"IDEAS LIVE: INDUSTRY EXECUTIVE PANEL"
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CONVENIENCE STORES CONVENTION
ERNEST MORIAL CONVENTION CENTER, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, NOVEMBER 21-24, 2000

There is still tremendous growth possible. We’re still a place that’s natural to go. You have to push categories, give people selection and price.

I believe in execution, doing the basics right over and over and over again, besting the competition in service, value and price.

If you’re thirsty, that’s an immediate need with immediate gratification. It’s the kind of society we live in. Give people what they want.

It bothers me that NACS wants to be an employer of choice but one of their agendas is always to block the increase of the minimum wage. I think that’s an oxymoron. I think in the long run you get what you pay for.

We’re very selective. We go through five people to hire one part-time employee, through 10 people to hire one full-time employee. But now, most of the people who run our company started at the entry level.

We pay more than other people and we always will. We want quality people. We have 160 people in the training department. That’s about one for every 30 people. Our turnover last year of full-time employees was 42%. In 3 1/2 years our part-time turnover is just a little over 100%.

We need to get better or get out. There are a lot of challenges coming. If you have a weak store, this is a great time to get cleaned up and get ready for what’s coming.

We ought to be the go-to people for beverages, tobacco — the things we do really well. I’m not sure we should be the go-to for innovative products outside the category.

Whatever Wal-Mart does there are a whole lot of people who will follow them because they’re afraid not to. I think it will lower our margin over time.