By Brian L. Milne, Refined Fuels Editor, Telvent DTN Retail prices across the country are positioned to move higher in early May, which is typical this time of year as the market prepares for increased driving demand during the warmer months in late spring and summer. Climbing retail prices follows a renewed push higher in [...]
BP is ramping up its response to the oil spill in the US Gulf of Mexico. More than 2,500 personnel are now involved in the response effort and well-advanced preparations are being made for a major protection and cleaning effort on the shorelines of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. A fourth onshore command centre, in [...]
Kum & Go L.C. has kicked off its summer fountain drink contest dubbed the ‘Name Our Cup Contest’ where customers get a free soda with purchase. The contest, which started on May 1, is a first of its kind for the convenience store chain. Customers will submit names at the beginning of the summer for Kum [...]
Chevron Corp. has reported earnings of $4.55 billion ($2.27 per share – diluted) for the first quarter 2010, compared with $1.84 billion ($0.92 per share -diluted) in the 2009 first quarter. Results in the 2009 period included gains of approximately $400 million ($0.20 per share) from downstream asset sales. Foreign-currency effects reduced earnings in the [...]
The 24th annual Trade Show & Convention of the New York Association of Convenience Stores is set for next week at the Oncenter in Syracuse, N.Y. Retail decision-makers representing more than 1,000 New York convenience stores are expected to attend the May 12-13 event. “Going for the GREEN” is this year’s theme. It’s a product [...]
An introspective look at life through the fading eyes of a genius. As our 28 year old daughter lay ill in Emory University Hospital, a wonderful second-generation Spanish surgeon knelt down and held my wife’s hands to share words of wisdom he learned from his father. He imparted to us what a great privilege it [...]
JT International U.S.A. (JTI) has introduced its newest brand: WINGS. The product will be available to distributors June 21. A high-quality, American blend cigarette with a smooth flavor, WINGS is designed for today’s value-seeking adult smokers with its bold, premium packaging and attractive price. WINGS will be available in six top-selling box styles, including Red, [...]
Convenience Valet has partnered with General Nutrition Corporation (GNC) to be the exclusive distributor of GNC Mega Vitapak Program in a convenient daily pack. Consumers are in search of nutritional and health products they know and trust, and this is what the GNC program delivers. With 94% brand awareness GNC’s mainstay has been their vitamin [...]
Made with real fruit to retain all of the fiber and nutrients nature intended, Jolly Llama Real Whole Fruit Sorbet Squeezups are a convenient, great tasting frozen treat. The family-friendly Sorbet Squeezups are all-natural, gluten-free, dairy-free and fat-free, and are sweetened with natural pure cane sugar and fortified with vitamins A and C, as well [...]
While stopping for gas one day, two waste management interns working for the city of Lexington, Ky., pondered how much garbage could be recycled from cars if locations, such as gas stations, made it more convenient to recycle. The interns, Elizabeth Rebmann and Natalie Cooke, pitched their idea for such a recycling program to Bruce [...]
The 12 Standards of PCI SSC Build and Maintain a Secure Network 1. Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect data. 2. Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters. Protect Cardholder Data 3. Protect stored cardholder data. 4. Encrypt transmissions of cardholder data and sensitive information across open public [...]
Beer continues to be an essential category for convenience stores and one that requires more than the usual amount of observation, knowledge, planning, execution and overall savvy. According to The Nielsen Co.:• Nearly 787 million cases of beer were sold in the c-store channel during 52-weeks ending March 6, 2010; down 1.5% from 799 million [...]
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates, scheduled to go into effect on June 22, prohibit retailers from selling cigarettes and smokeless products in self-service displays except in age-restricted stores that ban customers younger than 18 years of age. While retailers in some states, such as New York and Idaho, have already had to comply with [...]
What’s Coming? Thinking about a planogram refresh in candy? The National Confectioners Association (NCA) in Washington, D.C. advised that the category is taking a turn toward the upscale. “There is a big gourmet boom. I think we’re also going to have a ‘chocolate-covered’ category made up of things you don’t normally see covered in chocolate, [...]
Energy bars are most often associated with top athletes and endurance sports. But as consumers have found themselves pressed for time—and energy—the category has morphed into an array of tasty, low-cost products that provide a quick meal solution across multiple dayparts. More importantly, the category has evolved to include a multitude of variations from healthy [...]