Sheetz and the Convenience Store Industry.

After waiting a couple of weeks for the IT guy at work to post some of my blogs on the company website, I decided to take things into my own hands, and here I am with my first post (and first blog). I can't really tell if everyone will be reading it at all, but I guess I should just do whatever it is that the millions of other bloggers do.

So here I go. I've only recently realized that I should write something about Sheetz, but I've been doing some research on them for a while now, so i guess it's only natural. For those who don't know, Sheetz is a convenience store chain based in Altoona, PA. Nothing special so far, just another c-store chain. And that's the thing. The supermarket industry has Target, with its flashy ads and recognizable brand. The best-known c-store chain is 7-Eleven, but you hardly see people going nuts over Michael Graves-designed slurpies. That's when Sheetz came along. And even though they're still far away from being as well-known as Target, I can imagine a not-too-distant future where a lot of people have heard about Sheetz.

Sheetz was started in 1952 by Bob Sheetz, and the company has stayed family-owned ever since. They are now present in 6 states and continue to grow at a rapid pace. A quick look at their website (www.sheetz.com) will give you an idea of what Sheetz is about. Now I don't know about you, but this website is far ahead of any other c-store website i've ever seen. I especially like the feature that lets you try out one of their in-store electronic kiosks where you order freshly made food and then get to see the nutritional totals before ordering it. Now the typical convenience store hardly puts the emphasis on freshly made food. And even if Sheetz does sell gasoline just like other c-stores, it definitely advertises its made-to-order foods and drinks.

The question is, how do they manage to get customers inside their stores? One of the biggest issues currently facing the convenience store industry is that customers will typically drive up to get their gas, pay at the pump, and drive off without ever thinking about entering the store itself. How does Sheetz do it ? For one, their stores are places where you would actually want to set foot. They also offer a selection of foods and drinks that is unrivaled in the industry. And they've made it convenient for customers to shop at their stores, by eliminating ATM fees.

Sheetz has shown itself to be smart in other areas as well. Each new store that opens makes a significant donation to a community charity and Sheetz stores are often involved with children's sports leagues at the local level. In December of 2006, the Sheetz in Altoona, PA, made a $30,000 donation to the town in order to keep the two community pools open for residents to enjoy. By helping communities, Sheetz positions itself to become a community store with strong customer relationships.

Finally, Sheetz was among the first gasoline retailers to sell E85 Ethanol at its pumps. The way I see it, gasoline continues to be the biggest problem of modern convenience stores. Not only does it provide consumers with an excuse for not coming into the store, but it really has acquired a bad image in the past few years given the instability on the international level of oil-supplying countries. Moreover, in the past couple years alternative fuels have become all the rage and anyone who can brag about investing in them early is likely to be hailed as a visionary.

So let's sum it up: Sheetz has cool stores that you actually want to go into, Sheetz invests in the communities where it is present, and Sheetz is forward-thinking on environmental issues. After a couple months of researching convenience stores, I have yet to find another chain that was as far ahead of the pack as Sheetz. If there is a recipe for success in the modern c-store industry, Sheetz may have found it.