Caltex mixes it with the best

Naomi was in the USA to compete in the Convenience Industry Global Achievement Awards and was declared winner of the Retail category – an Australian first.

She won the prestigious international award with a 4,000 word essay on a tool to measure how well new convenience store offers will deliver what our customers are looking for.

Naomi’s trip to the US gave her the opportunity to attend the NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores) show in Chicago, where judging for the Global Achievement Award took place. The sheer size of the American convenience business impressed her, with the show attracting an amazing 22,000 delegates and 1,300 exhibitors covering 35,000 square metres.

Naomi was pleased to see how well the Caltex offer compares with those of international competitors. “Markets and customer bases are obviously different,” she says, “but it was evident that Caltex’s offer is literally world class.”

While in the USA she also spent time in California, visiting the headquarters of Caltex shareholder Chevron and touring convenience store sites in the Los Angeles region. LA is generally viewed as the epitome of American convenience retailing and is the biggest market for Chevron’s convenience network.

Here she observed some major differences between our industry and that of the States. US convenience stores sell alcohol, for example. “One of the first things you see when you go in are fridges of beer. They also have a much bigger fast food offer. They haven’t really pursued the Healthy Options route like we are.”

Many service station stores have behind-the-counter food preparations areas - some with their own pizza ovens. The American consumers also love their fountain soft drinks (like those seen in Australian fast food restaurants) and filter coffee. “The fact that filter coffee is the standard in the States is a sign of how different customers are there versus the Australian c- store customer," she says.

Naomi has worked in convenience retailing for the past eight years and joined Caltex at the beginning of 2008. She won the right to represent Caltex and the Australian retail industry after receiving the prestigious Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) Peter Jowett Award in September. This local award recognises the best rising talent in Australian convenience retailing – with Naomi the first Caltex employee to win this accolade. She is delighted with the support she has received from the Caltex Retail team.

Asked what appeals to her about convenience retailing, Naomi mentions the speed of the industry and the ability to be more reactive than supermarkets. “I also like the fact that convenience stores are part of everyday life, where you can influence and contribute to meeting shoppers'

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