Three Brands Compete for Millennials at an Intersection
One intersection, three competing chains… it’s an increasingly common site to see, yet it always feels like a Wild West showdown. Three brooding characters meet and one declares, “This...
What Does Blockchain Have to do with Food Safety?
IBM continues to scale up its blockchain efforts, teaming up with some of the biggest names in the food industry. Participants include Walmart, Kroger, Nestlé, Unilever, Tyson Foods, Dole,...
Is Your Business Hurricane Ready? 23 Things Stores & Restaurants Must Do to Prepare
The worst hurricane season of the decade is in full force. This year’s hurricanes have left scores dead, millions homeless, and billions of dollars in damage in their wake....
Why Gas Stations are the New Quick-Service Restaurants
When it’s time to refuel, where do you go? A decade ago, you likely chose based on gas prices. Now when that light pops up, it triggers an almost...
Restaurant Operators vs. Yelp – How to Respond to Negative Reviews
“There’s no such thing as bad publicity…” except in the restaurant industry. Food safety and cleanliness concerns destroy brand value. This is not a new concept. However, operators now...
Reducing Employee Theft
“Increasing organizational accountability” is often a lauded phrase in restaurant and retail operations. The goal is to empower employees so operators don’t need to micromanage their stores – they...
Shoplifting, Return Fraud, & Employee Theft at All Time High
Operators are increasingly focused on loss prevention, and for good reason – retail shrinkage is increasing. Products are disappearing from shelves faster than you can one-click order that same...
Retailer Rankings Indicate Major Growth for Convenience Stores
Marketplace differentiation is an increasingly hot topic in retail as it relates to innovative merchandising and value proposition. What’s not? Sterile big-box retail. This was a key revelation from...
The Pitfalls of Mystery Shoppers
After the recession slouch, mystery shopping is finally making a comeback, and is buttressed by new technologies- cameras and mobile devices providing new and improved vantage points for retail...
How to Write Questions for Store or Restaurant Audits
I don’t usually get to answer the headline prompt in the first line of a blog post, but here it is… Dig deeper and don’t settle for the status...