This small gas station on the corner of Main Street and Oberfest Avenue in Liberty, New York has managed to do something nice for the folks of the Village. In an era when everyone is scrimping to make ends meet this is a welcome gesture. Even the cynics who recognize a public relations scheme when they see it have to admit this is a pretty cool way to let customers know they are appreciated.

Xtra Mart is located catty-corner to Ideal Snacks, a prominent employer of the Latino population in Liberty. A few workers were happy to stop in and get a “cup of Joe” before heading to their shift. The two pleasant clerks let people know that there was a catch: You had to produce a coupon to get the coffee; these were conveniently located on the counter top with the half and half and milk dispenser. There were several carafes containing a variety of brews: cinnamon stick, blueberry, hazelnut, French vanilla, breakfast blend, and a Bunn coffee maker with the regular stuff to boot. The cashier was busily trying to catch up with the number of coupons she’d already collected for the morning and it was only 7:10 a.m.

When something as simple as an offer with no purchase necessary produces a run on a little convenience store, one just knows the owners are onto something. Next month there may be more people eager to take the store up on their offer and residual sales should really pay off. Thank you Xtra Mart!

Today’s Lagniappe (a little something extra) – Advice for Xtra Mart . . . don’t tell Johnny Drama that there is no ‘free coffee’:

Lagniappe defined: A marketing lagniappe,  i.e. purple goldfish,  is any time a business goes above and beyond to provide a ‘little something extra’.  It’s that unexpected surprise that’s thrown in for good measure.

How do you stand out in the sea of sameness? How do you win repeat customers and influence word of mouth? What’s Your Purple Goldfish?

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