C-Store Operations Best Practices

C-Store operations best practices evolve with experience, technology and creativity. Retail competition is high. Therefore, smart owners and managers seek new ways to serve customers. Naturally, they want to provide new items that are desired. Obviously, they desire higher margins for higher convenience and value.

New products, faster service, cleaner shopping, home delivery, choices, and sometimes just simpler options are all included. Successful C-Store operations best practices make use of hot products as well as long term service excellence. Monitoring results, listening to customers and measuring ROI are all part of choosing the items of value.

In addition to great merchandise and service, operations have a direct impact on results. Operators that achieve high growth, stable margins and increasing loyalty operate well. Technology, management and training drive operations success. Best practices apply to technology selection. Of course, management is critical. Top performers have the same items as the bottom performers. Different cashiers in the same store have different outcomes. Stores are the same. Management and execution make a difference.

C-stores that thrive study best practices. They measure their results with POS scan data analytics and compare themselves internally and externally. The use of data is an objective way to find areas of strength. Of course, objective data will show weakness as well. The key is to know the actual status and focus energy on the priority work that drives sales and provides control.

Leading with Respect: Chastity’s Way

C-Store Leadership Keys: From Risks to Results

C-Store Operations Best Practices | C-Store Tips | Managing C-Store Change & Accountability | Store Manager Development | Uncategorized
July 15, 2025 — 

Chastity didn’t plan on a future in c-store leadership. She came from nursing, took a five-year break to fight cancer, and then decided to change her life completely. When her doctors cleared her to work, she set her sights on the c-store across the street from her house in Lakeview, Oregon. “I hounded the manager …

Image of Stephanie Galentine, Darrell Meek, and Mason Cowan, panelist -In a recent SG Voices panel discussion, Stephanie Galentine,  Lassus Brothers, Darrell Meek, JD Streett, Mason Cowan, BandyWorks, and Jed , SG Voices discussed how they maximize c-store leadership development ROI.

Maximize C-Store Leadership Development ROI

C-Store News & Work Shops | C-Store Operations Best Practices | Managing C-Store Change & Accountability | Store Manager Development | Uncategorized
July 10, 2025 — 

In a recent SG Voices panel discussion, Stephanie Galentine, Lassus Brothers, Darrell Meek, JD Streett, Mason Cowan, Tom Bandy, BandyWorks, and Jed Brewer, SG Voices, discussed how they maximize c-store leadership development ROI. Summary C-Store managers are essential to the success of convenience stores. The speakers highlight that effective store management, particularly in leadership and …

Image of the book C-Store Growth Mindset, Making Peace with Accountability by Tom Bandy and Mason Cowan. A field-test approach to establishing a culture of growth using an accountability system

C-Store Leadership Development – Coaching & Reprimands

C-Store Operations Best Practices | Focus - Accountability Principles | Managing C-Store Change & Accountability
June 25, 2025 — 

C-Store Leadership Development – Coaching & Reprimands are essential skills for growing sales and controlling profits. It is critical for managers to provide honest, helpful, and clear feedback to keep their c-store operations team at top performance. It has been argued that positive feedback is essential to keep morale and teamwork strong. Experienced managers are …

Image of Hedi Sabo at her West Bryan Main Stop store. Heidi Sabo shared her experience with c-store leadership keys: finding your place, building your people. She didn’t start out thinking she’d run a convenience store. In fact, she tried just about everything else before settling into what became the perfect fit. Her story is one of exploration, resilience, and returning—again and again—to the c-store world until it finally stuck.

C-Store Leadership Keys: Finding Your Place, Building Your People

C-Store Operations Best Practices | Managing C-Store Change & Accountability | Store Manager Development | Uncategorized
June 15, 2025 — 

Heidi Sabo shared her experience with c-store leadership keys: finding your place, building your people. She didn’t start out thinking she’d run a convenience store. In fact, she tried just about everything else before settling into what became the perfect fit. Her story is one of exploration, resilience, and returning—again and again—to the c-store world …

Rhonda Nichols lives the profession of life of practicing c-store leadership keys every day. She didn’t follow the traditional cashier-to-manager path that many convenience store leaders take. Her journey into the world of convenience began early and unconventionally. She has carved out a unique leadership style rooted in experience, expectation, and empowerment. Rhonda’s story starts in her teenage years, where she worked in a beauty school and eventually owned her own shop. “I was about 18, just out of school, I ran my own business, then moved into retail management, and eventually stumbled into convenience stores.” But this wasn’t her first brush with the industry. Her mother owned a store when Rhonda was younger, and that experience stuck with her. “I absolutely loved it. I liked the quick pace.”

C-Store Leadership Keys: Trusting the Process with High Standards

C-Store Operations Best Practices | Focus - Accountability Principles | Managing C-Store Change & Accountability | Uncategorized
May 29, 2025 — 

Rhonda Nichols lives the profession of life of practicing c-store leadership keys every day. She didn’t follow the traditional cashier-to-manager path that many convenience store leaders take. Her journey into the world of convenience began early and unconventionally. She has carved out a unique leadership style rooted in experience, expectation, and empowerment. Rhonda’s story starts …

Image of GoMart customer using loyalty applciation. One of the strategic improvements.

Strategically Targeted Incremental C-Store Operations Enhancements

C-Store Operations Best Practices | Uncategorized
May 25, 2025 — 

The big take-away, from a three-year project to improve c-store operations at GoMart was a bit of common sense and leadership prioritization: there are substantial advantages to strategically targeted, incremental c-store operations enhancements supported by data analytics. By embracing a thoughtful, measured approach to change management, Go Mart continues to strengthen its competitive position and …

Skylar Feldman’s Approach to Leadership at Lassus is an example of c-store management life - calm, cool, and collected. When you grow up watching someone lead by example, that bar is set early and high.

C-Store Management Life – Calm, Cool, and Collected

C-Store Operations Best Practices | Uncategorized
April 14, 2025 — 

Skylar Feldman’s Approach to Leadership at Lassus is an example of c-store management life – calm, cool, and collected. When you grow up watching someone lead by example, that bar is set early and high. For Skylar, now the store manager at the Lassus location in Leesburg, that person was his mom. She spent over …

Image of Brown's coner store front. Building a scalable c-store operations team can be a challenge for convenience store operators . Let’s focus on one major variable in the equation: Your peopl

Building a Scalable C-Store Operations Team

C-Store Operations Best Practices | C-Store Tips | Store Manager Development
April 11, 2025 — 

Building a scalable c-store operations team can be a challenge for convenience store operators. Let’s focus on one major variable in the equation: Your people. They are the key to improve c-store operations. The average turnover rate for full time employees in the industry can be substantial. As high as 130% in recent reports (NACS). …

Don Broadwaterlisted the three qualifications for c-store managers if you want to have a successful career in the convenience industry.. His store is located in Napolean, ohio. Image of bridge and courthouse in Napoleon, Ohio courtesy of city of Napolean

Three Qualifications for C-Store Managers

C-Store Operations Best Practices | Managing C-Store Change & Accountability | Store Manager Development
March 24, 2025 — 

Don Broadwater listed the three qualifications for c-store managers if you want to have a successful career in the convenience industry. These traits were explained as he shared his transition from his initial job in a family- run grocery store to his current position as the manager of an up-and-coming, newly-renovated store in Napoleon, Ohio. His …

image of barrista. While Simon Sinec's protrayal of being a great boss is emotionally rewarding, it begs the question as the ROI of becoming Noah's boss for c-store operations.

ROI of Becoming Noah’s Boss for C-Store Operations

C-Store Operations Best Practices | Managing C-Store Change & Accountability | Store Manager Development | Uncategorized
February 5, 2025 — 

While Simon Sinek’s portrayal of being a great boss is emotionally rewarding, it begs the question as the ROI of becoming Noah’s boss for c-store operations. Naturally, everyone wants to be supportive, positive, and receive accolades for creating a great place to work. However, how much does it really benefit the owners and shareholders? Is …

Jim Neaton, Stephanie Gallentine, and Greg Garrison participate in the BandyWorks 2024 Year-in-Review panel,  on December 10, 2024, and share these c-store operations 2024 key take-aways. The active session was attended by owners, operations leaders and store managers. The participating panelist operate dozens of stores each. They incluede the owner and leaders of Sunrise Store, Lassus, and Garrison Food Mart.

C-Store Operations 2024 Key Take-Aways

C-Store Operations Best Practices | C-Store Tips | Managing C-Store Change & Accountability | Store Manager Development
December 24, 2024 — 

Jim Neaton, Stephanie Galentine, and Greg Garrison participated in the BandyWorks Year-in-Review panel on December 10 and shared these c-store operations 2024 key take-aways. The active session was attended by owners, operations leaders and store managers. The participating panelist operate dozens of stores each. They include the owner and leaders of Sunrise Stores, Lassus, and …

Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Avoiding Burnout in Retail Operations

C-Store Operations Best Practices | C-Store Tips | Managing C-Store Change & Accountability | Store Manager Development
December 22, 2024 — 

Watching Jacinta create her hand-decorated Christmas cookies for her child’s elementary school party, I thought I may have the perfect expert to help explain her secrets for avoiding burnout in retail operations. So, I asked her about the secret to balancing work and family life. She responded quickly, “Admittedly, I was a people pleaser in …