Convenience retailers have truly risen to the challenge during this pandemic.
From enhanced safety measures to increased pay and campaigns to support first responders, they’ve embraced their role as vital community stores. It’s not easy though. And for a company like Couche-Tard that operates more than 2,100 locations across Canada—under the Circle K, Couche-Tard, and Mac’s Convenience Stores brands—it’s a challenge at an entirely different scale.
That’s why Couche-Tard’s efforts have been so impressive. To learn more, I recently spoke with Melissa Lessard. As Couche-Tard’s head of marketing and merchandising, I figured she would have the inside story.
Thanking Those Who Help
On March 19, Couche-Tard announced that all Canadian stores would provide coffee, tea, and hot chocolate to healthcare workers and first responders. Polar pops were added a short time later.
“Honestly, it was an easy decision,” said Melissa. “We wanted to show our appreciation for all the hard work being done around COVID-19. Who were the first people we heard about? Healthcare workers and first responders.”
But the company quickly realized that they needed to broaden their definition of “first responders.” Delivery drivers, people making masks, and many others are engaged in the effort to keep their communities safe.
On April 9, Couche-Tard announced a new campaign to recognize everyone who’s doing their part. By visiting the Circle K website or mobile app, customers can enter the contact information of someone to whom they wish to say “thank you.” Those individuals can redeem their virtual coupons for a free drink or snack.
“At the store level, it’s hard for employees to discriminate,” says Melissa. “Maybe someone has brought groceries to their grandmother for the past week and would like a hot coffee? We decided to expand our efforts. It’s a small campaign, not a marketing campaign. Just a way to send a nice message. We’ve even had business owners say they’re sending it to their employees as a way to say thank you.”
Increasing Pay and Safety
Recognizing the pressure faced by their frontline employees, Couche-Tard immediately took action. Employees were given a raise of $2.50/hour at all stores across Canada. The company also went to work sourcing plexiglass shields.
“The biggest challenge has been the speed at which we had to respond to this crisis,” says Melissa. “It honestly made it difficult to secure the right tools. For example, there were only a few companies making shields when the crisis hit. Now there’s hundreds. You’d talk to someone and a few minutes later they’d be sold out. It wasn’t a situation where we could submit an RFP. It was ‘get what you need now and secure it.’ At one point, we even had twenty people looking for masks.”
Social distancing markers have also been attached to the floors at each store, and customers are encouraged to pay by card rather than cash. Cleaning schedules were revamped to focus on frequency and high-touch areas. Recognizing the strain that such additional measures put on store operations, employees were provided with the time they needed to do the job correctly.
Count on Couche-Tard
The pandemic forced many retailers to make quick decisions about delivery and curbside pickup. After all, many customers are reluctant to shop even with the enhanced safety measures. Others have pulled back to protect high-risk family members.
“Click and collect was an idea that we always had,” said Melissa. “Delivery, too. But we had slow pilot programs with a few stores and thought that we would wait and see what the results were. Click and collect is now alive and rolling out rapidly. We were able to go ‘all hands on deck’ with something that might have taken months, or years, and do it quickly.”
Much has been said about what the “new normal” may look like. Few would deny that many of the options for off-premise sales are likely to remain. However, the pandemic has shed light on the fact that the convenience retailing industry really does play a vital role in its communities. Traffic may be down, but customers are purchasing larger quantities of products and turning to retailers for their essential needs.
“It honestly looks like where we were twenty years ago,” said Melissa. “We were a place to go because you didn’t have the large grocery stores. If you needed anything on a weeknight, you went to a convenience store. Beer, wine, cigarettes, cookies, milk, and more. As the market evolved, we started positioning ourselves differently and providing fresh food and on-the-go products. But COVID-19 might also mean that we need to be a middle-of-the-week destination. Instead of visiting a busy grocery store, why not grab a few items at the local convenience store?”
The full impact of this pandemic remains to be seen, but Couche-Tard will continue to study the data, consider changes region by region, and determine what it means for their brands.
“Instead of the ‘new normal,’ we’re calling it the ‘count on us plan,’” said Melissa.
The post How Couche-Tard Stepped Up to the COVID-19 Challenge in Canada appeared first on GasBuddy for Business.
