Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture is temporarily allowing half-gallon pricing on gas sales as a short-term fix for problems at old fuel pumps that can’t display the current market’s high prices. While most fuel dispensers in Pennsylvania can display per-gallon prices over $4, as well as calculate accumulated costs for a purchase, the state’s Department of [...]

Worsley Operating Corporation, of Wilmington, N.C., has acquired Li’l Cricket Food Stores Inc., the operator of 88 convenience stores in South Carolina under the Li’l Cricket brand name, the company said. Worsley is an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners Inc., a private investment firm focused on leveraged buyouts, equity, and other investments in market-leading companies. [...]

Chester’s International, a fried chicken foodservice provider for the convenience store industry, has opened a new location at Love’s Travel Stop in Hubbard, Ohio at exit 234 off Interstate 80, the company said. The Hubbard location, located just across the Pennsylvania state line, celebrated its grand opening on May 22. Love’s Travel Stops & Country [...]

The Kroger Co. is offering customers the ability to earn up to 15 cents off per gallon on fuel by accumulating credits through purchases made at the company’s U.S. stores. Most of the fuel discount programs offered by Kroger and its family of stores reward customers with a minimum of 10 cents off per gallon [...]

McDonald Corp.’s coffee program may not be posting sales as high as some analysts had hoped, according to The Chicago Tribune and Technomic. Specialty coffee sales in McDonald’s test markets seem tepid, the Tribune reported, adding that the category accounted for less than 3% of sales per restaurant.

 "Those numbers indicate they are off to [...]

7-Eleven Inc. is planning to convert about 475 company-operated 7-Eleven stores in Central Florida into franchised locations, the company said. The conversion of company-operated stores Florida began in January in South Florida, but the new change will impact 7-Eleven stores in greater Orlando, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Daytona and Fort Myers areas. “This move by 7-Eleven in [...]

Dunkin’ Donuts has broken ground on its St. Petersburg, Fla, store, which will become the company’s first LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building when it opens in September. LEED certification is the recognized standard for "green" construction in the U.S., and it outlines a rating system that determines what constitutes a “green” or [...]

Exxon Mobil Corporation said in its 2007 Corporate Citizenship Report that the company has improved its environmental, economic and social performance. The report details how the company reduced greenhouse gas emissions, led the industry in worker safety and oil-spill prevention, and contributed more than eight times its earnings to economies around the world through taxes [...]

Affordable gas prices disappeared in the rearview mirror long ago, and businesses nationwide are offering creative promotions to entice customers who are looking to offset the price they’re paying at the pump. Chrysler recently extended an offer to lock new customers in to $3-per-gallon gas when they purchase a vehicle, while a gas-price war between [...]

Harley-Davidson has rolled out “Ride Planner version 2.0,” an interactive and online tool that gives cross-country travelers the ability to map out fueling locations and other pit stops on their road trips. The customizable maps include more than 14,000 Shell-branded gasoline stations located along any route in the U.S. The Web-based Ride Planner allows motorcyclists [...]

FireKing Security Group, a leading asset protection company, has announced the hiring of John Angove as senior vice president to lead its direct sales of cash-handling products, Image Vault digital video and field services. A 30-year industry veteran, Angove is named on several key patents issued for the secure cash-handling and transportation solutions. In his [...]

Information Resources Inc. (IRI) has expanded its relationship with Pabst Brewing Company, giving Pabst increased convenience, grocery and drug store insights through IRI’s AllScan Convenience Store Tracking system and the census-based IRI InfoScan service, the company said. Ranked one of the top five overall brewing companies by beer sales volume in 2007 by the Brewers [...]

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Gas Price Relief for Consumers Act (H.R. 6074) this week by a vote of 324 to 84, a measure that would give the Justice Department an added tool to pursue antitrust actions against OPEC-controlled entities. "The House (on Tuesday) with a strong bipartisan and veto-proof margin voted to [...]

Meijer supercenter on June 1 will begin cutting fuel prices by 10 cents per gallon for all customers who use their Meijer credit cards when purchasing fuel at its gas stations, the company said. The program will run through Labor Day at all 165 Meijer gas stations, and will offer discounts on all grades of [...]