ROARING SUCCESS

KELLY GATES

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- When most people think of a convenience store, they don't think of quaint little bistro tables; nearly floor-to-ceiling, bright and colorful bulk candy bins; spacious, scented bathrooms with artwork on the walls; and a deli crammed full of freshly prepared gourmet food. But, that's what you'll find at a c-store chain called Tiger Mart.

"We've tried to capture a warm, inviting atmosphere that draws customers into an experience rather than a hurried trip into and out of a corner store," said Stuart Lowry, president of Tiger Mart. "A lot of people assume that convenience stores are only for time-starved people, but we define the speed of our customers as any speed they want it to be. Some are in a hurry, but many want to come in, buy something from our deli and enjoy time with friends as they relax and eat a meal."

Tiger Mart was first founded in 1993 when the owners of 10 Charlottesville Exxon, Texaco and BP gas stations decided to purchase an existing automotive repair garage and convert it into an upscale convenience store. While the initial reaction of the community was one of disappointment and adversity to change, their ultimate response was vastly different.

"The local community didn't like the fact that we were taking away the mechanics and garage service that had been a part of their lives for years and years and couldn't see eating in a former automotive garage," said Lowry. "But, once they came in and saw the hardwood floors, tasted our food and experienced what Tiger Mart had to offer, they immediately loved it."

For seven years, the creators of the deli-adorned Tiger Mart sat on their creation and simply enjoyed its success. Then, in 2000, they decided that it would be bad business to let a good idea stop at one store -- and the concept of a Tiger Mart chain was born. The group began opening one Tiger Mart after another, focusing all the while on promoting the Tiger Mart brand instead of the traditional c-store method of promoting the gas name brand. Today, there are 12 Tiger Mart c-stores in operation.

"The norm was to market the Exxon, Texaco or BP gasoline that was sold on the property, but we saw people showing more of an interest in our c-store so we re-directed our focus onto Tiger Mart," said Lowry.

Jeff Leonard, spokesman for the National Association of Convenience Stores, remembers the first time he ever set foot in a Tiger Mart.

"I'll never forget my first visit during a family trip when we had to stop in and change a dirty diaper," said Leonard. "The bathrooms were so big and clean, the food was great and they even had high chairs and a guest book that was filled with grateful comments from customers. It was nothing like any other convenience store I've been in before." According to Lowry, Tiger Mart took a step away from the business side of things before opening the doors on their first store. Instead of creating just another chain of c-stores, the Tiger Mart team was committed to making the stores as much for the customers as possible. After asking what they would want in a c-store if they were the customer, they came up with creative ideas like installing a bulk candy section, filled to the brim with colorful Jelly Belly candies and other items that just "looked pretty," said Lowry.

"When we decided to install the bulk candy bins, our goal wasn't even to sell a lot of it, but they went in as more of a colorful piece of artwork and something that would differentiate us from other c-stores," he said, adding that the installation of the bins has turned out to be a profitable venture.

"We also came up with the idea of hanging aisle signs even though our stores aren't that big."

As most convenience stores are smaller and have only a few select aisles stacked high with everything from chips and candy bars to motor oil and Band-Aids, most leave the searching up to the customer. However, by simply hanging small signs above each aisle, shoppers -- whether in a hurry or not -- can easily find what they need, a concept that adds to the enjoyable experience in their stores, said Lowry.

Another differentiating factor was the installation of delis in three of their stores. According to Lowry, the delis are strategically located in only those stores that boast a local demographic that supports such an upscale environment. In these areas, the average household has two members contributing to an income and the families tend to be younger couples with children. This demographic group frequently waits until the last minute to make meal decisions; therefore, there's an inherent demand for convenience. And, to provide complete, nutritious meals for their children, Tiger Mart is often chosen over fast-food restaurants, said Lowry. Balanced meals and other healthy menu items are prepared by Tiger Mart's own personal chefs who have all received some form of culinary training.

"We have full kitchens in each deli store where our chefs make everything from sandwiches to rotisserie chicken and side dishes," said Lowry. "We merchandise the food in both hot and cold cases, but also have people behind the counters to pass out menus and serve each customer."

Along with rotisserie chicken and gourmet sandwiches that are made daily with fresh-baked French bread, Tiger Mart's delis also feature a variety of pasta salads, black bean salad, red skin potato salad, chef and Greek salads, London Broil, lasagna, mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese. They have a selection of Boar's Head provisions, cous-cous, sandwich wraps, chili and other homemade soups of the day, cakes, pies and a number of dessert items based on the chefs choice of creations from day to day.

Tiger Mart has experimented with a co-branding program with Krispy Kreme doughnuts at one time, Lowry said, though most of the fresh-foods selection currently is their own store brand. Over the course of the company's brief history, a handful of signature items has become quite popular with local customers. Rotisserie chicken is one of the most-requested family meal items and comes bundled in two or four-piece meals.

"We also have gourmet to-go sandwiches that have been named after geographical areas in and around Charlottesville like the Farmington and the Keswick," said Lowry. "'Each deli carries the same 10 sandwiches, but the chefs at each store have also created two of their own signature sandwiches that they've named after other local areas."

To make their stores convenient for their customers in and around Charlottesville, Tiger Mart selected locations that are within various communities. They have one location nearly 45 minutes north of the city and another that sits directly off a major interstate, but their goal is, "to be a destination location rather than a necessity stop for our loyal customers," said Lowry.

A testament to Tiger Mart's commitment to creating a community atmosphere, each store is also adorned with a guest book, which the NACS's Leonard said was missing from the same Tiger Mart store the second time he visited. The reason for the book's disappearance? He was told the book was full and in the process of being replaced.