Georgia Said:

Texas Alcoholic Licence is nedded for a Conv. store w/ gas station needs to sale beer and spirits?

We Answered:

There are lots of different types of licenses, but any place that sells any form of alcoholic beverages will need a license. Contact TABC (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) for full info.

Also, make sure your store is not in a dry area. If it is you can't sell there, and Texas is real complicated--JP precincts can be dry in a wet county, suburbs can be dry, its a real bear to get changed.

Jimmy Said:

How to improve sales/profits for a convenience/bulk store?

We Answered:

Well of course one of your problems is too many of the same kind of stores in the same area....all trying to reach the same group of people. I don't know whose store was first, but it was bad marketing to put another of the same store that close together....and I don't know why people continue think "I can steal the other guy's business, and do better than him"...just bad marketing.

Obviously, you need to be different in several ways ....and because you are by a subway station, the people might come in for advertised snacks, coffee, relaxing chairs, etc...while they are waiting for the next train....if it draws people in the door, then they may buy extra things.

Make the outside look appealing...like a General Store...old fashioned....or new and trendy....etc....so people get curious.
Can you have a loud speaker that announces when the train will be arriving....a great plus feature!

So how does your store differ from the others? What will repeat customers remember and why will they want to come back in? Put in a fountain?....sell sandwiches...what?
People will return or go out of their way for that special malt, sandwich, or whatever that is just great and you can't find anywhere else! I know people who drive for miles to go to an old village that has a great home-made malt shop.

Mae Said:

I own and operate a convenience store in a leper colony. Would it be good for business to have a 1/2 off sale?

We Answered:

You could sell pre-loved body spares that were traded in, carelessly discarded or accidently fell off.

Discarded fingers and discarded toes and discarded ears etc.

Whatever you do, Promise me you won't put them on a... 'Discounts'.... table to flog them off.

OMG Can you imagine how much trouble we would be in if the letter "O" accidently fell off of that word?

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Terri Said:

How do I work out a break even amount of sales for a convenience store?

We Answered:

Without knowing how you are set to track expenses, it is a little hard to say.

But one method might be to simply average your total expenses over a thirty or sixty day period. This would include your purchases of goods for sale, salaries and associated fees and taxes, utilities, rent, insurance, property taxes, licensing fees, advertising, supplies not for resale, and probably other categories that I haven't mentioned.

If you are using an accounting program say like QuickBooks, this would be found in the income statement as total expense.

Then average this by dividing by the number of days you are open for business during the period you totalled the expenses and you would get your average daily expense. This is the amount of revenue you need to break even.

There will be some inaccuracies here because some costs that may be significant may not occur during the period in question, so the longer period you choose, the 'better' results you will get.

Kathleen Said:

Flower shop versus convenience store?

We Answered:

C-store. People need food and water or other sustenance. Flowers are a luxury item. A flower shop will be more of a seasonable business - i.e. high sales in certain months, and low sales in other months.

George Said:

Can a store deny business to a customer without a reason in DC?

We Answered:

The store owner has the right to refuse any sale or refuse entery to any person. It is their store. People caught shoplifting are often banned for the premises.

However, refusing a customer based on race, creed, sexual orientation, etc, will result in boycotts, protests and a bad name in the community. It is never a good policy to upset people and you want to make the sale. If their money is good, treat the customer with respect.