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22 C-Stores & Kiosks on Roll FEATURES
“People run in and out of conve-
nience stores. T ey are there everywhere you go. T ey are busy, and they’ve been successful,” says Stephen Stern, vice president of sales at Mister Snacks. “Our product has a good shot at being suc- cessful there,” he adds, citing the prod- uct assortment at convenience stores. Mister Snacks makes and distributes a wide range of snack products for a broad range of retail- ers, but is popular among convenience stores. We sell to distributors who put us into convenience stores in many parts of the country,” Stern says. T e company, however sees a growing opportunity in mall carts too. “We are get ing more and more inquiries from kiosks,” Stern explains. “For example, I have a route manager in Buff alo and Rochester; in every mall he fi nds a kiosk that wants our prod- ucts. A lot of people walk those malls.” Mister Snacks’ recipe
MISTER SNACKS INC. 500 Creekside Drive, Amherst, NY 14228 Toll Free: 800-333-6393 Fax: 716-210-1010 Website:
mistersnacks.com
is a great source of information. Still, the company prefers the human touch. Mister Snacks customers can track and place orders online, but the company
also follows up with a phone call. “We still are old fashioned, and we prefer to speak with our customers,” Stern says. Ike Patel, the owner of Leeds Wholesale, is realistic
for success includes value pricing and a large product assortment. “Our products are priced to sell, and when a rack is set up there’s some- thing for every taste, from chocolate to yogurt to fat free,” says Stern. “Our new mixes with strawberries and blueberries have gone from zero to hero. T ey both landed in our top ten items, almost overnight, and that’s unheard of.” Expanding their demographic, the company is now unveiling a line of “cherrito” spicy snacks. T e Internet is another strategic part of Mister
Snacks’ growing business. “I fi nd that we get more and more replies from our website, so it is a real necessity,” emphasizes Stern, adding that the site
LEEDS WHOLESALE 7680 Parkway Drive, Leeds, AL 35094 Email:
ikeatleedswholesale@yahoo.com Website:
wholesalecentral.com/leedswholesale
“People run in and out of convenience stores. They are there everywhere you go. They are busy, and they’ve been successful.”
Stephen Stern, Mister Snacks vice president of sales
about the current economic climate. He sells herbal incense on a wholesale basis to retailers, and he also owns a small chain of convenience stores, so he sees the industry from both sides. “The convenience store market is down about 25 percent.” Still, Patel sees an upswing. “About six or eight months ago, sales were down 35 percent. It’s a lit le bit bet er now,” he says. “People are more careful with their money.” Looking ahead, Patel thinks this recovery will be a long time coming. “T e trend is steady and will be the same
for at least four or fi ve years down the road.” For now, Patel is focused on selling his wholesale
herbal incense product exclusively online through Wholesale Central, the offi cial site of Web Wholesaler magazine. “For the wholesale side, the website is very important. A lot of buyers are aware of the site, and it off ers a variety of products. Everything I have is always up on the web, and the people who buy regularly go through my site,” he says. “If they have any ques- tions they will call me or email me. Wholesale Central is the only site I sell through.” Leeds Wholesale sells through the directory of whole- sale products because it off ers an umbrella assurance to customers that the company is
Continued On 26 24 October 2011
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