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TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
the chain to manage inventory in real-time. In fact, an early
version of FasTrax was such an integral component of Schwartz’s
business as far back as 2008 that when the software company
that originally developed it began to flounder, he and his vice
president, Doug Nolan, flew down to Alabama and bought it.
Since then, using their own stores as a test market, the duo has
continually refined the system.
Today, the system enables the company to keep close tabs
on its inventory, create and process orders, manage existing
inventory, and curtail theft. Using handheld scanning devices,
district managers conduct complete inventories on each store
during operating hours and reconcile those figures with sales
records every three weeks—a paperless process that once
involved handwritten record-keeping and employees working
after hours.
“FasTrax gives us the ability to truly control our inventory,
which is critical in this business,” says Schwartz. “Inventory is
everything. You never want too much or too little, and you don’t
want it walking out of the store.” (For more on FasTrax, see
“Exploring the Possibilities of POS,” p. 64).
While efficient and easy inventory management is a
cornerstone of Smokers Choice’s success, the company has
also improvised in many areas ranging from store design and
category management to employee training. Here are a few
ways Schwartz stands out from his competition.
GivinG Lottery a LittLe Love
Most retailers view lottery as a traffic draw, and, accordingly,
relegate it to as little space as possible and a sign in the window.
Not so with Smokers Choice. “We turned it into a whole
category unto itself,” says Schwartz, who did his homework
to make the most of the category. “I called New York Lottery
and asked for the best store in New York with lottery and we
really embraced it.” Once the store managed to control ticket
theft—early on, it took a huge hit when an employee scratched
through a bunch of tickets and then burned through dozens
more trying to win enough to pay off the first batch–it became
a big profit center.
“You have to manage lottery daily,” says Schwartz. “Now we
have a reconciliation program on our computer and we do it
between every shift.”
ContinuaL ConstruCtion
With 50 stores to maintain and new locations to outfit each
trench marketing
