A ‘Four Ps Policy’ is what sets Metro Petroleum Glenroy apart from its local competitors and ultimately led to the store being named the 2021 Metro National Number One Store of the Year.
Owned and operated by Tony Franza and Raj Kasireddy, Metro Petroleum Glenroy creates an excellent customer experience by focusing on the ‘Four Ps’ of Presentation, Promotion, Products, and People.
Franza, who is a multi-award-winning petrol and convenience (P&C) industry veteran, explained to C&I how this simple philosophy ensures that they are always meeting and exceeding their customer expectations, which ultimately leads to a fifth P – Profit.
“The experience that we are looking to offer our customers is that we make them feel welcome to shop at our store. We strive to always meet and exceed their expectations with our customer service and in-store product range and promotions, and that they leave our store having had a great experience,” he says.
“We would like to add that our ongoing success in convenience retailing lies in making sure that our store is always fully stocked and that we give our customers value and a great experience every time they shop.”
Franza began in the industry more than 25 years ago as a mechanic running a workshop and small retail shop. That site was then converted into a full P&C store and from that time on, he and Kasireddy have run three successful Caltex (now Ampol) franchises. They have been honoured with many awards over the years, including the Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) Retailer of the Year and the first AACS Major Retail Franchise Operation award in 2008. From 2008-2019 their store was recognised in Caltex’s top 10 sites in Australia, and in 2018-2019 they also won the VACC Petrol Convenience Awards. And of course, most recently, they were named the Metro National Number One Store of the Year in 2021 – an exceptionally impressive result as it was achieved in especially trying times, during the height of the global pandemic.
“It was a great experience to win the Metro National Number One Store of the Year award, which was the result of the hard work we put into the business,” says Franza.
Metro Petroleum Glenroy was not immune to the challenges that were brought on during the pandemic, but Franza refers back to those Four Ps once again of Presentation, Promotions, Products, and People, when talking about how they overcame those challenges. But there is an extra P that he hasn’t mentioned, but they certainly actioned along with the rest of the country, and that is ‘Pivot’.
Over the last six to 12 months, and certainly during the height of Covid lockdowns, the guys observed an increase in online sales and home delivery, so they were quick to pivot their business and expand their offering with delivery partners such as Uber, Menulog, and Door Dash.
Franza has also noticed an increase in the sale of premium fuels, along with greater demand for health and beauty ranges, more healthy food options, more pet food options, and value for money promotions.
“We predict that convenience retailing will continue to evolve in 2022, with increased e-commerce sales and home deliveries continuing, and customer demand for new products. Demand will also increase for the in-store supply of the top three lines in all convenience categories, to be available 24/7,” says Franza.
This article originally appeared in the April/May issue of Convenience & Impulse Retailing magazine.