Merchants Urge Congress To Reject Visa, MasterCard Claims

Merchants Urge Congress To Reject Visa, MasterCard Claims

Merchant organizations assert the proposed settlement “is one-sided and preserves the very anti-competitive actions that were the genesis of the lawsuits.” In a letter sent to House and Senate leaders on Sept. 20, a group of associations representing merchants of all sizes across all segments of the merchant community highlighted the reasons behind the growing [...]

Cumberland Gulf Group Opposes Settlement With Visa And MasterCard

Cumberland Gulf Group Opposes Settlement With Visa And MasterCard

“We support bringing real competition and transparency to the credit card market, and this proposed settlement clearly fails to meet this objective,” says Ari Haseotes, president and chief operating officer of Cumberland Farms Inc. The Cumberland Gulf Group opposed the proposed settlement of longstanding antitrust litigation between retailers and the credit card industry. The proposed [...]

Food Sales Make Up For High Gas Prices In Today’s C-Store Market

Food Sales Make Up For High Gas Prices In Today’s C-Store Market

“Food is the future of (the c-store) industry,” says Jeff Lenard, NACS vice president to The Gazette, an Eastern Iowa newspaper. Food sales accounted for 16.9% of a record $195 billion of in-store sales at convenience stores in 2011, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), which means many c-store chains have been [...]

NACS Praises New Menu-Labeling Legislation

NACS Praises New Menu-Labeling Legislation

The legislation “sets realistic requirements for how businesses are classified under these regulations,” said Jeff Miller, former NACS chairman. The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) hailed legislation introduced yesterday, the Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act, as a thoughtful approach to providing the necessary flexibility and understanding of convenience store foodservice operations. “This legislation will [...]

NACS Show Named 47th Largest U.S. Trade Show

NACS Show Named 47th Largest U.S. Trade Show

The NACS Show ranks 27th based on total exhibitors and is the top trade show for “buying plans.” The NACS Show was again named one of the top 50 trade shows based on net square feet, according to the Trade Show News Network’s (TSNN) Top 250 Trade Shows in the U.S., which was released this [...]

NACS Responds To House of Representatives Raiding LUST Trust Fund

NACS Responds To House of Representatives Raiding LUST Trust Fund

“Stealing $3 billion away from LUST sends a clear message that members of Congress are abandoning a critical and necessary program that protects the health and water security of their constituents,” says NACS spokesperson. The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) has responded to final language included in the U.S. House of Representatives’ version of [...]

Are CAFE and RFS Doomed?

Are CAFE and RFS Doomed?

“RFS and CAFE policies cannot coexist without substantial changes in the retail and vehicle markets,” says NACS vice president of government relations. The requirements mandated by the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) and the proposed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards are likely to create a situation in which one or both of these programs will [...]

NACS Testifies On Domestic Fuels Bill

NACS Testifies On Domestic Fuels Bill

NACS Vice President of Government Relations speaks before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy. On April 19, NACS Vice President of Government Relations John Eichberger testified before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy, on behalf of the convenience and fuel retailing [...]

NACS Welcomes Products and Services Manager

NACS Welcomes Products and Services Manager

Bethany Saldana joins NACS team. On April 16, Bethany Saldana joined the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) as its products and services manager. Saldana previously worked part time for NACS while she was completing her coursework for her M.S. in organization development and knowledge management, which she received from George Mason University in January. [...]

Study by NACS Points To Hidden Card Fees

Study by NACS Points To Hidden Card Fees

Study shows as gas prices increased 80% between 2004 and 2011, card fees grew 180%. A new study by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) called “Hidden Bank Fees Siphon Money from Customers and Merchants at the Pump,” shows drivers are paying 6-10 cents a gallon in hidden bank fees every time they purchase [...]

NACS/CCRRC Releases Report On Shopper Motivations

NACS/CCRRC Releases Report On Shopper Motivations

Study identifies five compelling new platforms that can drive convenience retail growth. Convenience retailers seeking a profitable path to the future now have five compelling growth platforms to explore, following recommendations offered in the final section of a new NACS /Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council (NACS / CCRRC) study posted on www.ccrrc.org. “C-Growth: Using Shopper Research [...]

Anheuser-Busch Announces Personnel Moves

Anheuser-Busch Announces Personnel Moves

Anheuser-Busch has announced personnel changes in its National Retail Sales organization, led by Chris Williams, vice president NRS. Effective April 2, 2012 Manny Zayas will become the vice president and team lead, Walmart, Sam’s Club and Walmart International. Zayas joined the organization last year as vice president of convenience and successfully merged the c-store and [...]

Freudenthal Joins Imperial Tobacco Group

Freudenthal Joins Imperial Tobacco Group

Kevin Freudenthal takes helm as region director–Americas and president and CEO of Commonwealth–Altadis Inc. Imperial Tobacco Group PLC, the world’s fourth-largest tobacco company, has appointed Kevin Freudenthal as region director–Americas and president and CEO of Commonwealth–Altadis Inc. He will assume his new position on Jan. 30, 2012, succeeding Graham Bolt who has retired from the company. Freudenthal brings a wealth of experience [...]

NACS Spends $655,000 Lobbying Government

NACS Spends $655,000 Lobbying Government

The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) spent $655,000 during the third quarter lobbying the federal government on issues related to price gouging, energy policy, credit card fees, tobacco regulation and other key business issues that impact the industry, the Associated Press reported. This year the association also lobbied the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department [...]

Battling City Hall

Battling City Hall

While dealing with red tape is a common occurrence when dealing with local municipalities, there are tax benefits for businessowners to make the process less costly.  By Mark E. Battersby, Contributing Editor. Thanks to the economy and skyrocketing costs, convenience stores and other businesses are making less money and paying more in taxes while, at [...]