With an ever more competitive marketplace, it’s important to give customers what they want, and it’s not just about the products sold.

In a recent survey customers were asked what three things were most important to them when shopping in a convenience store. The top five are listed below, ranked in order of importance.

Offering excellent customer service can offer you a competitive advantage over other retailers, and will help increase customer loyalty to your store. This is an area where independent rural retailers can have a real edge over the multiples.

For some general principles, and specific examples of what you can do, please refer to PDF file (click here).