The U.S. granted Citgo permission to pull 250,000 barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve because of the company’s inability to secure crude in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav, The Associated Press reported. Venezuela’s government-controlled Citgo Petroleum Corp. said supplies to its refinery in Lake Charles, La., were cut off when the Calcasieu Ship [...]

7-Eleven Inc. named Mars Snackfood U.S. the recipient of its Retailer Initiative Award for 2007, the company said. The annual honor recognizes a top supplier and partner who excels at supporting 7-Eleven stores in meeting their customers’ changing needs through team merchandising, demand-chain solutions, cost of goods, category management and creativity in advertising and promotional [...]

Five hundred IHOP restaurant locations in nine states are participating in a Florida Orange Juice Suggestive Sell Program developed specifically for IHOP by the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) as a way to increase sales and profits, the companies said. IHOP’s Suggestive Sell Program starts Oct. 6 and runs through Nov. 16, offering rewards for [...]

Attorney General Jim Hood is looking to clamp down on price-gouging gas station owners who he feels may be taking advantage of consumers during hurricanes, The Sun Herald in Mississippi reported. It’s against the law to take advantage of a state of emergency by hiking up prices, but Hood discovered before Gustav hit that some [...]

Heineken USA said it has assumed the rights to import, market and sell Newcastle Brown Ale in the U.S., adding one of the leading import brands to its roster. The addition to the Heineken USA portfolio serves as a platform for future growth and places the brand as one of the top national sales priorities [...]

The Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards (PCATS) and W. Capra Laboratories said they’ve established the PCATS interoperability Laboratory and Expanded Certification Program. PCATS signed a service agreement with Capra to provide technical assistance in developing conformance testing tools, as well as its interoperability laboratory and services for testing PCATS standards. Since 2003, PCATS technical [...]

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., Convenience Store Decisions’ 2007 Convenience Store Chain of the Year, reported a 32% drop in quarterly profit, primarily the result of a sluggish U.S. economy. The company also announced Richard Fortin was stepping down as chief financial officer, effective immediately, but will become chairman of the board on Oct 12. Raymond Pare, [...]

By Brian L. Milne, Refined Fuels Editor, DTN Wholesale prices for gasoline moved higher across the country just ahead of Hurricane Gustav’s landfall along the southern Louisiana coastline, as fear of potential supply disruptions caused by the one-time powerful Category 4 storm triggered increased buying that pushed up values. The increase in wholesale prices will [...]

Jay Ricker has made his name throughout Indiana with fountain drinks – known as “Ricker pops” at his convenience stores – but the Ricker name could soon be known for something else: cold beer and alcohol on Sunday, The Herald Bulletin in Anderson, Ind. reported. Ricker is hoping to rally Hoosiers to change Indiana’s blue [...]

Anheuser-Busch has established a subsidiary called 9th Street Beverages LLC, which could help the company expand its non-alcohol business, including brands such as 180 Energy, BORBA Skin Balance Water, Icelandic Glacial and Monster. The new subsidiary will focus on reaching consumers of energy drinks, high-end waters and other non-alcohol specialty beverages. “With the success of [...]

Jay Ricker has made his name throughout Indiana with fountain drinks – known as “Ricker pops” at his convenience stores – but the Ricker name could soon be known for something else: cold beer and alcohol on Sunday, The Herald Bulletin in Anderson, Ind. reported. Ricker is hoping to rally Hoosiers to change Indiana’s blue [...]

New York convenience store chain Wilson Farms announced that it has promoted Jim Pinkert to perishable field specialist for the chain’s Midstate region. Pinkert began his employment with Wilson Farms in September 1988 and moved his way up from cart boy to store manager at Wilson Farms’ East Main Street location in Rochester. In his [...]

Crimes at convenience stores in New Mexico have dropped ever since the state imposed regulations in 2004 aimed at protecting workers in the stores, the Las Cruces Sun-News in New Mexico reported. A state Environment Department study of convenience store crimes in six communities found slayings decreased by about 44% a year, while assaults and [...]

California retailer Ed Komski is hoping his fuel stop will appeal to trucks that jump off sand dunes and kick up dirt as they rip through racetracks in the desert. Quads, motorcycles, sand rails and anything else fueled by adrenaline are welcomed, too, The Barstow Desert Dispatch reported. “We’re not a truck stop,” Komski told [...]