Dunkin’ Donuts’ development in North Carolina is part of the company’s long-term goal to more than double its current footprint of more than 7,000 restaurants in the U.S. To help fuel growth in North Carolina markets, special development incentives are available, which include reduced royalty fees for three years and up to an extra $10,000 in local store marketing for stores that open on time.*

“Dunkin’ Donuts is looking for qualified candidates with foodservice, operations and real estate experience to join our team to help expand the brand’s footprint in Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh-Durham, Wilmington and Winston-Salem,” said Grant Benson, vice president of franchising and business development for Dunkin’ Brands Inc. “Our secret to success is our passionate franchisees who provide a high-level of customer service to our guests everyday.”

In an effort to keep the brand fresh and competitive, Dunkin’ Donuts offers flexible concepts for any real estate format including gas stations, convenience stores, and travel plazas, as well as other retail environments.

“By joining our team, franchisees become part of a nationally established brand with over 60 years of experience and 95 percent brand recognition,” Benson said. “They also receive the benefits of a multi-million dollar advertising fund in addition to world-class training and ongoing support, among many other benefits.”

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A 1.8-cent gain in the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) U.S. retail price average for regular grade gasoline for the week-ended May 6 halted a string of weekly increases in the average that dated back to late February, while lifting the average off a 14-week low. At $3.538 gallon, EIA’s national gasoline price average is down 25.2 cents or 6.7% from the comparable year-ago period.

The average is now at the $3.53 gallon price point the EIA thinks it will average over the summer, defined from April through September, reported in their Short-term Energy Outlook for May. The projected average is down 10 cents from where the EIA thought it would be a month ago. For the full year, EIA estimates a $3.50 gallon national retail gasoline average, revised down 3.0 cents from April’s Outlook while 13 cents less than the 2012 average. The drop back in price estimates is seen spurred by declining crude oil costs, with lower gasoline prices expected into 2014, when the EIA expects gasoline would average $3.39 gallon.

View Schneider Electric’s Weekly and Historical Gasoline Price Index.

Brent crude futures, which trade on the IntercontinentalExchange, tumbled more than $20 per barrel from early February through mid-April, with the nearest delivered contract sliding from nearly $120 per barrel to below $97 a barrel. The contract, which is used in determining crude costs for gasoline in the United States, is again trading over $100 per barrel at roughly $103 a barrel early May 13.

Weak European demand for oil amid a contracting euro-zone economy is part of the reason for a lower Brent crude price, with Brent sourced in the North Sea. So is more oil available on the world market, with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) recently expanding production to a five-month high.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures listed on the New York Mercantile Exchange have traded at more than a $20 per barrel discount to Brent over the past year due to new shale oil production in the Midcontinent highlighted by Bakken crude in North Dakota and Eagle Ford crude in Texas. The Bakken crude, along with higher Canadian output encountered limited pipeline takeaway capacity to move the crude to market, which became bottlenecked at Cushing, Oklahoma, which serves as the delivery location for the NYMEX crude contract.

Thanks to new pipeline capacity and especially a sharp ramp up in rail deliveries of crude, that bottleneck is less of an issue, while this discounted crude is reaching market that pushes up its price. The Brent premium over crude is now below $10 a barrel, while Goldman Sachs said May 10 they think it would weaken to $5.50per barrel in June.

Sluggish economic growth since the Great Recession joined by greater fuel efficiency has dampened oil demand in the US. New oil finds due to better technology is now pushing supply levels higher, which will limit the upside for oil prices while also taming, to some extent, price volatility in the oil and gasoline markets in the coming months.

About the Author
Brian L. Milne is the Energy Editor for Schneider Electric—a leading business-to-business provider of real-time commodity information services among many other activities. Milne has been focused on the energy industry for 17 years as an analyst, journalist and editor. He can be reached at brian.milne@telventdtn.com.

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ALON Brands, which markets ALON motor fuel products at 900 locations and is the largest licensee of 7-Eleven in the U.S., is stepping up its effort to give customers the best experience possible, and that means clean stores and friendly employees.

In 2010, the company started the “Clean Team” program. Clean Team stores are inspected several times a year and rated based on the results. Store employees are rewarded with cash and prizes based on their scores and percentage of improvement. The grand prize each year is a free car to the store manager with the highest score.

In 2013, ALON decided to expand the program and give out 13 cars to its loyal customers, deserving local charities (community champions), and the highest performing store employees at company-owned and distributor locations. So it created Clean 13.

Lubbock, Texas resident Elizabeth Stanford was awarded the first car on April 20 at a Fast Stop operated by Kendrick Oil in Lubbock.

Watch ALON Brands President and CEO Kyle McKeen discuss the Clean 13 program and giveaway the first car.

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“No Bollocks” isn’t just a tagline. It is at the heart of everything Newcastle from TV and digital advertising to on-premise activation and retail programming,” said Brett Steen, brand manager for Newcastle, HEINEKEN USA. “Our consumers have spoken. They are tired of the same old marketing clichés. This summer, Newcastle pulls back the veil on beer marketing and promotions by admitting that it won’t make consumers more popular, better looking or funnier – it can’t. It’s a beer. But it is a refreshingly delicious beer that provides support elements our retail partners need to drive incremental sales of Newcastle Brown Ale this summer.”

At retail, a range of signature “No Bollocks” display and POS materials will stop traffic and bring the program to life in store. Channel relevant cross-merchandising IRC (instant redeemable coupons) and MIR (mail in rebate) offers (where legal) on seasonally-relevant items and the purchase of Newcastle will also be available to drive higher basket rings for participating retailers.

“Whether on display, shelf, or in the cold box, Newcastle’s ‘No Bollocks’ Summer retail program will keep Newcastle Brown Ale top of mind this summer through simple, transparent and humorous in-store communication and special offers that shoppers can relate to and that provide exactly what they need for a fun filled summer from their favorite ‘No Bollocks’ brew, Newcastle,” Steen concluded.

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KickBack Rewards Systems, an Idaho-based rewards and loyalty solutions provider, is pleased to announce that it will makes its debut as an exhibitor at the upcoming National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show in Chicago to share its industry-leading technology capabilities with the foodservice and hospitality industry.

KickBack offers highly sophisticated loyalty programs and data analytics specifically for the restaurant industry. Both proprietary and KickBack-branded coalition programs are available for all restaurant operators.

KickBack Rewards Systems offers highly sophisticated loyalty programs and data analytics specifically for restaurants, quick-service restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores, retail outlets, hotels, vendors and distributors within the restaurant and hospitality industry. At the show, KickBack’s team of loyalty sales consultants will be on-hand to walk operators through the opportunities emerging today in rewards systems and loyalty marketing whether they are new to technology or an experienced marketer looking to convert an existing system.

“A lot of opportunities exist in bringing both mature and sophisticated technology regular used in retail to the restaurant industry,” said Patrick Lewis, CEO of KickBack Rewards Systems. “Getting a better understanding of customers’ purchasing habits, individual values and preferences will lead to competitive differentiation resulting in increased ticket averages, frequency and overall sales lift.”

For nearly a century, the NRA Show has brought together the best and brightest in the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industry for four days of discovery, sourcing, networking and entertainment. The NRA Show draws more than 58,000 industry professionals from around the U.S. and more than 100 countries, all seeking or showcasing the newest innovations and up-to-the-minute information about trends and issues.

ABOUT KICKBACK POINTS
KickBack Points, LLC was formed in the year 2000 as a means to help retailers compete against larger, more aggressive competitors. It was determined that through loyalty marketing, they would be able to recognize and reward their best consumers and protect their market share from attrition. KickBack’s innovative solutions and unique approach to loyalty marketing quickly provided results for these retailers which included higher customer frequency, higher ticket averages, and a mitigating of consumer defection. Today, KickBack Points provides programs of over 1,000 companies and is the largest coalition loyalty program in the United States as well as companies in Canada. KickBack Points holds religiously to its prime mission, and that is to “Make good customers better” for their clients.

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The idea-swapping event encouraged retailers to rethink their business structure and discover new ways to stay competitive in today’s dynamic business environment. From the future of fuels to foodservice innovations, there’s no doubt attendees got the expertise to fuel their mind from the most successful and talked about educational sessions.

Researchers project convenience store foodservice to grow by 2.5% over each of the next two years. Retailers now know that foodservice can deliver new, time-starved customers inside the store and become convenience stores’ most profitable category. Leading retail expert John Matthews, Gary Cat Enterprises, shared his insight with attendees in his recently released session How to Develop a Winning Foodservice Strategy. Retailers learned how to differentiate their store operationally, improve their foodservice marketing strategy and reduce the competition’s shelf life.

Big changes are coming within the tobacco inspection landscape. Data shows cigarettes and OTP represent 40% of in-store sales. Retailers must remain vigilant about compliance or risk sales in this key category going up in smoke. The National Association of Tobacco Outlets’ Tom Briant prepared attendees for the all-new tobacco compliance inspections in the session Get Prepared! All-New Tobacco Stings Coming to C-Stores.

Staying Prepared
Convenience retailers are accustomed to change. Small business owners know 2014 brings many unhealthy surprises with the Affordable Care Act’s implementation. Leading reform expert Tim Luy, Federated Insurance, navigated attendees through the twists and turns of healthcare reform in the session The State of Healthcare. In a special, interactive Q&A workshop, retailers explored ways to deal with rising healthcare costs with practical steps any business can take.

Knowledge is power, but there is more to a show than hard-driving educational sessions. ESPN College GameDay’s Lee Corso shared his keen insight on what it takes to rise to the top. Talk about attendees receiving some food for thought. Corso recapped his storied career over lunch.

“You win with character, not characters – that ‘s’ makes a big difference.” Corso shared that the importance of winning with the right people in the right way outweighs the importance of winning without honesty, loyalty, and character – how you do things matters.

Corso’s bold opinions and daring predictions may be the most anticipated in sports television, but his genuine character and candid humor left the audience with a fresh outlook on life and what it means to be a true leader.

M-PACT 2013 featured over 500 exhibits displaying the newest technology, services, and products for the energy and convenience industry, including car washes, food and beverage items, novelties, storage tanks, pumps and more.

Hosted by industry trade groups from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, M-PACT’s scorecard suggests this show’s on the fast-track for continued success. Mark your calendar for M-PACT 2014, April 1-3 at the Indiana Convention Center.

To learn more, visit www.m-pact.org.

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Available nationwide between May and July 2013, Newcastle Bombshell is a refreshing new addition to the Newcastle portfolio featuring an eye-catching blonde on the label intended to catch the eye of beer drinkers nationally. And sell more beer.

“An Englishman’s first love will always be his brown ale, but now he can have a summer fling with a beautiful blonde,” said Charles van Es, brand director for Newcastle Brown Ale. “With its golden ale color, light aroma and silky smooth finish, Newcastle Bombshell is a real British beauty worth waiting for, with a label as alluring as the beer inside.”

Newcastle Bombshell is an English-style blonde ale that offers a floral hop aroma, a balanced and bittersweet flavor with toasted biscuit notes and a smooth clean finish with hints of caramel sweetness. Brewed with a combination of Cascade, Hellertau and Northdown hops, Newcastle Bombshell has an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 4.4% with 28 International Bittering Units (IBUs). In other words, it’s a great beer.

To support the release of Newcastle Bombshell, Newcastle is rolling out a series of consumer sampling events across the country and is also unveiling a new TV spot called “Bombshell,” created by Droga5 New York. Featuring an array of pigment-challenged sunbathers, the spot proudly points out the similarities between the smooth, refreshing, new blonde ale and an Englishman in the midst of summer. Namely: they’re both pale. “Bombshell” is the latest asset in the brand’s No Bollocks 2013 marketing campaign dedicated to honesty and transparency in the beer category.

Newcastle Bombshell is available nationally in 6-bottle and 12-bottle packs priced comparably to Newcastle Brown Ale and may also be found on draught in most markets.

For more information about Newcastle Brown Ale and Newcastle Bombshell, visit http://www.Facebook.com/Newcastle, and to see the new Newcastle “Bombshell” TV spot, visit http://www.YouTube.com/Newcastle.

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Climbing wholesale gasoline costs through the week ended April 29 are set to end a downtrend in the US gasoline average reported weekly by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) , which has declined for eight consecutive weeks since posting a 2013 high in late February.

Wholesale costs were mixed overall, but the bias was to the upside. Moreover, spot pricing in the greater Chicago market has surged following recent flooding that has created supply chain disruptions. RBOB (reformulated blendstock for oxygenate blending), a more stringent gasoline specification required in parts of the country that fail in meeting Clean Air Act attainment, spiked to a 7-1/2 month high in the Chicago spot market on April 26 in active trading while conventional grades rallied to two-month highs.

View Schneider Electric’s Weekly and Historical Gasoline Price Index.

Buttressing against a price increase in the EIA’s U.S. gasoline retail average, reported last for April 22 at a $3.536 gallon nearly three-month low, is a decline in gasoline prices in California, with spot prices in the state’s two spot markets pressured by refinery restarts.

During its first quarter earnings call on April 26, a Chevron official said the El Segundo refinery has resumed normal operations following maintenance during the first quarter. The official also said the company was undergoing a “methodical” restart of its Richmond crude unit, saying feedstock was introduced at the Richmond refinery in late April.

Chevron’s 243,000 bpd Richmond refinery has been at reduced operating rates since a fire on Aug. 6, 2012 that shut the No.4 crude unit. Company spokeswoman Melissa Ritchie confirmed with Schneider Electric that Chevron is in the process of introducing feed into the crude unit and is also in the process of bringing other units online.

“This is one step in a thorough and methodical process in allowing the refinery to resume normal operation of the crude unit,” said Ritchie.

As we enter May, the quickly ending refinery maintenance season is supporting higher crude costs on an expected increase in demand by refiners, while oil products such as gasoline and diesel come under pressure from the projected hike in output amid the ramp up in runs.

The EIA, through the week ended April 19 shows the U.S. refinery run rate, which refers to the percentage of processing at refineries against their capacity, fell to a five-week low at 83.5%.

Limited demand for gasoline amid still sluggish economic growth will cap any price upside in retail gasoline prices, too. The Bureau of Economic Analysis on April 26 reported a 2.5% growth rate in U.S. Gross Domestic Product for the first quarter compared with market expectations for a 3.2% hike, with the smaller-than-anticipated expansion for the U.S. economy during the first three months reflected in weaker-than-projected demand for fuel. That trend continued into the second quarter, with the EIA reporting implied demand for gasoline down 1.7% for the four weeks ending April 19 versus the comparable year-ago period.

The most recent data from the Federal Highway Administration also showed Americans drove 3.1 billion or 1.4% fewer miles in February than they did during the corresponding period in 2012. Cumulative travel for the first two months of 2013 was an estimated 441.6 billion miles, a decline of 1.8 billion miles or 0.4% versus the comparable 2012 period.

About the Author
Brian L. Milne is the Energy Editor for Schneider Electric—a leading business-to-business provider of real-time commodity information services among many other activities. Milne has been focused on the energy industry for 17 years as an analyst, journalist and editor. He can be reached at brian.milne@telventdtn.com.

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Following the retirement of its long-time Chief Customer Officer Jeff Leedy, Rutter’s Farm Stores has hired industry veteran Derek Gaskins as chief engagement officer, CSD has learned.

Gaskins has an extensive background in marketing for both retail and consumer packaged goods companies, and spent two years as the vice president of marketing at NACS.

Prior to joining Rutter’s, Gaskins served as the senior vice president of marketing and merchandising at Mid-Atlantic Convenience Stores (MACS), one of the largest convenience store networks and fuel distributors in the mid-Atlantic region.

Headquartered in Richmond, MACS is currently comprised of approximately 300 company-owned and dealer-operated retail locations throughout Virginia and Maryland.

Before joining MACS, Gaskins was the vice president of marketing for NACS where he oversaw brand development and integration, social network campaign execution, channel analytics and served as a liaison between manufacturers and retailers.

Gaskins also served as the director of marketing for Giant Eagle Inc., the Pittsburgh, Penn.-based company that operates more than 220 Giant Eagle grocery stores and 130 GetGo convenience stores. In this position, Gaskins directed all of the marketing activities for several key lines of business within the company, including all marketing support for GetGo.

Prior to joining Giant Eagle in 2002, Gaskins was an assistant brand manager at Procter & Gamble where he led cross-functional teams in support of several product lines. He also served as an account representative for Nabisco Foods Inc.

Gaskins earned an M.B.A. from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, and a B.B.A. in marketing from the University of Iowa.

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