census Report, the most authoritative research on the Canadian retail refuelling sector. Once again, we’re privileged to share with our readers an exclusive preview of highlights from the report, which comprises nearly 30 pages of rigorous insight.

Researched and published by Kalibrate, a leading data firm with deep roots in the sector, the report launched in 2004 and this marks nearly two decades of valuable comparable data, which provides the retail fuel industry with the information needed to understand consumer behaviour, maximize site potential and make key decisions about the future of their businesses.

Does big oil control the pump price at Canada’s gas stations?

Not as much as you’d think. Refined products sold in Canada originate primarily from just 13 gasolineproducing refineries, operated by eight refining organizations, of which only five are integrated refiner marketers that sell fuel to end-users at Canadian gas stations. In 2022, integrated refiner marketers set the pump price at just 2,563 (22%) of gas stations. The majority—78%—have the pump price

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97

THERE ARE

set by dealers or non-refiner marketers (aka independents).

Who owns what?

Not all is as it appears. A variety of companies market Canada’s highprofile gasoline brands. Esso, for instance, is marketed by 11 different companies. Some Shell sites are marketed under similar arrangements.

While Suncor/Petro-Canada traditionally had a smaller stake in this area, that is changing, as the Canadian Tire gasoline station network is being rebranded to Petro-Canada, while North Atlantic and Suncor recently announced a joint venture—North Sun Energy—which involves rebranding Atlantic Canada sites to Petro-Canada.

In 2022, 28 fuel marketing companies in Canada operated a portion of their network under a brand owned by another company, representing 43% of stations in Canada, up from 38% in 2021 and just 6% in 2004. According to Kalibrate: “These marketers typically operate under a branded supply agreement with the brand owner (often a refiner such as Shell or Esso) and benefit from the brand recognition, proprietary fuel additives, marketing support, and loyalty programs of the established brand.”

How is the pandemic recovery fuelling throughput?

Recovery is slow and steady. The 2022 average retail outlet throughput in Canada climbed to 3.43 million litres, an increase of 3.9% from 2021, but still almost 19% below pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Since 1990, throughput efficiencies delivered an upward trend, due to a long-term rise in petroleum demand, as well as the decline in the number of retail outlets.

However, the decrease in 2020 and 2021 reflected a significant decline in transportation and travel due to pandemic-related lockdown measures.

Although the 2022 average site throughput increased as lockdown measures eased, fuel sales at most gas

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DISTINCT FUEL BRANDS IN CANADA

stations remain lower than before the pandemic and that may continue: In addition to more work-from-home and hybrid work arrangements, the decline can also be attributed to Canadians embracing alternatives to petroleum, such as electric.

How do backcourt offerings contribute to the bottom line?

Retail gasoline stations are now, more than ever, depending on other revenue streams to remain viable.

Data shows convenience stores and other non-petroleum (backcourt) offerings are critical to supplementing revenues generated from the core petroleum offerings.

Kalibrate obtained detailed backcourt site offerings from 10,090 (85%) of the 11,893 sites across Canada and found a convenience store is associated with virtually every gasoline outlet in Canada.

These range from small kiosks to stores of more than 2,000 sq. ft. Since 2004, there has been a shift in c-store size, with small c-stores (less than 500 sq. ft.) converting to mid- (over 500 sq. ft.) or large-sized (more than 1,500 sq. ft.) spaces. In 2004, only 55.4% of sites had a mid- to large-size convenience store, compared to 82.4% today.

According to Kalibrate: “This trend is likely a consequence of significant investments in backcourt facilities

and the increased involvement of convenience retailing specialists such as Couche-Tard and 7-Eleven in the retail fuel landscape. In recent years, the mid-size c-store has surpassed the large c-store as the most common configuration at 48% of sites. It may be a result of limited site real estate space, as fuel marketers also invest in other backcourt facilities such as car washes or quick-serve restaurants.”

Car washes also play a key role: There are 2,373 car washes associated with the 10,090 stations reporting backcourt offerings. That’s 21.7%, down slightly from 22.1% in 2021, but way up from 15.4% in 2004. The car wash representation of the three major brands (Petro-Canada, Esso and Shell) rose to 15.5% in 2022, up from 14.6% in 2021 and 9.2% in 2004.

How important is food to the forecourt?

Foodservice is a rapidly growing category, with huge potential. There are 1,808 quick-serve restaurants (QSRs) associated with the 10,090 sites reporting ancillary offerings, which translates into almost 18% of sites—a significant increase from 13.3% in 2021 and 7.8% in 2004. Data shows QSRs are generally integrated into the convenience store and are typically run by third-party vendors. According to Kalibrate: “They provide increased traffic not only to the pumps but also to the store itself.”

How are electric vehicles shaping the forecourt?

Electric vehicle charging stations are now available from 22 fuel marketing companies, up from 11 in 2019 and that number continues to grow. While adding EV charging stations naturally does not add to fuel sales, according to Kalibrate: “EV or PHEV visits to gas stations may help maintain convenience stores, QSR, and car wash revenues. The adoption of electric charging stations may alter the perception of a gas station from

OCTANE July | August 2023

7

FORECOURT PERFORMANCE REPORT 2023

11% OF SITES OFFER FULL SERVICE, COMPARED TO 36% IN 2004

a ‘quick stop’ to a ‘destination stop’, where consumers can enjoy amenities such as free Wi-Fi or a cafe experience while charging their vehicle.”

In an ever-changing world shaped by the evolving demands of consumers, regulators, and stakeholders, as well as global issues, the sector continues to innovate and adapt. As Kalibrate reports: “The retail gasoline industry is a vital part of the day-to-day lives of most Canadians by providing automotive fuels and related goods and services to the consumer.” Looking ahead, the forecourt is undergoing a massive transformation, embracing technology, EV, convenience and foodservice to both modify and solidify its role in the Canadian retail landscape.

QC 2,941 ON 3,288

Retail site demographics AB

SK

MB

QC

NB

NS

PE

NL

YT

NT

CAN

Population (000’s) 5,319 4,543 Retail Outlet Population 1,381 1,602 Outlets per 10,000 2.60 3.53 Population Rank (lowest=1) 2 4

BC

1,195 704

1,409 591

15,109 8,696 3,288 2,941

ON

812 426

1,020 388

171 83

526 376

44 59

46 54

38,889 11,893

5.89

4.19

2.18

3.38

5.25

3.80

4.86

7.15

13.47

11.84

3.06

9

6

1

3

8

5

7

10

12

11

Source: Statistics Canada (Table: 17-10-0005-01), Kalibrate (Outlet counts)

2.4 1.9

8

July | August 2023 OCTANE

3.3

3.2

3.3

3.4

2.8

2.1

2022

2021

2020

2019

2017

2015

2013

2007

2005

2003

2001

1999

1997

1995

1.7

1993

1991

1.5

2.5

2.6

3.3

2011

3.1

2009

Historical Canada-average 3.8 3.7 throughputs 3.5 3.5

Historical gasoline retail outlet counts

1988

20,170

THE NUMBER OF RETAIL GAS STATIONS PEAKED AT ABOUT 20,360 IN 1989

average decline of 2.5%

2000 average decline of 1.8%

2013

2022

Proportion of sites using a brand owned by another company is increasing

43% 2022

38% 2021

11,893

6%

annual growth rate of only 0.1%

2004

THE NUMBER OF CANADIAN SITES OFFERING DIESEL—ABOUT THREE IN FOUR—HAS CHANGED LITTLE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS Share of market by number of outlets by brand 2022

Fas Gas 1.4%

Others 32.2%

Esso 16.8%

Shell 11.4% Ultramar 6.1% Co-op 4.0%

TK

Irving 3.8%

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Others 30.6%

Petro-Canada 13.4%

Pioneer 1.5% Chevron 1.9% Mobil 2.2% Canadian Tire 2.5% Husky 2.8%

Share of market by number of outlets by marketer 2022 Parkland Fuel 17.6% Suncor Energy Products 10%

Greenergy Fuels Canada 2.3% Filgo-Sonic, Groupe 2.3% Canadian Tire Petroleum 2.4%

Couche-Tard 9.7% Shell Canada 6.3% Federated Co-operatives 5.9%

Pétroles Cadeko 2.6% 7-Eleven Canada 3.2%

Sobeys Capital 3.6%

Harnois Énergies 3.5%

OCTANE July | August 2023

9

FORECOURT PERFORMANCE REPORT 2023

ONE IN SIX GAS STATIONS FEATURES A QSR

Car washes 2004

15.4%

2006

17.2%

2008

16.8%

2010

16.7%

2012 2014

18.3%

2016

19.6%

2018

20%

2020

QSR

17.9%

20.6%

21.5%

2021

22.1%

2022

21.7%

A big jump from 7.8% in 2004

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6% OF GAS STATIONS HAVE SERVICE BAYS, DOWN FROM 15% IN 2004

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Inver dealer today

Size of store 1500+ square feet

Quality Fuel

500 - 1500 square feet

Reliable Supply

500 square feet

0%

20% 2022

40%

2004

Inquiries about the data contained in this report can be directed to Suzanne Gray at suzanne.gray@kalibrate.com or 226-270-8964

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Transparent and competitive pricing Contact us to learn how Inver can help you grow your business canadainquiries @greenergy.com

FEATURE

MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS BENEFITS Industry insiders share tips for building an effective car wash loyalty program to boost your bottom line

BY DA N I E L R E A L E - CH I N

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE

As an independent car wash operator, what can be more were still hesitant to do auto important to your business than customers? Loyal ones. With payments,” says Lovepreet national banners spreading across the country and north Thind, whose father and uncle over the southern border, a loyal customer-base can help you started the business. not only maintain, but also grow your car wash business.

Popular’s membership program began with automated With new technology emerging often, car wash membership monthly payments connected to customers’ credit cards, programs are a great way to reward your customers for their and plastic cards that customers could scan to enter the car loyalty, maintain a steady flow of income to your business wash tunnels. Eventually, the Thind family expanded their and turn one-time customers into regbusiness to five more locations across ular clients.

Southern Ontario, implementing loyalty Ontario-based Popular Car Wash programs at each new site. and Detailing first introduced its membership program back in 2018. It Upselling customers began with two locations on opposite Popular’s membership packages offer ends of Etobicoke: 131 The West Mall customers unlimited spins through the and 305 Rexdale Blvd. tunnel. Memberships come in three “It was difficult to roll out at first packages: Quick Wash ($19.50), Rim Gurbakhsish, Mansimer and because it was new to the Canadian Lovers ($29.99) and Lava Shine ($39.99).

Lovepreet Thind of Popular Car Wash and Detailing market, and back then, customers A typical one-time wash costs $9.73, but

12

July | August 2023 OCTANE

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Scan for more insights from Travis Braithewaite of ClearWater CarWash.

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Tech investments Membership programs are enabled by technology, technology that seems to be changing almost yearly.

“In the past, customers were sold a physical card, similar to a bus pass, each month that allowed them to wash,” says Travis Braithewaite of ClearWater CarWash in St. Albert, Alta.

Tom Tallon “However, this process was cumbersome and not widely adopted.”

Braithewaite is a new addition to the CCA. He joined the association’s Board of Directors this year to advocate for himself and other operators in the industry. He says that in recent years, the industry has moved toward technology like Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags for cars and license plate recognition systems (LPR) for memberships.

Karen Smith Dreams Eco Xpress works with Hamilton Manufacturing Corp. for its pay station, leveraging its technology to collect monthly automated payments and using RFID tags in customers’ windshields to let them in the automated wash.

“Over the past few years, we have seen an interesting trend in in-bay automatics wanting to do limited wash clubs,” says Theresa Weidner, marketing manager for Hamilton ManuTheresa Weidner facturing. “Historically IBAs were hesitant to offer wash clubs due to the potential of driving away potential customers with long lines of club members.”

Weidner says that some of Hamilton’s most successful customers offer “limited” programs, like the one that Dreams offers. Hamilton’s technology also includes its ExpressPass RFID, Potential downsides which helps operators offer monthly wash clubs Karen Smith, operator at Valet Car Wash in by putting the tamper-proof tag in windshields.

Travis Cambridge, Ont., and president of the CanaIn 2020, the team at Popular began working Braithewaite dian Carwash Association (CCA), says that with Atlas RFID Store—a technology compacar wash membership programs have become ny based in Alabama—to switch from offering so popular because, “they offer great value to the customer cards to placing tags in customers’ windshields for easy mawhile providing steady income for the operator.” chine recognition.“It was right in the middle of COVID, so However, Smith also sees potential downsides: Your dolcustomers appreciated the fact that the RFID stickers were lar-per-car and margins are less with membership programs contactless,” says Thind. and you have to deal with the potential for abuse.

Beyond RFID tags, many companies also offer technology Tallon recently began integrating limited membership to support multiple kinds of configurations for membership programs at Dreams. The limited option limits customers to programs. For instance, Hamilton has technology for operfour washes per month—once a week, essentially—and alators who prefer to manage memberships through mobile lows customers to save about $10 on each of the membership apps, RFID and license plate recognition (a trending choice packages. in the U.S.).

“It works for us in the sense that customers are limited to One of the motivations for Popular’s switch to RFID was how much they’re able to wash, but customers are also able to volume. As the number of customers signed up for Popular’s get their money’s worth as well. With the strain on the econmembership program increased from the hundreds to the omy lately, customers have been appreciative to save a penny thousands, Thind says the typical card-program could no lonwhere they can,” says Tallon. ger support the volume.

Thind says the Lava Shine (which costs $15 for a one-time wash) is the most popular among his membership packages. It offers a typical tunnel wash and includes Lava Shine foam, bug spray, Carnauba Hot Wax, Armor All Extreme Shine Wax, Rain-X Graphene Spray and Simoniz Tire Shine.

“What we realized in the most recent years, with the chemistry being changed or upgraded, is that getting more name brands into our wash programs helps upsell customers,” says Thind. “When you have something like Simoniz Tire Shine or Armor All products in your wash that customers recognize, it’s easy for your attendants to upsell and promote your premium packages.”

Dreams Eco Xpress in Calgary, Alta., implements similar incentives at its car wash.

Its memberships are comparable to Popular’s, with three packages: The Heavenly Wash ($50), Cloud 9 ($45) and Enhanced Basic ($40). They offer similar premium products for their higher-cost memberships and, like Popular, extra bells and whistles, including free vacuums, blow guns and mat cleaners.

“Offering those extra things are going to help retain customers for a lot longer, especially when they feel like they’re being taken care of,” says Tom Tallon, director of operations at Dreams.

Flexibility is key—any level of membership at Dreams allows customers to visit one of its two (soon-to-be three) locations in the Calgary area. Popular also gives customers the option to visit any of its sites.

CCentral.ca

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Now, Thind estimates Popular’s membership program includes about 25,000 members across all six locations. After 2020, Thind says they shifted marketing, focusing 80% of marketing efforts on membership programs, using Google ads, social media, direct mail, radio and billboards to promote the programs.

With the popularity of the program, Thind is now planning to switch to LPR at the car wash, which he hopes to have up-and-running by the end of the year.

“I would like to begin with LPR before the winter season kicks in,” says Thind.

He appreciates the simplicity of an LPR system. The initial set-up may be pricey with the switch to advanced scanners, but Thind is interested in some advanced scanners that are able to register the colour of the vehicle in case people switch license plates and try to misuse them. Thind is still scouting manufacturers to help implement Popular’s switch to LPR. The best marketing Car wash membership programs are a great way for operators to build a steady customer base and to reward their loyalty. In Canada, membership programs have the added benefit of maintaining a bit of income through harsh winter months that could see empty bays and dried-out tunnels. Whether through RFID or LPR, the technology in this space is ever-evolving, as are the marketing tools like social media, Google ads and QR codes on-site to help drive conversion rates.

Despite all this, Weidner says, “The best tool to promote your wash clubs will always be a physical person at your site. Nothing will ever beat having an attendant personally ask your customers to enroll.”

Best practices The team at Hamilton Manufacturing shares these tips.

• Offer a lower first-month introductory rate to build your clientele. Be sure also to specify how many months customers must sign up for before cancelling, we usually recommend at least three.

• For pricing your club, check out your competition. Typically, between two- and three-times the price of the wash for the club is a good place to start.

• Count on some abuse.

Regardless of which wash club method you choose to go with, there is the potential for abuse.

Build in safeguards, like how many times people can wash per month and how quickly they can go back through the wash. OCTANE

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