Soapy Joe's Goes Pink for March Fundraising Initiative
SAN DIEGO — Customers at Soapy Joe's locations in California will notice a pop of color when they walk through the door this month.
Throughout March, the San Diego-based car wash and convenience store chain is hosting a fundraising initiative to support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation BigWigs campaign. Through the sales of new food and beverage items, pink-themed merchandise and Soapy Joe's-branded soft goods — among other products — the retailer aims to raise $5,000.
The selection of limited-time items, available only in March, includes pink air fresheners, Bubbles for Boobies T-shirts, pink hair scrunchies, water bottles and pink air fresheners. The retailer is also adding on-site signage in-store and at the fuel pumps featuring a QR code which will direct customers to a donation page, Amy Robinson, general manager of Soapy Joe's convenience stores, told Convenience Store News.
"Each online donation to our page gets customers a chance to win an annual car wash membership. That's right, an entire year of free car washes," she emphasized.
In addition to bringing specialty items to the store this month, Soapy Joe's is holding BigWigs pop-up tent events every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. During the weekly events, the retailer will be giving away prizes and gifts for each donation it receives.
Locations for the popups are:
- March 13: 1999 Sweetwater Road, National City, Calif.
- March 20: 4282 Camino Del Rio North, San Diego
- March 27: 16998 West Bernardo Drive, San Diego
According to Robinson, this is the first year Soapy Joe's is running this initiative for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation BigWigs campaign, but the retailer "is no stranger to giving back."
"As a company, we've donated more than $2 million and 120,000 free car washes to community-based organizations that serve veterans, healthcare workers, schools, hospitals, firefighters and more," she said.
Soapy Joe's has also supported the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation since 2016 through pay-in-kind coupons, Race for the Cure sponsorships and limited-edition pink air freshener drops, Robinson added.
[Read more: Convenience Store Retailers & Suppliers Celebrate International Women's Day]
Robinson is also no stranger to Soapy Joe's community efforts. She joined Soapy Joe's 14 years ago. Starting as a business controller, she worked her way to vice president of finance before shifting to the project management office and facility development, overseeing the opening of nine new sites. She took on the role of general manager of the c-stores, leading the development and growth of the company's convenience team and locations, one year ago.
"One of the most challenging aspects of c-stores is that you have a quick 60-second or less transaction period. Providing digestible, easily actionable information to customers on how to use a rewards system or participate in charitable donation campaigns we’re running in this span takes a strategic mindset," she pointed out.
Soapy Joe's was founded in 2001 by the Lorens Attisha family as a full-service carwash. After converting to an express model wash in 2011, Soapy Joe's was the first carwash chain in San Diego County to introduce the subscription model to its customers. Today, Soapy Joe's has 23 locations.
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