One of the top benefits of being a NATSO member is the huge amount of peer-to-peer learning that takes place throughout the year. With that learning goal in mind, NATSO's blog is full of great ideas and best practices provided directly from truckstops and travel centers.
No matter what solution you’re looking for, the odds are, someone has faced a similar challenge or shared a solution.
Here are some of the great ideas in action at NATSO member locations across the country.
Retail Solutions:
Are you looking for great retail ideas?
- Check out how Sheetz has had success with its store-within-a-store concept.
- Learn about the wide array of unique items and displays, featuring everything from hand lotions and camping gear, to electronics at Johnson and Johnson Busy Bee #25 in Live Oak, Florida.
- Oasis Travel Center in Robertsdale, Alabama, is a sight to see and a perfect example of a thriving retail operation.
Strong Signage:
Communicating with customers is a key element of a successful operation, and several NATSO members have mastered signage.
- Anew Travel Center in Cambridge, Nebraska, does an excellent job communicating with customers with its signage, which presents a clear and clean message throughout the location.
- Coffee Cup Fuel Stop in Summit, South Dakota, has plenty of signage both inside and out to attract and direct its customers.
Go Local:
To compete you have to figure out a way to be different, and several NATSO members have found success with a regional approach, which can attract locals and travelers alike.
- Bandit Truck Stop in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, has prioritized its local flavor and specialties over brand name products, such as Twinkies and Ding Dongs. They have whoopie pies, apple pie, Shoo Fly pies—molasses pies created by the Pennsylvania Dutch in the 1880s, are a regional favorite—as well as other pies from Pennsylvania.
- Big Boy’s Truck Stop in Kenly, North Carolina, is locally sourcing the freshest food products, which customers appreciate.
Innovative Solutions:
When improving operations and meeting customer needs, many NATSO members have gotten creative.
- Acme Truck Stop in Orlando, Florida, is landlocked, but management thought outside of the box to ensure it was meeting drivers’ needs. When they were unable to add showers inside the store, they turned to a modular solution, adding four nice, new shower facilities near the parking area, which are convenient for drivers.
- In addition to having the typical fuel offerings, Baker Travel Plaza has 101 octane, the highest octane rating of any street legal fuel on the market, which you don’t always find at a truckstop or travel plaza.
Please browse the blog to learn about other great happenings at NATSO member locations. There is always so much we can learn from each other.
/// Did you know most weeks can find Darren Schulte, NATSO's Vice President of Memebrship,visiting a NATSO member truckstop location, spending three to four days, using his merchandising and operations expertise to help them grow their business? Learn about NATSO’s Profitable Retail Review program here.
Photos Credit: Darren Schulte/NATSO
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