Convenience Matters

The new Amazon Go retail concept is groundbreaking—an 1,800-foot store where customers use an app to continuously check out and never have to wait in lines. Amazon is just the latest in a long line of retail giants testing the convenience space, including Walmart, Tesco, Target and The Home Depot. How might this affect the convenience store industry? And, how does this revolutionize the concept of...

For VERC Enterprises, business goals always come back to serving the community. Nearly 20 years ago, the company tested a program to provide work to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After finding that the program significantly increased culture, it grew to providing employment to other hard-to-place individuals. Today, more than 20% of the 250 employees are individuals...

EPA's Office of Underground Storage Tanks is responsible for ensuring that fuel retailers maintain their tank systems to prevent petroleum releases. A 2016 report issued by the Office found that many diesel fuel retailers have experienced excessive corrosion in their systems and that many more may not even know they have a problem. Convenience Matters spoke with EPA about this study, new tank regu...

Customers are increasingly seeking out more fresh items at convenience stores--whether bananas, fruit cups or salads. And this trend is attracting new customers, especially millennials and women. But that doesn't mean that a fresh offer will work at every store. If you're not sure if you are ready to expand your fresh offer, review a quick 10-point checklist that Kelly helped develop as part of he...

Larry Thomas is known by that iconic character but sometimes it's about being in the right place at the right time. He got the call to play the part about 7:30 at night and came up with his character in the early morning hours. And over the course of those few hours he created a character so memorable it led to an Emmy, an iconic catch phrase and a product line of, you guessed it, soups. Larry sha...

Why do blindfolded taste-test volunteers say that chocolate yogurt tastes like strawberry yogurt? It comes down to psychology and if their minds think it, they react accordingly. NACS Show attendees packed an education session to get insights about how the consumers' mind works from Adam Brumberg—and we had a chance to dive deeper into how retailers can better understand human psychology to help i...

"You need to separate yourself from the competition," stresses Kent Couch. It's something that he first did with a series of record-setting cluster balloon flights, beginning in 2006. However, the story about his Stop & Go store in Bend, OR, is really about what they have brought home from learning at NACS Shows and through NACS membership. Currently, it's the wildly popular growler program, with...

Everyone at the NACS Show was talking about the NACS Show general session speeches. So it only makes sense that Convenience Matters talked to one of these speakers, Steve Gross. At the heart of his work, Steve helps others discover the power of optimism so that they can build resilience and bring greater joy, connection, courage and creativity to their lives. Co-hosts Carolyn Schnare, NACS Directo...

The fuels and vehicles markets are truly global in scope and there are a number of fueling trends in South America that are relevant to the United States, from how they fuel vehicles to what fuels are sold, to what consumers do once they come inside the stores. And, as can be expected, there are also some interesting fueling-related issues that have emerged.

For a lot of consumers, ethanol seems like a new transportation fuel, whether E85, E15 or the standard E10 blend that is in virtually every gallon of gasoline sold today. But it's actually the fuel that was used for those first automobiles produced in the 1880s. And ethanol is continuing to evolve, with new blends and feedstocks expected to fuel its growth, and an expanded distribution infrastruct...

Whether you are a first-time attendee or a regular, there is always something new to see and do at the NACS Show. So are there any tips for getting the most out of your experience? Our panelists certainly would know because cumulatively they have attended 50 NACS Shows. What's their advice–beyond to wear comfortable shoes? It's really about having a plan for success because all it takes is one gre...

The hosts discuss how beer sales have evolved at convenience stores, with more of a focus on local brands and growlers. Convenience stores have long been a leader in beer sales. Not only do they sell more than half of the beer purchased in the United States, they are also leading the movement toward more local beers and growler programs. And there are some significant opportunities for retailers t...

The hosts discuss how NACS works with the Project on Nutrition and Wellness to create tool kits and programs to better the convenience retailing industry. On paper, the concept sounds like herding cats: bringing together disparate groups, sometimes even those who are polar opposites, to address a critical problem for the common good. Yet in the case of Convergence, which spawned the Project on Nut...

On paper, Tesla's had an amazing year. It has 400,000 pre-orders for its new 3 series, at a time when annual EV sales from all EV auto makers are about 115,00 a year. And its stock price is rising, even as the company begins to experience growing pains. Is it possible that its promise will be greater than its success? And more important, how does what happens with Tesla affect the future of EV in...

There's a perception that "healthy eating" doesn't take place when you eat out. Restaurants, gas stations, fast-food establishments — they're all spoken of as if they're part of the problem. But are they? Frank Beard, an endurance athlete from Iowa, wanted to do something extreme and change the conversation, drive. So he recently conducted an experiment. To prove that it's possible to stay healthy...

AAA suggests that consumers will find value – and pay extra – for Top Tier gasoline. We discuss recent findings and surveys that support these claims. AAA is viewed by millions of Americans as their advocate with regards to solid choices concerning their driving investments. In July 2016, the organization published a report advising drivers to seek out retailers who sell "Top Tier" gasoline. Auto...

As great strides are made in developing vehicles that have fewer emissions and are more energy efficient, it's important to also ensure that the processes to extract energy sources is equally clean.   The motor fuels that power today's vehicles are as clean and as uniform as they ever have been. But, that's not the case once you go further "upstream." Today's global oil supply chain is undergoing...

There is probably no one element of starting a business that is more discussed – and debated – the company name. For convenience retailers that challenge is even more pronounced because they operate in an industry with more than 90,000 companies. And since everyone knows that convenience stores are quick (or kwik, qik, or quik) and easy, how can someone find a name that sets the store apart? A NAC...

Overall, convenience store sales from June through August are about 5% higher than the rest of the year, according to NACS sales data. And the sales of packaged beverages – soda, water, juices, teas and sports and energy drinks – are nearly 18% higher over the hot summer months. Warm weather and longer daylight hours are the reason behind the growth in sales, but there are some other factors that...

Texas has the most convenience stores and also is a leader in driving innovation. Who are the companies leading the charge and why? Texas dominates the convenience store industry. It is where the industry began in 1927 and today is home to more than 15,600 convenience stores, or one of every 10 convenience stores across the country. The ideas and the execution also make Texas unique, from stores w...

Silicon Valley seeks to disrupt the retailing business with a number of initiatives. What are their odds of success? A number of emerging companies are seeking to disrupt the retail fueling business by offering gas on demand: click on an app, order your fuel and wait for your fill-up. Company promises proclaim "Welcome to life without gas stations" and "Never stop for gas again." But is this an in...

We Card was founded to minimize youth access to tobacco. More than two decades later, it's working, and there are a number of new initiatives to further its success. The hosts share clips from interviews conducted at NACS Day on the Hill to learn the importance of advocacy – and how others can get involved. NACS was a founding member of the pioneering We Card program that was launched in in 1995 t...

Two years ago, NACS and United Fresh partnered to develop tools to increase the sale of fresh produce in convenience stores – and the partnership has been successful in its objectives. With more than 154,000 locations across the country, convenience stores are increasingly seen as a convenient destination for consumers to buy fruit and vegetables. And part of that reason is because NACS and the Un...

While it may sound cliché, members of Congress really do want to hear from their constituents. NACS, like many leading associations, makes it easy for its members to come to Washington, learn the process and the issues and then have productive meetings with their elected officials. Whether you are a first-timer at an annual day on Capitol Hill or a regular – or even a supplier member, the process...

Smartphones have gone well beyond transforming how people communicate and share moments from their lives on social media – they are now transforming how people share things, whether renting homes, selling goods or even sharing cars. The allure to shared travel comes down to one central fact: the average vehicle is used about 5%, on average, each day. Will shared travel disrupt the market – and if...