Rediscover the Value of GM-HBC

Promoting and Advancing Petroleum Marketing, Retail Grocery, and Convenience Stores in West Virginia

Driving Local Business and Community Growth Across West Virginia

Our Purpose and Commitment

OMEGA is a West Virginia-based organization dedicated to supporting and advancing the business interests of the state’s petroleum marketing, retail grocery, and convenience store industries.

As a network of over 225 locally owned businesses, OMEGA actively promotes cooperation, advocates for favorable legislation, and provides education and resources to its members. With over 50,000 employees, OMEGA members significantly contribute to the state’s economy, generating more than 10% of all state taxes and supporting local communities through scholarships, charitable donations, and civic involvement.

OMEGA is committed to fostering industry growth while serving West Virginians with essential services like fuel, food, and convenience.

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Join a Community that Champions, Connects, and Elevates!

Your Essential Connection in West Virginia

OMEGA offers three types of membership: Convenience Store Members, Petroleum Marketer Members, and Grocer Members, all of which play a vital role in providing fuel, food, and essentials across West Virginia. As a liaison with state and national agencies, OMEGA works closely with organizations like NACS, PMAA, FMI, and the N.G.A. to advocate on behalf of its members.

We keep members informed through newsletters, legislative updates, an online resource hub, and educational seminars. Additional member benefits include access to the Encova Workers’ Compensation Discount Program and participation in our annual Trade Expo and fundraising efforts for children’s charities. OMEGA is here to support, advocate, and enhance the success of our industry members.

Shoppers enjoy the discovery process. We feel like everyday heroes when we bring home a new product or experiment with a new recipe for a family meal. Arguably, for food retailers, translating this same consumer experience to toothpaste or light bulbs doesn’t offer as much creative license. General merchandise and health and beauty care (GM/HBC) items often feel like an afterthought in the traditional in-store experience and are slowly losing share to other channels. So, should a traditional food retailer phase out GM/HBC items or is there hope for this category? Based on some new analysis, I believe it’s the latter.

By Peter Collins, Director for Business Development, Food Marketing Institute <img src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/photos-for-staff-use/health-and-beauty/20161208-fmi-0458_ed-web.tmb-large-350-.jpg?sfvrsn=6b296c6e_1" data-displaymode="Thumbnail" alt="20161208-FMI-0458_ed-WEB" title="20161208-FMI-0458_ed-WEB" style="float: right; margin: 10px;" /> Shoppers enjoy the discovery process. We feel like everyday heroes when we bring home a new product or experiment with a new recipe for a family meal. Arguably, for food retailers, translating this same consumer experience to toothpaste or light bulbs doesn’t offer as much creative license. General merchandise and health and beauty care (GM/HBC) items often feel like an afterthought in the traditional in-store experience and are slowly losing share to other channels. So, should a traditional food retailer phase out GM/HBC items or is there hope for this category? Based on some new analysis, I believe it’s the latter. When we first looked at the opportunity for GM/HBC with our research partners at Acosta last year, we focused on the outliers and merchandising strategies. This year, we’ve matured the model to understand how to make the investment in GM/HBC. We learned from <a href="https://www.fmi.org/newsroom/latest-news/view/2018/08/20/new-study-from-acosta-and-food-marketing-institute-reveals-best-practices-for-increasing-health-beauty-care-and-general-merchandise-sales-in-grocery-stores">our recently released analysis</a> that shoppers say they purchase GM/HBC in store for the following reasons: <ol> <li>immediacy;</li> <li>coupons/deals;</li> <li>convenience;</li> <li>better prices; and</li> <li>check out new products.</li> </ol> Among these points, the fifth seems like the strongest opportunity to compete for share of basket and create a discovery experience for the shopper. Consider mimicking the trends you’re witnessing in fresh and apply them to GM/HBC. For instance, shopper demand for products that are local, organic, minimally-processed and focused on wellbeing are just a few of the hot trends to consider when thinking about sourcing everything from skin care to household cleaning products. <a href="http://www.fmi.org/gmhbc">As the report suggests</a>, if the grocery channel was to capture its fair share of HBC sales, it would represent an incremental $29 billion, while the same size of prize for GM would equal $15 billion. I hope you agree there’s much to discover in the power of GM/HBC. Learn more about the second-annual The Power of GM and HBC in Grocery by watching this <a href="https://www.fmi.org/industry-topics/general-merchandise-health-beauty-care">video</a>.

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Supporting West Virginia Communities

OMEGA members play a vital role in West Virginia, supporting communities through substantial tax contributions and a wide-reaching presence across the state. With over 55% of the population living in border counties, our members are dedicated to serving both local and regional needs. Beyond business, we’re proud to give back, having contributed over $3.1 million to children’s charities since 2003, reflecting our commitment to making a positive difference.