Increasing Convenience Store Profits In 2011 By : Jacob M DelHagen

Trends and Convenience Store Statistics for 2011. In fiscal year 2010 it is estimated that 210,000 android phones were sold every day and a staggering 73.7 millioniPhones were sold by Apple alone. With the incredible number of apps and the smooth features of the HTC Android it’s no wonder.

To harvest this vast market our analysts at Techistry Inc. are predicting a trend by convenience store product developers and brand makers to cater to this next generation of consumers. Many of these firms are founded by internet technology companies and have used social networks to market test innovative impulse products for years.

Unfortunately, there is a gap by the convenience store industry to adapt to these products and technologies resulting in the product brand makers driving consumers to internet sites verse stores to purchase their products.

Jacob DelHagen, founder of Techistry, Inc. a software and consumer product development company says, “There is no question at this point that convenience stores are going to need to seamlessly detect and communicate with the internet generation or lose their business. We are constantly seeing new products that are being proved online but have not even been considered by stores chains for sale.”

When we asked how this ties into the mobile wireless markets DelHagen says, ” It’s simple with the right technology and integration. The convenience stores in collaboration with the product manufacturers need to be detecting a smart phone or tablet the very moment it arrives at the store. Once the device is detected they immediately push a coupon or promotion to that device. This is how the internet generation operates, we call them real time sales.”

In a real world example of how this works we looked at Primer® caffeinated breath spray (http://www.itsgotime.com). The company using an in-house mobile app, (with the customers permission) detects a customer arriving at a store and pushes a coupon to their phone 1 minute before checkout. The result is an large increase in sales from traditional poster marketing at a fraction of the cost.

It is estimated less than 3% of the convenience stores have created these types of arrangements and many of them still have limited internet and network access making this type of module difficult. The opportunity for growth in seamless store networks is a tremendous.

On the counter side the lost sales potential due to the c-store and petroleum industry failing to adopt these new internet born products and services is staggering. Our best guess is the lost revenue may very well be in the billions.

The convenience stores have a very unique opportunity to capitalize and grow with this next generation of very sophisticated consumers. However, they also risk becoming the record industry of 1996 and losing an opportunity to transform an entire industry.

By : Jacob M DelHagen

After savoring the drink the staff quickly wanted to try out the Pumpkin Spice. Again we used 3 heaping teaspoons and about 9oz of hot water. What we immediately noticed was the wonderful smell of pumpkin spice in the room, it was a delightful sensory experience. But tasting it was even better, it was like having a chocolate pumpkin moose dancing upon the pallet of your taste buds, only to be followed by the season of fall. Again, as the product sat it just got better. This product would be perfect to put into a thermos. As with the Dutch Chocolate the caffeine was noticed but it was not too intense, but it’s a bit stronger than a strong cup of java. I would say its better to savor and sip and just let your mind be at peace with the sounds of fall and winter.

Last we had to try the French Vanilla Superstar. The first thing we noticed was its cute shiny gold superstar bag. It has a very sophisticated vanilla aroma layered in a creamy curtain. We prepared the drink using 3 heaping teaspoons and 9oz hot water as with the others. This time we were treated to a creamy, silky smooth, French Vanilla with Swiss Chocolate over tones. The flavor reminds one of looking over the city of Paris just as the sun is setting. The creaminess of this product is simply wonderful, in fact I am not sure I have ever had a better tasting version of a French Vanilla ever. I think I have found my new passion, my muse of caffeine, my delight of delight, my ever lasting love.

If this is considered an energy drink because it’s caffeinated, it’s honestly the best caffeinated product I have ever had. However, I really think they are totally different markets.

Jake Aleaxander – Great Foods

Primer addicts rejoice! Not only is Primer back, but now you can choose from two flavors. The classic Peppermint flavor is still available, but
now Cinnamint is here too!

Primer Caffeinated Breath Spray is just about the most perfect caffeine deployment system ever devised. You know you need this. So buy some,
freshen your breath, and wake up – now

Zach at Chemical Evolution.

ThinkGeek review…Freshen your breath and mind
Primer – Friday, 23 October 2009 06:49

Freshen your breath and mind
There’s something everyone in the office has been meaning to tell you. It’s a little embarrassing, but don’t feel bad. The truth is . . . your breath stinks. No, not just stinks – it reeks with the stench of a thousand dead cave trolls. Fight troll breath with Primer® Caffeinated Breath Spray. Yes, you read that right – it’s breath spray with a massive dose of our favorite chemical: caffeine!

Read More

Energy drinks vs. Spray
Primer – Friday, 23 October 2009 12:35

Primer® Caffeinated Breath Spray Review
I know what you are thinking after reading the headline. How is the Primer® Caffeinated Breath Spray an energy drink? Well I guess it is technically not an energy drink, but I have reviewed other products that have additional caffeine added to them like the New Snickers bar. I have tried the gums, the mints, the dissolving strips and all of them are neat in their own right. However, I think the new Primer Caffeinated Breath Spray takes the cake when it comes to new ways of delivering caffeine to the system. Seriously, how did they come up with this? I mean, a tiny 8 milliliter breath spray with caffeine added? Read Full Article

If caffeine is your hobby
Primer – Thursday, 17 September 2009 10:45

It looks like there’s people somewhere out there whose hobby is devising new and improved ways of getting caffeine in your system (injecting it into your veins probably doesn’t work). Although I don’t like the taste of coffee, I have to admit Red Bull is delicious and that a bit of caffeine every now and then does wonder to get me through a boring work day.

In today’s episode, the Primer Caffeinated Breath Spray. Fortunately, it does more than give you a blast of energy: it also makes your breath smell better. Each spray delivers caffeine, so spray three times and you will be more awake and jumpy than after a Red Bull. And you will have a fresher breath!

Our annalists indicates flat growth in Convenience store chains. However, we believe the market is ideally situated for the introduction of strong new brands and products. These new brands are going to be strongly based on the internet culture and making a leap to the brick and mortar buyers.

According to Jacob Del Hagen an entrepreneur and the founder of Primer ® Energy + Breath Freshener “ We suspect there is a seat change going on where we are seeing the very talented internet entrepreneur move into retail product development. This is great news as they truly are at the pulse of the next generation of consumers.“

When asked what is the main trigger for this large entrepreneurial switch DelHagen Says “We are seeing a large number of colleges and in particular community colleges targeting entrepreneurs and entrepreneur type curriculum. A wonderful example of this trend is the college of STCC in Springfield MA and their Entrepreneur Institute. I suspect this change in schools is helping to lead to market innovation. “

In conclusion it’s not all gloom when the economy is down as this is when we see the best of American innovation come to light. So step up and step out,

The brand has a very cult like loyal following from the early adapters, mainly computer programmers on-line for many years and is now starting to trend in c-stores across the United States.

Del Hagen with his roots in the technology and internet sectors made the change to consumer products about 3 years ago when he notices that his staff was extremely talented in being creative and innovative with retail products.

“We wanted to leverage the creative abilities of the tech side of our staff and transform that talent into retail and wholesale products that have the same impact as a great software or computer device.” Said Del Hagen

Not forgetting their tech roots, the team has used untraditional media to gain access to distributors. For example In June of 2010 they will be launching a text to win campaign designed to drive uses to their local convenience store chain. For example a person might be walking by a Wawa, 7-11, or Circle K and get a text that the new 3 people in the store can get a free Peppermint Primer.

Del Hagen says, “ It’s imperative that the c-stores and large c-store chains take advantage of the internet and what it has to offer if they wish to continue to reach the younger generation. “

“As a wholesaler and product designer, it’s also imperative that we help our distributors and retail stores by driving traffic to them. It’s a partnership.“ Says Del Hagen

Del Hagen reflects the new breed of entrepreneur entering the market place in American convenience stores. As our industry struggles to grow and maintain profitability, we should be thankful to the next generation who is brought up on and born of the internet. Multi-tier integration with wholesale products is the future.

When it comes to making products faster, better, and cutting edge leave it to the geeks. From Apples Ipod to cutting edge search by Google, the web guys and gals have revolutionized the way we live and think. As 2010 starts we are seeing this group push its way into the multi-billion dollar c-store market place with innovative new products that have started on the internet. With an eye on huge chains like 7-11, Wawa, Circle K as well as 1000’s of independent distributors, they think they can make more profits, better margins with less risk.

No firm better show this phenomena then Techistry® INC the founders of Primer® Caffeinated Breath Freshener. The product was started as a simple idea of making energy drinks smaller in 2005 has escalated into a product line called Primer® that can delivery over 14 energy shots per container and freshen your breath.

With its extensive IT background, the company has transformed from making software systems and internet applications to making and developing innovative consumer products.

“Our goals are simple, we use a combination of computer engineers and web designers to make consumer products. If they show promise we then work with our team of brokers and C-store distributors to place these products in the convenience stores of the world. “ Said Jacob DelHagen one of the founders of Primer

So will this new model work? We asked some product consultants.

“We saw the Primer guys at the 2009 NACS show in LAS Vegas. They had a small 10X10 Booth with a line at some point of 4 buyers deep. So yea, I would say that the module these guys are using is working.“ Said a senior product consultant.

DelHagen went on to say “Our module cuts the risk for convenience stores by pre testing new products for them, before they go on the self. We believe the marrying of products founded on the internet with brick stores are a natural fit for c-stores. This also allows entrepreneurs to innovate but to be realistic about future sales. “

“Our flagship product Primer breath spray, is an example of this and has been driven by the internet and gamming market in particular Thinkgeek.com and Chemical Evolution who we own much thanks“

With products like Primer Caffeinated Breath spray hitting the energy drinks market we may be seeing a changing of the guard similar to when a walk man became an Ipod.

The only question now is, are Convenience Store buyers smart enough to follow the trends for bigger profits or are they going to sit on the side lines and lose billion the same way the music industry did?

Online source for high caffeine chocolate, mints, gum, soap, and other products related to energy and caffeine.

Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the beans, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants.^[5] It is most commonly consumed by humans in infusions extracted from the bean of the coffee plant and the leaves of the tea bush, as well as from various foods and drinks containing products derived from the kola nut. Other sources include yerba mate, guarana berries, and the Yaupon Holly.

In humans, caffeine acts as a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, temporarily warding off drowsiness and restoring alertness. Caffeine is the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive substance,^[6] but, unlike many other psychoactive substances, is legal and unregulated in nearly all jurisdictions. Beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, and energy drinks, enjoy great popularity; in North America, 90% of adults consume caffeine daily.^[6] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists caffeine as a “multiple purpose generally recognized as safe food substance”.^[7]

Caffeine has diuretic properties when administered in sufficient doses to subjects that do not have a tolerance for it.^[8] Regular users, however, develop a strong tolerance to this effect,^[8] and studies have generally failed to support the common notion that ordinary consumption of caffeinated beverages contributes significantly to dehydration.^[9][10][11]

ThinkGeek started as an idea. A simple idea to create and sell stuff that would appeal to the thousands of people out there who were on the front line and in the trenches as the Internet was forged. ThinkGeek started as a way to serve a market that was passionate about technology, from programmers, engineers, students, lovers of open source, to the masses that helped create the behind-the-scenes Internet culture.

Three out of the four founding ThinkGeek members started an ISP in the Northern Virginia area way way back in 1995. We couldn’t afford Solaris, learned about a free UNIX-like OS, and spent almost an entire day downloading it onto over 50 floppies for installation on an old 486 laptop with no cd-rom (thanks Slackware!). After a few years with the ISP gig, the ThinkGeek idea popped into our heads, and, operating out of a spare room at the ISP office we setup shop and launched the site on Friday the 13th, 1999…

A month or so later we were Slashdotted. Promptly thereafter, ThinkGeek was acquired by the good folks at Andover.Net who through an acquisition and a bunch of name changes, is now known as Geeknet. So we’re part of a cool gaggle of sites including slashdot.org, sourceforge.net, linux.com, and freshmeat.net. Pretty nice company to be amongst, eh? We’re pretty proud of it!

All the founding members are still in town, and we’ve continued to grow our product line, expand our staff (including several canines) and enhance the way we interface with customers. Who would have thought…

Find Out More : http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/drinks/e687/

Local Entrepreneurs Get Help from Price-Chopper Supermarkets

Easthampton, MA, August 4, 2010 - Techistry, Inc, one of the very first graduates of the STCC Entrepreneurial Institute, started as a software design company founded in 1997 by Easthampton resident Jacob Del Hagen. Over the years, he transformed Techistry into a product design company that makes innovative new products for businesses and retail consumers.

One of the projects the company’s founder embarked on in early 2007 was the creation of a caffeinated breath spray called PRIMER®. The product was initially designed for programmers and internet gamers but quickly gained a cult-like following thanks to ThinkGeek.com. The idea is that the caffeine is absorbed under the tongue giving the user an energy boost equivalent to about a cup of coffee, and the breath freshener provides a powerful blast of peppermint or cinnamon.

In early 2010 the company started to expand from the web sales into the convenience store market where it was at first was met with some resistance by local convenience store distributors, regardless of promising sales over the internet.

Their first big break came from New York based Price-Chopper supermarkets who has stocked PRIMER® in its checkout aisles of all its stores.

Del Hagen says “We were hoping to work with local distributors as a launching point since this is my home area. I guess I was thinking home town boy made good kind of a thing. Price Chopper really deserves a lot of credit and we are so very grateful to them.”

Since then, the company has opened up several major accounts inside and outside the US including the announcement that Pine State Distribution of Maine has started to carry PRIMER® and graciously offered to service any convenience stores in Western Massachusetts that would like to carry the line caffeinated breath sprays.

Finally, when we asked Del Hagen how on earth did you come up with this idea? Del Hagen says “My brother and I were on a very late night trip to Manhattan. We were just totally sick of energy drinks, very tired, and our breath was bad. At that very moment PRIMER® was born. It’s the American Dream.” Techistry has several other innovative, energy projects set to hit the markets in 2011 as a follow on to PRIMER®.

PRIMER website: www.itsgotime.com