Convenience Retailer Training – How to Prevent the Spread of Illness
For store operators, NACS e-learning partner Ready Training Online (RTO), which provides online training solutions for the convenience, restaurant, and retail industries, has created a free seven-minute training module on how to help prevent the spread of illness and disease at businesses. The training covers best practices and the basic techniques frontline staff can implement […]
Beer And Wine Still On Target For Convenience Stores
Beer and wine is still on target for Ontario convenience stores, will you be one of the first to sell as we begin the roll out in Ontario? We encourage you to start thinking, reading, visiting grocers with beer and start asking question. Those that are engaged in their stores have the best chance of […]
OCSA Plans Big Year For Members
The OCSA represents independent retailers and regional chains in the areas of issues management, age training, responsibility and continues to negotiate the roll out of beer and wine in the convenience store channel. The OCSA is putting together services that will be communicated to our members in the next couple of months. Among the items […]
Premier Ford Guest of the OCSA at Convenience Show
Day one of the Convenience U show had an exciting end to the day when Premier Ford a guest of the OCSA accompanied by Minister Small Business MPP Prabmeet Sakaria and MPP Stan Cho made a special effort to meet the many retailers of the OCSA for a meet and greet as well as some […]
Vape Unfairness and Misconceptions by Government
The vape file continues to take many different twists and turns with little communication or consultation by the Ministry of Health from the convenience store sector. Today adult smokers buy their cigarette needs in various sizes, strengths and brands with the convenience stores demonstrating a 96%+ pass rate for age testing responsibility as declared by […]
Lottery Represents Opportunity For Convenience Stores
Convenience stores sell 75% of all lottery products in Ontario with this category representing our single largest traffic generator in conjunction with the OLG. Many new games are regularly launched by our partners at the OLG, creating customer interest and excitement while allowing for additional impulse sales. Large Lotto Max and 649 jackpots have brought […]
Confusion Around Vaping Products Remains
The vape category remains under scrutiny from all levels of government and this can be attributed to the various health groups targeting the convenience store channel by creating confusion within the category. Health Canada actually made a statement as follows: “Between July and December 2019, Health Canada inspectors visited more than 3,000 specialty vape shops […]
Credit Card Fees To Drop For Canadian Retailers
In an effort to reduce credit card fees, the federal government has committed to having credit card companies drop the amount they charge retailers starting in April, 2020 as part of an agreement with Visa and MasterCard. The fees will drop from 1.5% down to 1.4% on averaged. As well they have promised to remove […]
9 Tips For Handling The Transition To Plain Packaging
By now many convenience stores will have started to receive some of their higher volume cigarettes and tobacco products in the new plain packaging. These have arrived while much of the previous stock remains on the shelf, causing confusion. Retailers have until February 1, 2020 to sell through their slower moving coloured products and the […]
Retail Robbery Prevention Tips
At OCSA we believe good safety management is only achieved when it becomes a normal part of our daily routines as owners, managers and staff — when it becomes habitual. In order to create stores where safety is the norm for everyone, good habits have to start at the top. In other words, safety needs […]