VERC Enterprises, operator of 20 stores throughout Eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire, acquired a new location in Westin, Mass. VERC Weston Mobil is currently operating as a gasoline station, but the company hopes to expand services at the unit. VERC Enterprises CEO Leo Vercollone is working with Weston officials in the hopes of obtaining permitting [...]

Jenny Bullard, the chief information officer of Flash Foods in Waycross, Ga., was named chairwoman of the board of directors of the Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards (PCATS), succeeding Devin Bates of Stripes Convenience Stores in San Angelo, Texas. Bullard, who oversees the technology systems at 176 stores, is the first female to hold [...]

Open Pantry Food Marts of Wisconsin, Inc., operator of 26 stores in Wisconsin and Illinois, announced two moves to solidify its executive team. Jim Fiene, the former senior vice president of the Pleasant Prairie, Wis. chain, was promoted to chief operating officer, effective Feb. 6. "Jim Fiene has dramatically contributed to up-imaging our company during [...]

The state of Wisconsin is being sued in federal court over a law designed to ensure fair competition among gas station owners. The filing comes after a federal judge ruled in another lawsuit last year that the law is unconstitutional. In documents obtained by the Associated Press, Flying J filed a new lawsuit Jan. 29 [...]

Employees at a Montreal oil refinery are calling on the public to boycott Petro-Canada in support of the 260 workers locked out since November. The lockout was a reaction by Petro-Canada to a year of strained contract negotiations with the Communications, Energy and Paper Workers Union (CEP) regarding contract requirements and safety concerns in the [...]

The Coca-Cola Co. and Honest Tea Inc. completed a deal giving Coca-Cola approximately 40% interest in the fast-growing maker of certified organic beverages, including the best-selling Honest Tea brand. Coca-Cola may elect to buy, and the remaining Honest Tea shareholders may elect to sell to Coca-Cola, the outstanding interest not currently owned by Coca-Cola in [...]

Despite a flailing U.S. economy, gasoline prices are the leading factor in changing American consumer spending, according to a NACS survey. Results found 45% of U.S. consumers said soaring gasoline prices have affected their spending more than rising energy and food costs, the slumping economy or the national mortgage and lending crisis, the survey found. [...]

Jeff Parker today was named president of Kroger’s Kwik Shop convenience store division. He will oversee 131 Kwik Shop stores in Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. Parker previously served as senior vice president of operations for the Hutchinson, Kan.-based c-store chain and was the corporate controller for Kroger’s c-stores, Turkey Hill Dairy, and supermarket petroleum operations [...]

The company that invented coffee-to-go some 40 years ago and sells at least a million cups a day is launching a multi-million-dollar “freshness guaranteed” advertising blitz in February. With taglines like “Our coffee’s fresher than your average Joe” and “Guaranteed fresh or we’ll brew it new,” 7-Eleven, Inc. plans to educate coffee drinkers about the [...]

Kraft Foodservice’s Nabisco Website (www.kraftfoodservice.com/crackers) is featuring new wine, cheese and cracker pairing tips to help operators increase margins and sales. Convenience store operators can use these pairing guides to develop catering and special events menus, and to identify spectacular pairings and flavors to keep patrons coming back for more. Developed by Lorraine Hems, a [...]

7-Eleven, Inc. has extended its dispenser purchasing agreement with Gilbarco Veeder-Root through December 2010. The company will continue to purchase Gilbarco Encore dispensers, which offer the widest range of models for alternative fuels, advanced security and payment options. "Gilbarco dispensers have been an important part of our successful interaction with customers at the fuel island," [...]

Famima USA, a subsidiary of Japan’s second-biggest convenience store operator, FamilyMart Co., is shifting its U.S. retail strategy to open more outlets in middle-class U.S. neighborhoods to make the unit profitable by February 2012, said President Junji Ueda. Since opening its first U.S. store in West Hollywood, California, in 2005, FamilyMart has tried to set [...]

The Pantry Inc., operator of 1,644 stores in 11 states under brands such as The Pantry and Kangaroo Express, reported sharp gain in first quarter revenues. For the quarter, revenues jumped to approximately $2 billion, a 43.2% increase from the first quarter of fiscal 2007. Net income was $3.2 million compared to just $125,000 a [...]