Wesco selects KSS fuels pricing suite to improve customer service

Fuel pricing decisions and process efficiency enhanced with PriceNet, PriceNet Mobile and KSS Visualizer

FLORHAM PARK, N.J.—Feb. 13, 2008. KSS, the global leading supplier of pricing analytics, execution, and optimization systems to the petroleum industry, announces that Wesco, a self-distributed operator of over 50 convenience stores, has selected the KSS suite of fuels pricing products, incorporating PriceNet, PriceNet Mobile, and KSS Visualizer, for a company-wide implementation.

Wesco has chosen the KSS product suite to improve the process through which it gathers, validates and presents market-level information to the pricing team. It was imperative that they could provide a quicker response to competitor price moves while maintaining accuracy, consistency, and effectiveness in their pricing decisions. Providing timely, accurate information is essential to offering competitive prices, with KSS Visualizer, PriceNet and PriceNet Mobile, pricing issues can be brought to the attention of Wesco personnel promptly and addressed accordingly.

Jerry Westgate, Wesco co-president commented, “Our commitment to service is key to our success, and PriceNet, PriceNet Mobile and KSS Visualizer will help us ensure we provide competitive pricing at all times while giving our store personnel more time to focus on delivering fast, friendly service to our customers. The investment in these KSS solutions will help us to continue to grow into one of the premier companies in the convenience store industry."

PriceNet is an end-to-end pricing solution supporting the key tasks and stakeholders involved in retail fuels pricing, from capturing field-based intelligence at the site level to the generation of price proposals via comprehensive pricing rules or price optimization to consistent, accurate and timely implementation. High levels of automation and an ‘exception-based’ approach ensure a rapid response to market conditions and allow pricing analysts to leverage the power of pricing analytics and automation.

PriceNet Mobile is pricing in the palm of your hand. Users can enter competitor prices and receive new price proposals in seconds, sent directly to their mobile device for approval and implementation. PriceNet Mobile users can also review key performance measures and receive exception-based performance alerts, minimizing the delays in responding to market events and/or competitor price changes that can cost retailers in lost volume, margin, or price image.

KSS Visualizer is a Web-based data visualization tool intended to quickly draw attention to significant changes in key performance measures such as volume, running rates, margins, competitor price position and more, at any level of the business from individual grade/store to overall network. Using color to indicate deltas to user-configurable goals or measures, KSS Visualizer allows users to instantly identify issues demanding their attention without the need to analyze tables of numbers in spreadsheets or make sense of data coming from multiple data sources. Users can easily configure the tool to represent their network hierarchy and drill-down into the detail with a click of a mouse.

“We are delighted to welcome Wesco to our rapidly growing client base. For organizations dedicated to the pursuit of superior customer service it’s essential that they have the tools at their disposal to make better decisions faster without creating more work for store staff. KSS fuels pricing systems carry the burden of information gathering and presentation to leave pricing and store-level personnel with the time to focus on genuine value-adding activities,” said Bob Stein, KSS chief executive officer.”

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About Wesco

Wesco began in 1952 as Westgate Refinery Outlet. In 1978 the first convenience store was opened in Michigan. Now with over 50 locations this Michigan chain is known as Wesco Convenience Stores. The company has over 900 employees with annual revenue of $400 million. Web site: www.gowesco.com

About KSS

KSS is the global leading provider of pricing analytics, price management, rules-based pricing and optimization technology and services to fuel retailers and wholesalers in the oil and gas, convenience store, grocery and big box retail industries. KSS clients include global, national and regional companies managing a total of over $100 billion in revenue through more than 20,000 fuel sites and rack terminals, throughout the world. KSS US headquarters are located in Florham Park, NJ with European headquarters in Manchester, UK.

For further information please visit the website at www.kssg.com or contact:

Bob Stein, Chief Executive Officer Tel: +1 (973) 549 1850
Mark Hawtin, Vice President Marketing Tel: +44 (0)161 228 0040

For media inquiries, contact Roy Miller Tel: +1 972 717 3500 ext 235 or rmiller@transsynergy.com

Arrange a consultation, USA (973) 549 1850, Europe +44 (0) 161 228 0040, Contact us