There is no doubt about it, we Play to Win. Time and again there are so many examples that show our QuickChek teams giving it everything they can to achieve the common goals. Just take a look at the pictures in this issue of this year’s ropes course with the driving rain. Could you imagine any other group committing to this? Or the dedication our store and support center teams showed to serving customers and driving sales over this long winter and late spring? Despite the odds, we did everything we could and in the end outperformed our competition. And this past Memorial Day’s $1.99 sub promotion, wow what great results! It is times like these that we truly show what we are made of. For this we are rewarded and recognized for great customer experiences by our loyal customers and the communities we serve. Together we are on a journey to build a great company and this level of personal service and commitment does not happen by chance, it starts with having the right people on board whose character and values are consistent with our culture. This is a great reminder of how important it is to be selective with who joins our QuickChek family. Great job!
Speaking of great people and great stores, I am proud to say our stores looked the best they ever have as we made our spring visits to all stores this June and July. Clean, well stocked with fresh products and friendly smiles; thanks to all of you for hosting our tours and being the best you can be.
Once again we have been recognized as one of the best in our industry. A leading Chicago research firm, Technomics, asked customers to rate food service in the top 21 convenience stores across the entire U.S. They ranked the top 5 companies in five areas and we are the only company in the U.S. who ranked in the top 5 for all categories. Here is our actual ranking, remember in the country: # 1 Beverage Quality, # 1 Food Quality, # 2 Food Taste, # 2 Convenient Location and # 4 Friendly Service. Wow, best in the nation, congratulations to all!
We are over halfway through our year, so let’s check in on our company’s major initiatives. First QCez; we are on target to have 39 rolled out by year-end with all of the planned benefits. Next, Consumer Insights; the Store Segmentation, Food Service and Beverage modeling is on plan and we are expecting to see measured results during the fourth quarter. New store openings are behind plan for the year, but we are forecasting to more than make up for the shortfall next year. We currently have 3 new stores under construction; Eatontown, Lake Grove in Long Island and Wayne. And finally, our financial performance is behind plan for the first 6 months due to the harsh winter and late spring, but the summer is off to a good start giving most stores a great opportunity for a strong third and fourth quarter performance.
QuickChek is Playing to Win the hearts and loyalty of customers on the go in the New York Metro market. Thanks for your part and I look forward to seeing you soon, Dean.
P.S. Make sure you read our PLC Co-Chair’s article covering some of our activities this year. So far we have had some remarkable experiences.
