CSNews 2010 Technology Leadership Awards

Gabe Olives receives Top Tech Executive Award, and Quick Chek takes home Outstanding Technology Implementation Award

For the first time in its seven-year history, the Convenience Store News Technology Leadership Awards ceremony was held during the Opening General Session at NACStech, May 5, 2010, in New Orleans.

Each year, CSNews honors one c-store technology executive for his or her vision and innovation with technology applications. The chosen individuals are pioneers in the industry, leading the way within their individual chains, as well as the industry as a whole.

This year, Gabe Olives, vice president of IT and petroleum for Turkey Hill Minit Markets, a division of The Kroger Co., based in Lancaster, Pa., received the Top Tech Executive Award. Olives is past chairman of the Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards (PCATS) and is on the NACS Technology Council. He also buys fuel and manages pricing for more than 260 Turkey Hill Minit Markets in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana.

"To be honest, it is humbling to receive an award that has been given to such industry standouts as Ed Collupy, Devin Bates, Jenny Bullard and Scott Hartman," said Olives. "At the core, technology is all about the connections. Through active participation in organizations like NACS and PCATS, we can help shape the future of technology. Please get involved. Please get involved. Please get involved."

For more on Olives and his more than 20-year career in the c-store industry — all with Kroger — see this issue's cover story on page 28.

The second annual award is for Outstanding Technology Implementation, given to a c-store chain that completed an innovative and challenging implementation that produced verifiable results and achieved specified business goals. Past winners include Valero Retail Holdings, Pilot Travel Centers and ExxonMobil. This year, the award was given to Quick Chek Food Stores, based in Whitehouse Station, N.J., for its implementation of NCR's selfserv checkout at four locations.

Since piloting in August 2009, the self-checkout allowed stores to handle more customers during peak periods, while reducing checkout lines and parking lot congestion; increased the number of transactions completed hourly; has been utilized by 70 percent of shoppers at participating stores; allowed store employees to complete tasks in the store rather than having to stop and assist during the checkout process; and stores no longer have to aggressively staff during peak rush times. Additionally, the self-checkout has had no negative effect on store shrink levels, according to the company.

"Fast Lane is just another example of Quick Chek's best-in-class service," said Maria Fidelibus, vice president of IT at Quick Chek, who called the implementation "a true team effort" between the company's technology, human resources, store engineering, operations and marketing departments.

When adding the self-service model, Quick Chek invested in training store personnel to help customers through the process and keep customer service levels high. In the four stores with the NCR selfserv, the chain has between two and four units with an attendant station, and two traditional checkout lanes.

For more on Quick Chek's Fast Lane implementation, see page 37.