PRESENTED BY:

Hello!

Welcome to the fourth edition of Always Be Convenient, a newsletter bridging the digital divide in the c-store industry.

And with that I’ve made it through the first month! If you missed any of the previous weeks, you can find those in the archives. Feel free to jump in and see what else I’ve covered.

In keeping with this week’s topic, I thought I’d share some data about you, the ABC reader.

• 34% of you work for retailers; 33% work for technology suppliers

• 49% consider their personal familiarity with digital strategies as ‘maturing’; 30% say they are ‘developing’; and 20% say they are still learning about the potential of digital

I’m glad to have everyone here as we tackle the topic of convenience together.

If you have an idea for a topic or a thought about something I’ve shared, just hit REPLY and send me an email. I read each and every one!

Conveniently,
Mike

A MESSAGE FROM SHEP DIGITAL SOLUTIONS

Create your own omnichannel retail media network

When it comes to controlling digital content across your stores, you want it to be simple. The challenge is that with so many different individual vendors – from the forecourt to inside the store – synchronizing those systems seems nearly impossible. But omnichannel retailers need omnichannel solutions. And that’s where Shep Digital Solutions fits in.

Shep is an all-in-one digital content management platform that can power every digital surface across your store. Shep connects to each of your digital displays, including fuel dispensers and in-store screens, to ensure every touchpoint is working for you.

Are you ready to take control of the digital experience at your stores?

C-store chains across the country are discovering there’s a better way. Shep’s proprietary technology is enabling omnichannel retail media networks that drive sales, grow basket sizes, and increase profitability.

See how Shep can help you.

Data and decisions

In my time at Casey’s – the third largest convenience retailer in the U.S. and the fifth largest pizza chain – I had the opportunity to work alongside many great leaders.

Each brought with them their own wealth of experience and learnings from their past.

It's one of the things I loved the most about working there: the constant exposure to a broad set of alternative viewpoints.

When you’re focused on yourself, or even simply your own work, you can quickly get wrapped into thinking your view is the only view.

I know because it’s happened to me.

While I was part of the merchandising organization, there was a simple phrase that came up time and time again during meetings at the Store Support Center in Ankeny: “Data over opinion.” 

These three words were uttered most often by Tom Brennan, Casey’s Chief Merchandising Officer, but it was a perspective that was shared by all Casey’s leaders.

In reviewing a plan or examining an activation, the conversation would inevitably come back to the data. It was about the research, the results, and the reality.

The research could be many things: customer feedback, a polled response, or supplier-provided data about the situation.

The results were what happened, and often paired with what we had expected to occur.

And finally there was the reality. Either the goal was achieved or it was not. The outcome could be clearly binary.

Whether everyone liked the reality could be a different story.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and it makes for good discussion, but in the end the data wins.

If there was debate between ideas or promotional campaigns, the team would seek out data. Customer data. Survey data. Industry data. Supplier data.

Data is a great place for your foundation to sit. It gives decisions solid footing. It is backed by fact. And it is defensible.

Data-driven decision-making (DDDM) is generally an accepted practice across modern organizations today. But there is at least one danger to data: it’s not always right.

Close attention should be paid when dealing with data. Ask questions of its source, its methodology, and its intent.

A good interrogation of data can go a long way. But beware of tortured data. If you bend data far enough, it will tell you whatever you like. 

It's alright to be data-led, but you can't let data dominate – especially when data cannot act on itself.

You must make a decision based on the data, as well as everything else available to you. That includes your experience, your education, and yes, even your intuition.

If you’re deciding on the definition of convenience with nothing but your opinion, find a way to bring data to the conversation. In fact, let your customers weigh in and share their opinion.

When armed with data and an informed opinion, then you’ll be driven to make the best decision.

If you enjoyed this topic, consider reading Lisa Ann Thomson's article on data-driven decision-making for the BYU Marriott School of Business.