Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space

"A community’s physical form, rather than its land uses, is its most intrinsic and enduring characteristic." [Katz, EPA] This blog focuses on place and placemaking and all that makes it work--historic preservation, urban design, transportation, asset-based community development, arts & cultural development, commercial district revitalization, tourism & destination development, and quality of life advocacy--along with doses of civic engagement and good governance watchdogging.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

(It's more profitable when you) Put a cup of coffee in your tank


Elizabeth Ryan buying quality coffee at an Exxon station in Dallas. Photo Natalie Caudill; Dallas Morning News. Posted by Hello The Dallas Morning News reports that "Exxon Mobil Corp. wants to earn global prominence for an entirely different product: gourmet coffee. Facing intense competition at gas pumps, the world's largest publicly traded energy company is betting on new brews of coffee to keep customers returning to its convenience stores...

Unlike the more profitable businesses of drilling for crude oil and refining it into gasoline, selling fuel at the pump typically draws a net profit of a few pennies per gallon. Gasoline retailers are increasingly squeezed by rising credit card processing fees and – due to rising prices – lower sales of the more profitable premium gasoline... Oil companies and independent retailers can't simply count on gasoline anymore for their profits, 'You better have a model that gets the customer inside the convenience store,' says Tom Kloza, director of the Oil Price Information Service."

While an Exxon convenience store isn't likely to become a third place, all independent retail businesses are encouraged to constantly be aware of changes in the marketplace, and ideas from all sources.

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