Convenient Food Markets ( ( I'M ) is a chain of more than 100 convenience stores . The company has faced increasing com petition over the past several years , mainly because department store chains have been adding grocery departments and gas stations have been adding full- service convenience stores to their locations . As a consequence , the company has lost market share recently to competitors . The company has set a target minimum rate of return for its stores of 22% ohn Nicholson is the district manager of the 17 CEM stores in Bailingham Nicholson's district happens to include the original store , the first in the CEM chain , which opened more than 40 years ago . In fact Nicholson's first summer job was as a stock boy at the original store in the year that it opened . After university , he returned to CEM as a store manager , has worked his way up to district manager , and plans to retire in about five years CFM leases store buildings , investing significantly in the interior design , display , and decoration . The original CFM store remains profitable in part because the fixtures and fittings are almost fully depreciated . While th p /textflow . mheducation . com / parser . php Peepload = 17 7 &fake& print Page 290