Apr - May 2006 - Greater Houston Retailers Cooperative Association ...

Spanner Board InformationAnnual Event UpdatesIMPORTANT INSTRUCTION FOR GHRA MEMBERSGHRA highly recommends their members to display their GHRA promotions materials as soon as they receivethem via mail (UPS or FedEx). Members should take the following listed steps immediately if they are facedwith concerns in regards with GHRA promotional materials.Do not receive GHRA promotional materials by the 4 th of the monthMembers should contact GHRA office immediately and lodge a complaint in this regard, to avoid anynon-compliance penalties. The complaint should reach GHRA office by 4 th of the month.GHRA promotional materials should be up for displays by the 5th of the monthThose members who did receive their promotional materials and did not display those by the 4 th of themonth will be charged with non-compliance penalties. It is members’ responsibilities to share thisinformation with their employees to avoid any non-compliance penalties.Other problems involving GHRA promotional materials.Members should contact GHRA office immediately for any other issues involving their promotionalmaterials, promotional display board or any such unforeseen situations where members are not able tofulfill their commitments in regards to displaying GHRA promotional materials. The complaint shouldreach GHRA office by 4 th of the month.For clarification or additional information please call KIRAN ALI at 281-265-2191 X 102 at GHRAOfficeSugar Land Mayor David Wallacewho has seen the phenomenalgrowth of Asian Americans in hiscity of Sugar Land was honored tobe a friend of the community. Hewent over many of the agendaitems the city of Sugar Land hasbeen able to do with the support ofthe community.The Master of Ceremonies, ZeenatMitha, kept the evening’s programrunning smoothly with so manyhonored guests in attendancewhich also included CouncilmanM.J. Khan, Houston Chief of PoliceHarold L. Hurtt, TABC Captain,Rick Cruz, TABA RegionalSupervisor Dale Evans.This is traditionally also the timewhen elections for the newDirectors take place to replaceretiring directors. The retiringdirectors, Saleem Chranya asPresident, Akbarali Momin as Sr.VP, and Nasruddin Momin asDirector were awarded trophies forthere valuable service to thisorganization. The newincoming Directors, IqbalManji, Akbar R. Ali, andKarim Maknojia, have beeninvolved with the C-Storebusiness for several years.These directors are electedby GHRA members throughballot voting at the day of theevent.When asked about therereaction, they all said ‘theyknow the needs for theorganization and how to takeit to the next level.” They allwere very honored andthanked GHRA members fortheir support.The last segment of the galawas entertainment byComedian Dr. JagdishTrivedi, who came all theway from India to entertaineveryone for two hours withhilarious jokes.The entire evening wasunderwritten by Pepsi Cola.Craig Larsen, Persi Cola with GHRA Vice President(then) Karim Dhukani.Ayman Jaradi, Persi Cola being acknowledge byCraig Larsen for taking care of GHRA members.Written by Zeenat Mitha“One-third of all convenient stores in thestate of Texas are members of GHRA.”New Equipment Arriving- Saleem ChranyaPlease be on the lookout for Frito-Lay equipment being shipped directly toyour store. The equipment is to ensure GHRA compliance & continue to growour Frito-Lay business. Please work with your Frito-Lay Rep to find the bestpossible placements and locations.If you have any questions or issues, please do not hesitate to call GHRA orGeorge Blake with Frito-Lay @ 832-553-2010 for assistance.Thank you for your continued support.Above: Sugar Land MayorDavid Wallace presentingproclamations to PresidentSaleem Chranya and Sr.Vice President AkbaraliMomin.Left: GHRA PresidentSaleem Chranya and hisspouse receiving gift fromTexas Governor Rick Perry.

Current EventssTexas Governor RickPerry at GHRAOfficeSaturday, February 25, 2006,Governor of Texas, Rick Perryaccepted our invitation to have ameeting with GHRA Board at GHRAoffice before the Annual event.The meeting with the governor wasscheduled to enhance therelationship between the State andGHRA. Current TABC issues thatmembers are facing were discussed.Also, GHRA Board requested to havea GHRA representative in each StateRegulatory Agencies so the new andupdated information can be passedto our members promptly.GHRA and Focus,USA WorkingTogetherGHRA is indeed happy to inform itsmembers that on Thursday, May 11,2006 the Mayor of Houston, TexasMr. Bill White accepted a check onbehalf of the Houston Katrina/RitaRelief Fund from FOCUS, USA in theafternoon at 1:45 PM.Members present on thisoccasion were; Dr. MahmoudEboo, President, Aga KhanCouncil for USA, Dr. FatimaMawji, Vice Chairman, FOCUSUSA, Karim Dhukani, President,GHRA and Vice Chairman NATAand Craig Lasrsen, Directors ofSales Retail, Pepsi BottlingGroup.President Eboo presented thecheck of $100,000.00 to MayorWhite on behalf of the FOCUS,USA. The Fund was contributedby the Four Texas TradeAssociations, namely, GHRA,GAMA, STMA and NTTA andequally matched by PepsiBottling Group.President Eboo appreciated thesupport of GHRA and otherTexas Trade Associations inhelping FOCUS USA’s mandateof disaster prevention andmitigation as well as assistingthose who have been adverselyaffected by the disaster. “Welook forward to your continuedand united support in theCouncil’s efforts to promote goodcitizenship”, commentedPresident Eboo at this occasion.Karim Dhukani, President ofGHRA, and Vice Chairman,NATA thanked President Ebooand reiterated the continuedsupport and assistance of GHRAat all times. Karim Dhukani alsocommended the efforts of all theMembers of the TradeAssociations who wereinstrumentaltowardsaccumulating this Fund. “Ourmembers’ generous, supportivespirit for others in need madethis contribution possible,” addsDhukani.Ebrahim JafferChairman• Ebrahim Jaffer, President ofARA Chairman, NATA• Karim Dhukani, President ofGHRA , Vice Chairman,NATA• Nizar Manjhiyani, President ofTTA, Hon. Secretary of NATA• Shamsuddin Khoja, Presidentof STMA , Treasurer of NATA• Salim Uknai, President ofMBA, Member, ExecutiveCommittee, NATAThe Board appreciated andapplauded the contributionsmade by the retiring members,Mr. Aly Hussaini, Chairman andMr. Al-Amin Lakhani, HonSecretary, and looked forward totheir continued guidance.Trophies were presented toeach member of the retiringKarim DhukaniVice ChairmanLeft to Right: Ismail Ali, Vice Presiden GAMAt, Jaffer PeerMohd, President GAMA, Zulfiqarali Dhuka, Vice PresidentGHRA, Karim Dhukani, President GHRA,Nizar ManjhiyaniHon. SecretaryExecutive Committee as a token ofrecognition and remembrance.On Saturday night a sumptuousDinner was hosted by GreaterAustin Merchants Association(GAMA) followed by Entertainmentprogram, which was sponsored byFritolay Inc. At this time, the Boardof Directors of GAMA alsopresented a Plaque to Miss SughraLakhani, Executive Administrator ofNATA, for her continued support,assistance and help to all TradeAssociations and in appreciation ofher dedicated services. The eventwas addressed by representativesof Pepsi, and Fritolay and by Mr.Sada Cumber, Former President ofSouthwest Council, by NATAChairman, Mr. Ebrahim Jaffer andby Vice President of GAMA, Mr.Ismail Ali.NATA NewsShamsuddin KhojaTreasurerSalim UkaniMemberThe President and Board ofDirectors of South TexasMerchants Association (STMA)invited all the Presidents andDirectors to their Annual GeneralBody & Election Meetingscheduled to be held onSaturday, April 29, 2006 at SanAntonio, Texas.It was declared that the nextNATA Board of DirectorsMeeting will be held in the lastweek of July 2006 in Houston,Texas.In conclusion, the Chairman, Mr.Ebrahim Jaffer, conveyedheartfelt thanks to the Board ofDirectors and Staff of GreaterAustin Merchants Association,on behalf of NATA, for theiroutstanding hospitality andexcellent arrangements.Left to Right: Afroz Painter (In green shirt) Vice PresidentARA, Murad Bahrwani, President NTTA, ShahnawazHooda, Vice President, NTTA

Business NewsBusiness NewsGasoline PricesFuel ConsumerRageMay 8, 2006WASHINGTON – As if dealing withroad rage isn’t enough, now somecounselors are cautioning that “gasrage” is causing some motorists’blood pressure to boil.“High prices aren't the fault of stationowners, but psychiatrists say peopleare venting pent-up anger at the firsttarget they see,” according to anarticle by the syndicated ScrippsHoward News Service that appearedin a number of newspapers.According to John Rooney, aprofessor of psychology at La SalleUniversity in Philadelphia, gasolineprice uncertainty can lead to feelingsassociated with a lack of control,which he expects could mean“fallout for politicians” this fall.“The frustration people are feelingwith increasing gas prices and theirlack of control over them leads to asearch for someone to blame,” saidRooney.In Illinois, some doctors say thathigh stress levels correspond to fuelprice increases, and somecounselors warn that high gasolineprices “can cause pent-up anger andstrained relationships,” notes thenews service.According to clinical psychologist Dr.David Gursky, low- and middle-classindividuals are “particularly at risk”for “gas rage.”“If things were already tight, nowwith the gas prices already beinghigher, it's going to absolutely affectparenting, it's going to affectmarriages and possibly morale in thecommunity," Gursky told the newsservice, adding that the conflictsrelating to money and finances arethe number one cause of divorce.Gursky said that gasoline prices cancause some families to cancelsummer vacations, a sacrifice thatcan bring on gas rage.“The people who already are morerestricted to driving-type of vacationsnow possibly can't go …. Therefore,they're not going to be able to getaway and get some of the rest andrelaxation that they might need. Thatalone can lead to increased stressamong families,” said Gursky.Often, when gasoline prices go up,retailers experience an increase ingasoline theft.NACS spokesman Jeff Lenard toldScripps Howard reporter Lance Gaythat, although 2005 data has not yetbeen released, it is likely that thepercentage of retailers reportinglosses from gasoline theft will behigher than the $237 million reportedin 2004.With approximately 60 percent ofconvenience stores selling fuelbranded by large oil companies,Lenard said some drivers feelthey are “sticking it to the man”by filling up and driving offwithout paying. He noted that theoil companies don’t ownconvenience stores, andtherefore retailers are the onesat the end of they day trying tomake up for lost profits.Source: NACS OnlineHow Safe Is YourFuel Inventory?May 10, 2006ALEXANDRIA, VA – Withretailers increasingly requiringcustomers to prepay forgasoline, early reports indicatethat gas theft (drive-offs) is downthis year. However, this doesn’tmean that people have stoppedstealing gas, and that should beof concern to retailers.For retailers who allowcustomers to pump first and thenpay, gas theft can still be aproblem. While mandatingprepay would essentiallyeliminate gas theft, there arepotentialnegativeconsequences, including apotential loss of sales whencustomers feelInconveniencedorunderestimate their gasolinepurchases, reduced in-storesales and the tendency forcustomers who would otherwisehave paid with cash to insteadpay by credit card, triggeringfees as high as 10 cents a gallonfor some retailers.While gas theft at the pump maybe down, that doesn’t meanpeople have stopped stealinggas. Siphoning has increased insome areas to levels not seensince the 1970s. News reportsthroughout the country indicatethat thieves are targeting carsparked in commuter lots andother areas where cars areparked for extended periods.And another prime target aresvehicles with large fuel tanks,whether SUVs, trucks ordelivery vehicles.The increase in siphoning hasled to a corresponding increasein sales of locking gas caps atautomotive parts stores. Theautomotive aftermarket retail andservice chain The Pep Boysissued a press release last weekreporting that the company “isseeing a steady increase in thesale of locking gas caps, whichcorrelates to the rise in gasprices.”Of biggest concern to retailersmay be recent reports thatthieves are now reprogrammingthe pumps themselves andstealing thousands of gallons ofgas. Last month in Baltimore,three separate stations reportedthat they were targets of thieveswho disabled the pumps to stealgas. At one BP station, ownerRiaz Ahmid told television stationWBAL that he lost more than$8,000 worth of gas bybypassing the pump andcharging others a cut-rate pricefor the fuel.“Whoever did this disabled thepump and isolated it (from thecashier). He was probably sellinga tank (of gas) for about $10 or$20 ... they were all lined upwaiting for the tank,” Ahmid toldWBAL.Ahmid suspects that the theftwas committed by someone whoworked for a pump maintenancecompany and had an access keyfor the pump.“(The) pump does notcommunicate with the cashregister ... it’s disabled from themain system, and this is a freeproduct--all they do is come, lift thenozzle and start filling up,” Ahmidtold WBAL. “He’s definitely anexpert, a technician who knows whathe’s doing.”A similar scam occurred earlier thismonth in St. Louis, where thievestargeted two stores. The manager atone Phillips 66 store, Kevin Tippit,told television station KSDK thatabout $6,000 to $10,000 was stolenbefore a customer tipped off thestore.“They (the thieves) have a key to thepump and then after they open upthe pump they go in and theyreprogram the pump, so they canhave free gas. And then everybodybehind them sees what they'redoing, and they continue,” Tippit toldthe television station. “What itactually does is bypass our system.It goes beyond the register and isdrawing directly off the pumps.”“The first line of defense to deter thistype of theft is the key,” NACS VicePresident of Research Gray Taylortold NACS Daily. He said that agrowing number of retailers arefitting their pumps with proprietarykeys. One example is Tulsa,Oklahoma-based QuikTrip, whichtold attendees at the recent NationalPetroleum Energy Credit Associationconference in San Diego that it is inthe process of changing everydispenser at its stores to proprietaryQuikTrip keys.Other retailers may want to reviewtheir security systems at the pumpas well, added Taylor, whetherdeveloping a proprietary key orcontacting a local locksmith to lookat how additional locks can helpdeter thieves.Source: NACS Online

sNewsNATA Board of Directors met inAustin, Texas on 8 th and 9th April,2006. The Presidents and VicePresidents of most TradeAssociations from all over USAattended the meeting.The Ex. Chairman, Mr. Aly Hussainiwelcomed all the participants andextended thanks on behalf of theExecutive Committee (EC), forsparing their valuable time bytraveling to Austin to attend thismeeting.The Board had one and a half daysof agenda that addressed variousissues, policy matters and re-visitedaims and objectives of NATA. Themeeting also formally adopted aDocument on NATA Policies andGoals prepared by the StrategicPlanning Committee (SPC) underthe leadership of Mr. Ebrahim Jaffer,Coordinator. Some changes weremade on the previously appointedCoordinators and Members ofvarious Committees to undertake theresponsibilities as defined undereach committee.The meeting was also addressed byMr. Salim Nathani, Hon. Secretary,Aga Khan Economic Planning Board(AKEPB) and Mr. Farid Virani,Member, AKEPB and many ideaswere exchanged.The Draft Budget 2006 and FinancialStatement for the period January toMarch 2006 were presented by theTreasurer Mr. Shamsuddin Khoja,which was unanimously approved.It was reported that NATA HeadOffice has moved to a newlocation at 11011 S. WilcrestRoad, Houston, TX 77099 effectiveNovember 2005.All the Board of Directors along withthe representatives of AKEPB weretaken on a detailed tour of GAMA’srecently opened Warehouse for itsmembers and general public. TheNATA board members applaudedGAMA and its directors for this boldinitiative.The Presidents of each TradeAssociation presented a briefreport of their Association. Thenote- worthy points were:a) ARA celebrated its 10 thAnniversary in November2005b) ARA has started enrollingother business owners,besides c-stores owners, asAssociate Members.c) GHRA held an AnnualElection and General Bodymeeting on February 25,2006.Oath Taking Ceremony of threenew Presidents, namely, Mr.Salim Ukani of MBA, Mr. KarimDhukani of GHRA and Mr.Murad Bharwani of NTTA washeld and were welcomed to theBoard of Directors.Election of new ExecutiveCommittee was held andfollowing Directors were electedto the position mentioned againsteach, unanimously anduncontested, for a period fromApril 2006 to the first Boardmeeting of 2007:.Richard WillsAuditor, Compliance DivisionTABCWelcome to the “TABC Corner”.This will be our first of manyarticles at addressing yourconcerns (The GHRAMembership) governing the saleof alcoholic beverages to yourcustomers. As you know therules and regulations are verycomplicated and detailed. So wedon’t add to the confusion, themonthly articles will only dealwith one topic at a time. Shouldyou have any questions pleasefeel free to contact me atrichard.wills@tabc.state.tx.usLet’s talk about signs. Off-Premise accounts such as BeerRetailer’s Off-Premise License(BF), Wine and Beer Off-PremisePermit (BQ) and Wine-OnlyPackage Store Permits arerequired to have three basicsigns: PIS, CWS and Weapons(Blue) signs.A PIS sign stands for PublicInformation Sign. Retailers mustprovide and prominently displaynear the door or cash register asign that includes thisinformation:TABC CornersIf you have a complaint aboutthe sale orService of alcoholic beverages inthisEstablishment, please contact theTEXAS ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGECOMMISSIONP.O. BOX 13127AUSTIN, TEXAS 78711-3127Or phone 1-888-THE-TABCe-mailcomplaints@tabc.state.tx.usA CWS sign stands for ConsumptionWarning Sign. Off-premise retailersmust prominently display this sign onthe premise in letters at least twoinches high:IT IS A CRIME (MISDEMEANOR)TO CONSUME LIQUOR ORBEER ONTHESE PREMISES.A Weapons Warning Sign needs tobe prominently displayed on thepremise at each public entrance.Sign needs to be at least 6 incheshigh and 14 inches wide. Usecontrasting colors. It must read:-NOTICE-The unlicensed possession of aweapon on these Premises is afelony with a maximum penaltyof 10 Years imprisonment and afine not to exceed $10000.Texas Alcoholic BeverageCommissionP.O. Box 13127 Austin, Texas78711-3127Toll Free 1-888-THE-TABC(Voice/TDD)MAP TrainingExclusively forGHRA membersGHRA in conjunction with TABC isintroducing “Manager AwarenessProgram” (MAP) training. TABA haslaunch MAP training exclusively withGHRA. GHRA members will be thefirst to take advantage of this greatopportunity and advance from whatis being taught at this training.MAP training will focus on the waysof being a responsible manager andwill be taught by TABC officials.MAP training is MANDATORY for allour members.The first training is held on June 8 th ,2006. Detail information is listedbelow:Two separate sessions are schedulefor members’ convenience:First Session:10:00 – 12:00 noonSecond Session:1:00 – 3:00 pmThere is no cost for this training andboth sessions are held at GHRAoffice. Seats are limited and it willbe on first come first serve basis.Please call GHRA office to register.