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Hello!

This is the 27th edition of Always Be Convenient, your guide to navigating digital as a convenience leader. If you’re new, you can find all previous issues in the archives.

This week I am writing from Minneapolis, where it’s 6° outside and feels like -9°. So no matter what a subterranean mammal says, winter isn’t over yet.

One thing I love about traveling to other markets is getting to see new brands and local favorites. Minnesotans call Kwik Trip by its given name (sorry, Kwik Star), there are still some Holidays dotting the horizon (soon to be Circle K), and even a few Local convenience stores.

Wherever you go and whatever they’re called, convenience stores are everywhere. And despite the increase in digitization and competition for convenience, generally these brick and mortar stores aren’t going anywhere.

That being said, the latest store count figures in the U.S. were just released by NACS last week. The data shows there are 152,255 convenience stores operating in the United States, a decline of 141 versus this same time last year. This comes on the back of two years of growth in the industry (and four years of decline prior to that).

Regardless of the macro environment, your customers are still looking for convenience. And this newsletter is where you can stay sharp on what that looks like.

Conveniently,
Mike

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Digital engagement drives growth

Over the last month we’ve been looking at the four primary enablers of digital engagement. Each week I’ve defined a pillar and shared a relevant example to help explain it.

The four digital enablers are:

1. Digital presence

2. Omnichannel marketing

3. Unified commerce

4. Loyalty experience

Each capability builds on the other, and generally a retailer will progress from one area to the next.

• Establishing a digital presence sets your digital foundation.

• Omnichannel marketing expands your message into all the channels where you’ll find your customers.

• Unified commerce ensures all transactions come together into a single view.

• Loyalty experiences give you the ability to bring customers back.

When you tap into your customer experiences and find ways to digitize those relationships, that’s where the unlock for growth begins.

There’s only so much that can happen inside of a store, especially when your customer is in a hurry. Once they’ve got what they need, they’re out of the store quickly.

In a digital environment, however, you have the ability to tap into that customer relationship even when the individual is not at your store. That’s how we can drive incremental visits and new behaviors.

As you take a look at your own digital experience, think about how each of these capabilities is coming together. Are they working harmoniously to digitize your customer relationships and create new reasons to return? If they’re not, pick a place and get started. The best time to start is now.