by John Keller | May 16, 2014 | Customer News, Fuel Price Management, Fuel Software, Industry News
As reported by CSPnet.com, Flyers Energy made another acquisition, this time adding the commercial fueling, wholesale contracts and two convenience stores from Redding Oil Co., a fuel distributor based in northern California.
Flyers Energy is northern California’s largest fuel distributor, and continues to grow as it expands its operations throughout the Western United States.
Auburn, Calif.-based Flyers Energy franchises the Flyers fuel brand and distributes wholesale and branded retail fuel, commercial lubricants, renewable fuels and solar power in the United States. Flyers Energy is the largest member of Commercial Fueling Network and is also the marketer for more than 100 Chevron, Shell, Valero, and 76 branded stations. Flyers Energy offers commercial fueling at 230,000 retail gas stations nationwide with the Flyers Fleet Card.
Flyers Energy selected PriceAdvantage in 2012 to manage their fuel pricing process throughout their retail locations.
“PriceAdvantage allows us to automate our fuel pricing process while aligning our pricing strategy and improving communications across our network of sites,” said Tom DiMercurio, Director of Accounting at Flyers Energy. “Our goal is to leverage technology to reduce operating expenses and to provide a means of tracking the implementation of price changes through the whole process. PriceAdvantage is allowing us to accomplish both of these objectives.”
by John Keller | May 13, 2014 | Customer News, Fuel Price Optimization, Fuel Pricing Strategy, Fuel Software
PriceAdvantage customer CST Brands reported their earnings for their first quarter today. Here are the fuel highlights.
- Retail fuel margins before credit card fees were $0.139 per gallon, up from $0.116 per gallon for the same period in 2013. According to the weekly OPIS reports, average retail fuel margins across the US were down $0.001 per gallon compared to last year. That means CST Brands was able to beat the national average this year and gain margins. This is the goal of CST Brands according to previous financial reports, as CST Brands has shifted their fuel pricing strategy to focus on gaining retail fuel margins. CST Brands was once again successful in achieving that margin goal.
- Retail fuel volumes per site per day were 4,797 gallons compared to 5,048 gallons last year. That equates to a 4.97% decrease in gallons year over year.
Is this strategy shift to a margin emphasis working for CST Brands, given the loss of volumes? Let’s do the math. Suppose Q1 of 2014 had the same number of gallons sold in the US as Q1 of 2013. That’s a bold assumption, given that fuel volumes have been on a continual decrease for many years now, but for argument’s sake let’s use that assumption. Multiply the 2013 results of 5,048 gallons by $0.116 per gallon, and you get $585 in daily margin. Multiply the 2014 results of 4,797 gallons by $$0.139 per gallon, and you get $666 in daily margin. That’s an improvement in daily margin of $81. Multiply that by 90 days in the quarter by 1038 stores and you get an improvement of $7.57 million.
Clearly the fuel pricing strategy at CST Brands is working.
CST Brands, when they were under the Valero umbrella, worked closely with the PriceAdvantage team to develop a rich set of analysis views and reports so they could optimize their entire fuels business. Since rolling out PriceAdvantage across all their stores in 2012, CST Brands now reaps the benefit of this rich information in PriceAdvantage by implementing a winning fuel pricing strategy as proven by these quarterly results.
by John Keller | Apr 30, 2014 | Customer News, Industry News, PriceAdvantage
Convenience Store Decisions reported today that Gabe Olives, Director of Fuels for PriceAdvantage customer Rutter’s Farm Stores, has been named vice chair of Conexxus, the rebranded name of PCATS (Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards).
Conexxus is a non-profit organization member-driven technology organization dedicated to the development and implementation of standards, technologies innovation and advocacy for the convenience store and motor fuels market. Its mission is to addresses technology standards to improve business processes, reduce costs and increase productivity for the convenience and fuel retailing industry. Read more about Conexxus here.
Rutter’s was an early adapter of PriceAdvantage back in 2007, integrating their PriceAdvantage fuels software with Skyline electronic price signs, Radiant POS, and PDI back office software for a complete closed loop solution. In 2011 Rutter’s extended their fuels solution to GasBuddy OpenStore.
Besides being vice chair of Conexxus, Gabe Olives is also a member of the PriceAdvantage Customer Advisory Board, representing Rutter’s.
by John Keller | Apr 23, 2014 | Customer News, Fuel Price Management Solutions, Fuel Pricing Software, Fuel Pricing Technology, Fuel Software, PriceAdvantage
PriceAdvantage customer in the news: Sheetz President and CEO Joe Sheetz has been named the vice chairman of the National Association of Convenience Stores’ (NACS) Research Committee. This announcement was reported by Convenience Store Decisions here.
This NACS committee directs the NACS research and development initiatives and programs to promote the ongoing competitive viability of the channel.
“I am honored to be entrusted with the leadership of my family’s company,” said Joe Sheetz. “The vision of my uncles Bob and Steve fueled Sheetz for more than 60 years, not only to stay in business, but to help move the entire industry forward. Add to that the drive and focus Stan brought to this position and I suddenly find myself with quite a legacy to preserve.”
Sheetz Inc. operates more than 460 locations throughout Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina, and is regarded as one of the industry’s best c-store companies.
Sheetz has been a PriceAdvantage customer since 2009, when they estimated PriceAdvantage would save them $141,000 each year, as well as add 50 hours of customer face time per year for each store manager. The combined solution of PriceAdvantage with Skyline electronic price signs has been a tremendous success for both Sheetz and PriceAdvantage over the years.
The PriceAdvantage team is proud of our partnership with Sheetz, and we look forward to our continued joint success as we lead the c-store industry together.
by John Keller | Apr 18, 2014 | Customer News, Fuel Pricing Software, Fuel Software, Industry News
PriceAdvantage customer Rutter’s has won many accolades for a range of North American awards. Now Rutter’s is a nominee for convenience retailer of the year, one of only two nominees from the United States among a list of 14 nominees representing countries throughout Europe and South America.
The NACS Insight Convenience Retailer of the Year award recognizes excellence in convenience and forecourt retailing on an international stage by celebrating the best convenience retail formats from around the world.
People, technology, rewards and food are the key elements in Rutter’s strategy of delivering a world-class convenience store. The PriceAdvantage team has worked closely with Rutter’s for seven years, and we can speak from first hand experience that their use of technology is second to none.
Check out the Rutter’s entry here. We think their entry is so compelling, you won’t be able to resist casting your vote for Rutter’s.
by John Keller | Apr 18, 2014 | Customer News, Industry News
Convenience Store News announced they have selected PriceAdvantage customer Rutter’s CEO and President Scott Hartman as an inductee into the CSNews Hall of Fame.
The CSNews Hall of Fame recognizes convenience store industry pioneers and innovators from retailer and supplier companies of all sizes.
Rutter’s was an early adapter of PriceAdvantage back in 2007, integrating their PriceAdvantage fuels software with Skyline electronic price signs, Radiant POS, and PDI back office software for a complete closed loop solution. In 2011 Rutter’s extended their fuels solution to GasBuddy OpenStore.
Rutter’s is also a member of the PriceAdvantage Customer Advisory Board, with Gabe Olives, Director of Fuels, representing Rutter’s.
The PriceAdvantage team is grateful to have such a forward thinking partner as Rutter’s, and we are happy to offer Scott Hartman a hearty congratulations. Well deserved, Scott!
