Putting Muscle Behind Technology

It's one thing to have a few people in a room come up with great ideas. It's another thing entirely to have a whole team of people able to bring those ideas to life. That was the challenge Stinker Stores grappled with for several years. 

The Boise, Idaho-based convenience store chain faced a lack of manpower, but met the challenge head-on. For one, the company invested in human capital at its Stinkin' Support Center, along with growing field-based support teams within its operational footprint. Next, it sought the expertise of vendor partners to roll out technology solutions needed to evolve with the times — and its customers.

In just the past two years, Stinker Stores has made some pretty noticeable changes. It launched the first generation of its mobile app and app-based loyalty program in partnership with Liquid Barcodes in 2021. This year, the chain is working with PAR Technology Inc.'s Punchh loyalty solution to tweak the program, with an expected rollout of the second-gen program anticipated to go live at the end of the first quarter or beginning of the second quarter of the company's 2024 fiscal year.

And Stinker Stores is not stopping there. It is partnering on a customer feedback program and a new retail intelligence platform, among other initiatives.

As the retailer's Director of Marketing Billy Colemire told Convenience Store News: "Evolution is both natural and necessary. It's important to evolve at the same rate of your customers."

Well said, Billy.