Shaken Economy Cannot Stir Gasoline Demand

Shaken Economy Cannot Stir Gasoline Demand

Brian L. Milne, Energy Editor, Schneider Electric For six straight weeks, the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) retail gasoline price average has declined, down 17.6 cents or 4.7% from Feb. 25 when it reached $3.784 gallon, which is currently the high for 2013. Considering sharp selling activity during the second week of April, the February high [...]

Convenience Store Sales Topped $700 Billion in 2012

Convenience Store Sales Topped $700 Billion in 2012

The convenience store industry had record sales of $700.3 billion in 2012, with in-store sales increasing 2.2% to reach a record $199.3 billion and motor fuels sales increasing 2.9% to a record $501.0 billion, according to figures released yesterday by NACS. The industry’s 2012 numbers were announced at the NACS State of the Industry Summit, [...]

Fas Mart/Shore Stop Stores Roll Out Mobile App

Fas Mart/Shore Stop Stores Roll Out Mobile App

Fas Mart/Shore Stop Convenience Stores have introduced Fas APP, the company’s first smartphone application, which debuted this month across more than 200 locations primarily in Virginia, Connecticut, Maryland and Delaware. Fas APP, dveloped by VERGE Connect, integrates with the retailer’s new Fas CASHBACK secure payment card, which lets customers customize the types of food, beverage [...]

Mielke Oil Signs on With VP’s Retail Branding Program

Mielke Oil Signs on With VP’s Retail Branding Program

VP Racing Fuels Inc. announced the newest addition to its roster of retail brand partners — Mielke Oil Co. Based in Little Falls, Minn., Mielke has distributed VP’s race fuels and other performance products for two years and sees much opportunity in VP’s brand program. “VP enjoys a great reputation for quality products in the [...]

Shrinking Labor Force Pressures Gasoline Demand

Shrinking Labor Force Pressures Gasoline Demand

First quarter fuel demand jumps 1.4% in the first quarter, according to the Energy Information Administration. By Brian L. Milne, Energy Editor, Schneider Electric Preliminary data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows gasoline demand in the U.S. ending the first quarter 1.4% higher than during the same three months in 2012, although down 1.2% [...]

Wholesale Costs Set to Reverse March’s Lower Trend in Retail Prices

Wholesale Costs Set to Reverse March’s Lower Trend in Retail Prices

By Brian L. Milne, Energy Editor, Schneider Electric After four consecutive weeks with a decline, and 23 out of 29 days in which retail gasoline prices have fallen, higher wholesale costs could reverse the recent trend observed in March and push prices at the pump higher in early April. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported [...]

U.S. Gasoline Prices Pause Ascent—Renewed Advance Awaits

U.S. Gasoline Prices Pause Ascent—Renewed Advance Awaits

By Brian L. Milne, Energy Editor, Schneider Electric For the first time since the middle of December, the U.S. average price for regular grade gasoline moved lower according to the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) weekly survey, pressured by worries over economic growth and the effect on fuel demand, along with lower asking prices by suppliers [...]

Four Tips for Squelching Negative Social Media Backlash

Four Tips for Squelching Negative Social Media Backlash

By Ashley Verrill, CRM Analyst for Software Advice and Managing Editor for the Customer Service Investigator Customer service expert, consultant and author Micah Solomon told me recently about one question that consistently dominates group discussion at his public speaking events: “Isn’t my brand and company in danger out there in the social media universe?” The [...]

U.S. Retail Gasoline Average 5% Shy of 2012 High

U.S. Retail Gasoline Average 5% Shy of 2012 High

Brian L. Milne, Energy Editor, Schneider Electric As February nears an end, retail gasoline prices are already at highs one would expect when the weather warms, not when some parts of the country are still digging out of snow drifts. A recent double-digit jump in the retail average reported by the Energy Information Administration means [...]

Could We Be Midway Through Gasoline’s Preseason Rally?

Could We Be Midway Through Gasoline’s Preseason Rally?

By: Brian L. Milne, Energy Editor, Schneider Electric. The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) U.S. average price for all formulations of regular grade gasoline sold at retail outlets jumped another 7.3 cents through the week-ended Feb. 11, which was the eighth consecutive weekly increase in the national gasoline average. Since Dec. 17, when the U.S. average [...]

NACS Leadership Tackles Retail Challenges with Real Time Solutions

NACS Leadership Tackles Retail Challenges with Real Time Solutions

Customer engagement, the future of payment technologies, alternative fuels and the new legislative landscape highlight the 2013 Leadership Conference in Miami. By John Lofstock, Editor Convenience store retailers not in touch with the needs of their customers risk far more than losing repeat business and sales. They risk extinction as customers gravitate toward chains that [...]

Futures Surge Push up Wholesale Gasoline Costs

Futures Surge Push up Wholesale Gasoline Costs

By Brian L. Milne, Energy Editor, Schneider Electric In futures trading, the nearest delivered New York Mercantile Exchange RBOB (reformulated blendstock for oxygenate blending) contract surged 17.82 cents or 6.2% from Jan. 25 to Feb. 1, with supplier postings at terminals serving major metropolitan markets up sharply, reflecting some of that increase from paper trading. [...]

Connecting with the Community

Connecting with the Community

Chevron is gaining momentum through its corporate social responsibility initiatives and a growing loyalty program with Safeway. We increasingly hear that corporate social responsibility has become a business imperative. Not only do responsible and transparent approaches help build brand and reputation, they help strengthen the community and, therefore, the marketplace. A solid business plan, embedded [...]

Gasoline Prices Stirred Higher on Optimism

Gasoline Prices Stirred Higher on Optimism

By Brian L. Milne, Energy Editor, Schneider Electric The American Petroleum Institute (API), the Washington, DC-based trade organization for the oil and gas industry, on Jan. 18 said at 8.7 million bpd U.S. gasoline deliveries in 2012 fell to their lowest level in 11 years, while down 0.4% compared with 2011. During 2012, gasoline demand [...]

Wholesale Gasoline Costs Mostly Decline

Wholesale Gasoline Costs Mostly Decline

Brian L. Milne, Energy Editor, Schneider Electric Most major metropolitan markets in the U.S. experienced a decline in wholesale gasoline costs coming into the second full week of 2013, which should cap and upside push by retail gasoline prices that have edged higher since registering the low for 2012 in mid-December. Wholesale gasoline costs, the [...]