By Aaron McHugh, Kalibrate Merchandise Group Business Development
John Wanamaker, a U.S. merchant who opened the first department store in Philadelphia in the late 1800s, coined the popular phrase, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half.” Though referring specifically to advertising dollars, Wanamaker’s statement is every bit as applicable to convenience store retailers trying to measure the effectiveness of their merchandise promotions.