Convenience Store Distribution With A New Product Into Convenience Stores

How to get Convenience Store Distribution with a new product into Convenience Stores? When you start testing the marketplace with your newly developed product a great place to look is Convenience Store Chains, which you can purchase on our site. We also recommend going after convenience store distributors, which you can find at www.cstoredistributors.com.  If you are looking for the fast track into convenience stores, you should also check out www.checkstandprogram.com.  Checkstand Program can launch your product into anywhere from 200 to 5,000 convenience stores instantly. If your product fits the market niche of convenience stores then you should definitely target convenience store buyers. For this post we wanted to give you the best pointers to using our information in order to get you a big push of purchase orders coming your way when you attack this market using our lists. The Must Do List of Selling to Convenience Store Distributors, Convenience Store Jobbers, Convenience Store Wholesalers, Distribution Catalogs, Large Chain Accounts, Smoke Shops, Tobacco Distributors, Independent Convenience Stores, and Convenience Store Brokers.

The biggest thing to understand is that every sale comes down to one thing… Emotions. Don’t lose me here as you have to have a lot more than emotions. We have somewhat skipped ahead of the sales process, but I wanted to tell you the most important thing first!
Now Let’s Look At The Bullet Points Needed with Emphasis

First and foremost. Pricing, Inventory, Spec Sheets, Sales Sheets, and a “deck” power-point or PDF. Here is what all that is meant to do. You can see samples of these by googling the terms. Pricing is a Major Tricky Equation when you are pricing your product. Take into count the “Kohl’s way” of pricing items. Notice how everything in their store is on sale. Everything… This is what I mean. If you would sell your item for eighty cents ($.80) all day then it would be great to say one dollar per unit and buy two cases get the third free. By doing this buy X and get one free it becomes attractive to get higher volume orders. Make the math work. You also need to have your pricing broken down. Internally you need to know your cost. You also need to know exactly what your competition is selling it for. Convenience Stores do not care if you are a start-up and cost more, they just want to make a profit and they can sell your competition and make more, well that makes it hard for them to get on your team. So you know your cost and your competitions selling price. Now you need to run some numbers. What to include in pricing? You must include the following in your pricing. I will post more on this subject to explain further, but for the purposes of this post… we will just give the information.

You will need to have the following: • Master Distributor Pricing • Distributor Pricing
• Pricing on minimums, pallets, multiple pallets, truckload
• Shipping Rates and FOB (best to break this out into zone pricing)
• Brokers compensation – normally I would include up to 15% in case needed (this isn’t on the sheet… but build it into your pricing so you can pay it)
• Wholesaler Pricing
• Price to Store

You need all of those things run on the unit, the display, a master case, and (how many master cases are on a pallet) pallet pricing. Keep this matrix close to you at all times, because I guarantee your biggest calls are not going to happen when you are ready. So always be ready.
On the inventory portion of this matrix.

You need to know what you have in inventory, what the lead times are for each and every order size, minimum order quantity, and pricing tiers based on volume.

This brings us into the Sales Sheets. Sales Sheets show the Top 4-6 reasons why someone would want your product. You need to describe what problem it solves, why yours is the best, other key features, how much it has sold, and or any key accounts or celebrities that endorse your product. Make sure and have the UPC, Display measurements, and all available colors or flavors. Also on this Sale Sheet you need to have great images of the product. These images are of a single unit, the display, and the item in use or in a special bigger display. You should also have MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) and any other specials you are running such as buy three and get fourth free. The Sales Sheet is to show them why they need to buy the product and give them all the information so that they can do that and understand the value in doing that. MAKE SURE AND PUT THE M.O.Q. (minimum order quantity) on your sales sheets.

Spec Ops… C Store Distributors need the Spec Sheet

A Spec Sheet shows the pallet configuration. So you break down all measurements of unit, display, case, and a pallet. You also tell how much a truck load is. This is mainly for warehouse purpose but also so they understand how many units come in a display. This shows a Convenience Store Broker or Convenience Store Suppliers how many displays will come in one case and how many cases are on a pallet of your items. You also can use this sheet to show off some other cool displays that may work. You should have your end cap display and how many units it holds. If you get in a Convenience Store Chain you may get a power wing so have that configuration on there as well.

A Deck Page comes as a Power Point or PDF

The Deck Page is six to ten pages of who you are, who your company is, why the product exists (problem it solves), and the biggest part any and why there is a need for your product. You can also include how many accounts and what key accounts you are in currently. Showing the fact that people are reordering is a major plus.

Now we are ready to evoke emotions on the call.

Now that you have your sales package ready with killer images and videos and all the other great things you built for your presentations. Now we are ready to evoke emotions on the call. If you call Convenience Store Chains, or Convenience Store Distributors, then you better be ready to sell them on the vision. You have to get them on your team. This is more important than all that data that you just put together. You have to realize this. When that Jobber or Distributor places the item in the store it is normally from a sales rep. That sales rep doesn’t know your story and has no skin into that product being a success. That operation you are calling on runs like this. The owner or buyer takes the product and sets it into inventory and tells his reps to get it out to stores. They leave and go get it into some stores. Now here lies the problem, you don’t have a brand ambassador. This is your key. You need to convince how wonderful supporting and building up your brand is going to be and that you are going to put a lot into those sales guys.

Here is How to Get the Push Behind Your Brand

You need to get the owners of the stores, the chain buyers, and the Convenience Store Distributors behind you. You can use a broker to do this if this doesn’t fit your cup of tea. Convenience store brokers will go out and sell your product to key accounts if you can get them to represent your line. The other thing is that we offer this service for every Check Stand Program product. You run a sales contest for the sales reps. You also need to give them a lot of support, show them the deck, and walk them through the story. The story behind you and your company and about how much you believe in what you are doing. This passion is contagious and that is what you need to catch, so that those stores catch it as well. This will get you premium placements, nice in store promotion, and a mini sales force pushing your product at each store.

Now you have everything lined up… Time to Bring the Sell on the Shelves. You now need to perform. You need those units to move and sell through. You need to back up these stores placements with marketing, promotions, and advertising. There are a lot of ways to do this but by syncing up all these factors you can get your product moving with Convenience Store Chains or Convenience Store Distributors.

Here are the Top Convenience Store Chains in the U.S that include buyer’s emails and contact info.

 

1-100	Convenience Store Chain Name	# of Stores	Store Size
#1	7-Eleven Inc.	7,790	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#2	Alimentation Couche-Tard (Mac’s, Circle K)	5,700	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#3	CST Brands Inc. (Valero)	1,887	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#4	Casey’s General Stores Inc.	1,759	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#5	The Pantry (Kangaroo Express)	1,567	2,600 sq. ft.
#6	Speedway LLC	1,468	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#7	Hess Corp.	1,354	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#8	Murphy USA Inc.	1,184	500-1,000 sq. ft.
#9	BP America (ampm)	950	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#10	Kroger Co., Convenience Division	784	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#11	Suncor Energy Inc. (Petro-Canada)	759	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#12	Chevron Corp. (ExtraMile)	720	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#13	Pilot Flying J	690	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#14	QuikTrip Corp.	674	4,000+ sq. ft.
#15	Sunoco Inc.	650	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#16	Wawa Inc.	630	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#17	Susser Holdings Corp. (Stripes Convenience Stores)	627	4,000+ sq. ft.
#18	Tesoro Corp.	600	4000+ sq. ft.
#19	Cumberland Farms	574	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#20	Shell Canada	500	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#20	Husky Energy Inc.	500	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#22	Holiday Stationstores	493	3,000 sq. ft.
#23	GPM Investments LLC (Fas Mart) and GPM Southeast LLC	472	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#24	Sheetz Inc.	466	4,000+ sq. ft.
#25	Western Refining Inc./Northern Tier Energy	459	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#26	Kwik Trip Inc.	439	4000+ sq. ft.
#27	Kum & Go LC	422	4,000+ sq. ft.
#28	Delek U.S. Holdings Inc./Mapco	372	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#29	RaceTrac Petroleum Inc.	365	4000+ sq. ft.
#30	Stewart’s Shops	330	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#31	Allsup’s Convenience Stores Inc.	319	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#32	Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores	312	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#33	Pioneer Energy LP	305	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#34	E-Z Mart Stores	300	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#35	Kwik Fill/Red Apple, Smokers Outlet	287	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#36	Alon Brands Retail	286	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#37	Maverik Inc.	264	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#38	TravelCenters of America (TA-Petro)	248	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#38	CEFCO Convenience Stores	248	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#40	My Goods Market	230	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#41	Landmark Industries/Timewise	226	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#42	Sunshine Gasoline Distributors	225	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#43	Hasty Market Corp.	210	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#43	Convenient Food Mart	210	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#45	Jacksons Food Stores (Jackson Oil)	203	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#46	Giant Eagle (GetGo)	191	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#47	Tedeschi Food Shops	188	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#48	United Dairy Farmers Inc.	184	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#49	Meijer Gas Stations	182	4,000-plus sq. ft.
#50	Lehigh Gas Corp. (Topper Petroleum)	181	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#51	Admiral Petroleum	173	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#52	Flash Foods Inc. (The Jones Co.)	172	2,800 sq. ft.
#52	Thorntons Inc.	172	4,000-plus sq. ft.
#54	VPS Convenience Store Group (Village Pantry)	167	2,000-4,500 sq. ft.
#55	Royal Farms	155	4,000 sq. ft.
#56	Drake Petroleum Co. (Xtra Mart)	148	2,500 sq. ft.
#57	G&M Oil Co.	145	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#58	QuickChek Corp.	138	4,000 sq. ft.
#59	United Oil Co.	130	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#60	Vintners Distributors Inc.	124	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#61	Englefield Oil Co. (Duchess Shoppes)	123	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#62	Hy-Vee Gas	120	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#62	Alliance Energy LLC (Alltown)	120	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#64	Quality Oil Co. LLC	116	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#65	Huck’s Convenience Stores	113	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#66	7-Eleven Stores of Oklahoma	111	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#67	truenorth energy llc	109	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#68	Plaid Pantries Inc.	108	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#68	Go-Mart Inc.	108	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#70	GasMart USA	107	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#71	Terrible Herbst	106	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#72	Jet-Pep Inc.	104	NA
#73	Spartan Stores Inc. (Quick Stop)	103	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#74	ARS West LLC (American Retail Services)	102	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#75	Little General Stores Inc.	98	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#75	Blarney Castle Oil Co./EZ Mart	98	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#77	Town Pump Inc.	93	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#77	Anabi Oil	93	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#79	Mountain Empire Oil Co. (Roadrunner)	92	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#80	Flash Market Inc.	91	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#81	Petroleum Wholesale Inc. (Sunmart)	88	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#82	E&C Enterprises Inc. (Petroleum Mktg. Group)	87	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#83	Petroleum Marketers (Stop In Food Stores)	86	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#83	Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes	86	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#83	Gasamat Oil (Smoker Friendly)	86	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#86	Family Fare Inc.	84	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#87	Nouria Energy Corp. (Lil’ Mart)	83	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#88	Victory Marketing LLC (Sprint Mart)	82	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#88	First Coast Energy (Daily’s)	82	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#90	Coborn’s Inc.	81	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#91	MNS Ltd. (ABC Stores)	80	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#91	Certified Oil	80	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#91	C.N. Brown Co.	80	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#94	Buchanan Energy Co. (Bucky’s)	79	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#95	MFA Oil Co. (Break Time)	78	1,000-2,500 sq. ft.
#96	Gate Petroleum Co.	75	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#97	The Spinx Co.	73	4,000+ sq. ft.
#97	FKG Oil Co. (Moto Mart)	73	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#99	Toot’n Totum Food Stores LLP	72	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.
#99	Han-Dee Hugo	72	2,300 sq. ft.
#100	Country Fair	71	2,500-4,000 sq. ft.

Get our directories and start syncing up immediately. If you have a tough time and want the fast track to get your product(s) into convenience stores, ask us about our Check Stand Program.