By Lucas Witman
As the season of giving approaches, retailers across the nation are readying themselves to participate in a slew of philanthropic activities, from collecting canned food and toys for families in need to raising money for important causes. However, within the convenience store industry, giving back has truly become a year round commitment, no longer reserved only for the holidays.
Surveying charitable works engaged in over the past few months alone, it is difficult to find a major convenience store chain that has not been involved in some act of philanthropy. This fall, TravelCenters of America held its third annual Band Together for Saint Christopher’s Fund event, raising over $278,000 for the nonprofit that supports healthcare for struggling professional drivers. Kangaroo Express’ summer-long Salute Our Troops fundraising event raised $3.17 million for the USO, the Wounded Warrior Project and six state-based military support organizations. And in August, Speedway pledged to raise $1 million over the next three years for the Children’s Hospital Foundation.
In addition to these large scale chain-wide contributions to national charities, many convenience retailers are also showing their commitments to the individual communities in which they operate. For example, by participating in Chevron’s Fuel Your School Program, individual Chevron retailers in a number of cities throughout the country have been able to raise valuable funds for local classroom projects. Citgo recently announced that the company will invest as much as $1.5 million in the Corpus Christi, Texas community of Hillcrest in an effort to support local nonprofit organizations that provide necessary services to area residents. And an event in Maryland recently hosted by Jiffy Mart brought over 200 people together to raise money for Carroll County Food Sunday, an invaluable local charity.
In addition to these convenience and fuel retail chains, Circle K, Wawa, 7-Eleven, Roadrunner Markets, Quiktrip, BP, Kwik Shop and many others have committed themselves to various charitable enterprises.
There are a number of reasons why convenience retailers may be compelled to participate in philanthropic projects. “We have an obligation to the communities we serve to be a responsible retailer,” explains QuikTrip on the company’s website. Similarly, 7-Eleven explains on its website, “7-Eleven stores are part of the neighborhood and committed to serving the changing needs of our guests. Being a good neighbor and corporate citizen is part of doing business at 7-Eleven, and we are proud of our long history of supporting our neighborhoods in meaningful ways through our community relations initiatives.”
In addition to generally fostering beneficence in the communities in which their stores operate, some convenience store chains are specifically engaging in projects designed to benefit their industry over the long term. This is the case with Chevron’s involvement in Fuel Your School, a program created to raise money for schools in California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oregon, Texas and Utah. “Educating today’s students remains critical to our country’s future, but America’s schools face significant challenges and have fallen behind in science, technology, engineering and math,” said Dale Walsh, president of Chevron Americas Products. “Fuel Your School provides teachers with essential tools and resources that help students learn, explore and get excited about STEM education to help prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.” In promoting education in these communities, Chevron may be directly contributing to the future workforce of the company.
Still, there may be another important reason why many in the convenience and fuel retail industries find it beneficial to devote themselves to charitable causes: philanthropy drives sales. Retail sales experts advise that a growing number of consumers today feel that it is important to patronize aspirational, socially responsible businesses. Contemporary consumers are simply more likely to spend money at a store if they feel somehow gratified in doing so. By showing customers that the business is dedicated to the overall well being of its community, retailers can potentially draw in a brand new customer base, equally committed to that community. And by demonstrating commitment to a particular charity, the business draws in customers who are also partial to that cause.
While the U.S. economy continues to suffer this holiday season, research shows that giving to charitable causes remains important to many consumers. In one recent survey, four out of five consumers questioned said that they plan to donate to a charity during this year’s giving season.
“While there is still uncertainty about where the economy is headed, Americans are showing a willingness to give more to the causes they care about,” said Sarah Libbey, president of Fidelity Charitable. “Americans have always had a strong commitment to philanthropy.”
For retailers struggling to attract customers in an anemic economic climate, commitment to charity could make the difference in driving sales this holiday season. Today’s retailers have the opportunity to make valuable contributions to their communities while at the same time promoting their business to a socially conscious customer base.
*photo courtesy of North Carolina National Guard
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