The Gray Cat Blog

Few responsibilities have a greater impact on profitability than labor management.

Schedule too few employees, and customer service suffers. Long lines, empty shelves, delayed orders, and poor expe...

One of the most common questions I hear from convenience store operators is:

Should we partner with an established foodservice brand, or should we build our own?

The answer is simple:

Both strate...

Be honest.

You probably wish you were a better networker.

The good news? Networking isn’t a personality trait reserved for extroverts. It’s a skill that anyone can develop through consistency, cur...

Retailers spend significant time and money driving customers through the front door.

But what happens after they walk inside?

That’s where in-store marketing takes over—and it’s one of the most un...

One interview question has stayed with me throughout my career.

After spending nine exciting years as National Marketing Director for Little Caesars during one of the fastest growth periods in the ...

Try These Calendar Management Tips

If it feels like time management gets harder every year, you’re not imagining it.

Emails, text messages, instant messaging, video calls, project management platf...

Change is inevitable.

Customer expectations evolve. Technology advances. Competition intensifies. New products emerge. Today’s convenience store must continually adapt—or risk becoming irrelevant.

T...

I never turn down a good cup of coffee—especially when it’s paired with a conversation about careers.

Over the years, I’ve had countless colleagues ask if they could “pick my brain” over coffee. Mo...

One of the greatest advantages of owning my own business is that I have control over my schedule.

Gone are the days of punching a clock or measuring productivity by the number of hours spent sittin...

Many retailers sponsor local sports teams simply because it’s the right thing to do. Supporting youth leagues, high schools, colleges, and minor league teams strengthens the community and builds goo...

Organic growth is one of the most exciting milestones a retailer can experience.

Opening new locations signals that the business is healthy, customers are responding to the brand, and management ha...

As business owners, we think about our companies every day. Our customers don’t.

They have careers, families, schedules, and countless distractions competing for their attention. That’s why success...