Chase Begor

“Without customers, a balance sheet is meaningless. That’s why Bouchard agreed to pay a premium when he was acquiring an existing store. He wasn’t buying just an inventory and some displays; he was buying a location and a customer base that had established habits—a concept referred to as “goodwill.”
― Guy Gendron, Daring to succed: Couche-tard & Circle K convenience store empire

“More than once, Couche-Tard had doubled and even quadrupled in size, overnight. Its acquisitions both in Canada and in the United States had allowed it to develop a unique mode of operation that was simultaneously decentralized and integrated. The business had also thrived because its management team consisted of four men who had built it with their own hands—quite literally—and they had personally experienced what it’s like to run a small store, with the successes and failures that this entailed. Each setback had brought their group closer together. Each challenge had made them stronger, more efficient, more impressive.”
― Guy Gendron, Daring to succed: Couche-tard & Circle K convenience store empire

“In real life, people want to earn their wages, to feel good about themselves, to be able to say they did a good job, to contribute in their own way.” To get there, Bouchard says, each individual has to find the zone in which they can make decisions, room to manoeuvre that fits their abilities and gives them a chance to show what they can do. “That’s a basic need for all humans. We all want that: to reach the level of importance corresponding to our potential.”
― Guy Gendron, Daring to succed: Couche-tard & Circle K convenience store empire

“As soon as a suitable location was found for a franchise, he was given two weeks to design the store, paint it, install coolers, shelves and counters and arrange merchandise. Nothing could get in the way of him attending opening day for each store, which always took place on a weekend. “I loved that moment. You could feel the excitement of everyone waiting outside before the doors opened.” The energy was that much higher when Perrette promised a complimentary milk jug to the first 500 clients and granted specials on other products, to promote the full range of their offerings.”
― Guy Gendron, Daring to succed: Couche-tard & Circle K convenience store empire