
54 minute read
Member News
7-Eleven Leads Top 100 C-Store Chains List
7-Eleven is once again No. 1 on the Convenience Store News Top 100 list— which ranks the largest convenience store chains by store count—with 12,702 stores in the United States. Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is in the No. 2 spot with a total of 5,714 stores. Both retailers have held these spots since 2015, with 7-Eleven’s crown dating back even further. Casey’s General Stores Inc. is No. 3 with a total of 2,448 stores.
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According to Convenience Store News, Casey’s network was boosted by three transactions in its 2022 fiscal year: the acquisition of Buchanan Energy and its Bucky’s Convenience Stores; a $39-million agreement with Couche-Tard for nearly 50 locations in the Oklahoma City market; and a $220-million pact with Pilot Co. for 40 locations that strengthened its position in Tennessee and Kentucky. All told, the top 10 account for a combined 28,339 stores of the total industry’s 148,026 stores, or 19.1 percent. Broken down even further, the top three alone account for a combined 20,864 stores, or 14 percent.
SEI Turns To Tech To Improve Daily Operations
SEI has launched a search for artificial intelligence- and augmented reality-powered solutions to help simplify its store operations and improve the customer experience in its 13,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada, reported C-Store Dive. Citing an email announcement made by SEI, the publication stated the company has tapped True, a “retail and consumer investment and innovation firm,” to help with its search for technology partners that can help it “save time and reduce task load.”
Simplifying store operations means allowing store associates to make decisions more quickly and easily, SEI said. This could be done through solutions that help with product assortment and placement, inventory tracking and visibility, and cutting down on food waste. SEI is also seeking a solution that can make daily staff tasks—including foodservice
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The National Coalition Office
The strength of an independent trade association lies in its ability to promote, protect and advance the best interests of its members, something no single member or advisory group can achieve. The independent trade association can create a better understanding between its members and those with whom it deals. National Coalition offices are located in Ceres, California. 3645 Mitchell Road Suite B Ceres, CA 95307 855-444-7711 nationaloffice@ncasef.com NATIONAL COALITION OF ASSOCIATIONS OF 7-ELEVEN FRANCHISEES
NATIONAL OFFICERS & STAFF
Sukhi Sandhu
NATIONAL CHAIRMAN 855-444-7711 • sukhi.sandhu@ncasef.com
Joe Rossi
EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMAN 312-501-4337 • joer@ncasef.com
Rehan Hashmi
VICE CHAIRMAN 847-845-8477 • rehan711@yahoo.com
Teeto Shirajee
INTERIM VICE CHAIRMAN
954-242-8595 • teeto.shirajee@yahoo.com
Nick Bhullar
INTERIM VICE CHAIRMAN 626-255-8555 • bhullar711@yahoo.com
Romy Singh
TREASURER 757-506-5926 • romys@ncasef.com
Shawn Howard
VENDOR RELATIONS ADMINISTRATOR 855-444-7711 • shawnh@ncasef.com
Eric H. Karp, Esq.
GENERAL COUNSEL 617-423-7250 • ekarp@wkwrlaw.com
John Riggio
MEETING/TRADE SHOW COORDINATOR 262-394-5518 • johnr@jrplanners.com
John Santiago
MANAGING EDITOR 267-994-4144 • avantimag@ncasef.com
April J. Key
GRAPHIC DESIGNER lirpayek@gmail.com
The Voice of 7-Eleven Franchisees September/October 2022
©2022 National Coalition of Associations of 7-Eleven Franchisees

Member News
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prepping, customer support, inventory and more—more efficient.
FTC Investigating Visa & Mastercard
The Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether Visa and Mastercard’s security tokens restrict debit-card routing competition on online payments, reported the Wall Street Journal. The FTC for the past few years has already been probing whether Visa and Mastercard block merchants from routing payments over other debit-card networks. The networks acknowledged an FTC probe in regulatory filings in recent years. In recent months, the FTC expanded its focus to routing challenges that stem from the networks’ security tokens. It couldn’t be determined if the investigation is a new probe or part of the previous one. A Justice Department investigation on whether Visa has unlawfully maintained a dominant market share in debit cards is ongoing.
Visa and Mastercard have pushed for widespread tokenization in recent years, noting that the tokens help protect the cards from fraud. The FTC is looking into whether Visa and Mastercard have been limiting the information they send when they enable an online payment to go over a different network. That alleged practice, according to merchants, increases the chances that the card’s issuing bank will reject the transaction when it is handled by a different network. The FTC is also looking into whether Visa and Mastercard are restricting routing choice after shoppers store their debit-card information on merchants’ websites or apps, or on pay tab buttons. Tokens are often used in these cases.
The Future of Insurance is Here

7-Eleven Franchisee Insurance Program

Seven & I Raises Profit Forecast On Strong U.S Gas Sales
Seven & I Holdings recently raised its fullyear profit forecast as the weakening yen increased the value of earnings from its North American convenience operations, reported
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Member News
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Reuters. The company lifted its operating income estimate to 477 billion yen ($3.30 billion) in the year ending February 2023, from a previous figure of 455 billion yen ($3.148 billion). The company cited strong fuel sales at its Speedway stores in North America as the reason for the revision, as well as a recovery to pre-pandemic levels at existing Seven-Eleven locations in Japan. The yen depreciated rapidly in August and September, crossing 145 to the U.S. dollar for the first time in 24 years. Seven & I said it now expects the yen to trade at 131 to the dollar for the current fiscal year, versus 127 previously.
SEI & Franchisees Raise Funds For Pakistan Flood Relief
In response to the humanitarian crisis caused by uncontrollable flash floods and landslides that occurred across Pakistan in early September and the devastating toll it has taken on Pakistani citizens, SEI and 7-Eleven franchisees teamed up to raise funds for the global Red Cross Red Crescent to provide life-saving support to those directly impacted. On September 7, SEI launched a microsite to collect individual donations from franchisees to directly benefit the Red Cross Red Crescent Pakistan Monsoons Flood Relief fund. SEI also pledged to contribute up to $100,000 in matching individual donations from all franchisees

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Change Kids’ Health. Change The Future.
BY CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK HOSPITALS
When we positively change the health of even one child, we create a ripple effect felt in our neighborhoods for years to come. When we ensure our children can lead healthy, fulfilling lives, we foster the inventors, artists, leaders, and families of tomorrow.
Children’s hospitals are on the frontlines when it comes to protecting the health of future generations. But they can’t do it alone. We are committed to serving our neighbors to meet their everyday needs. So together, we can build a better tomorrow.
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals) is proud to be the National Coalition of Associations of 7-Eleven Franchisees’ charity of choice. NCASEF and local FOAs are raising critical funds for children’s hospitals across the U.S. to help fulfill their most urgent needs. We make all this possible at the local level. When you donate through NCASEF or your local FOA, or directly to CMN Hospitals via our website at https://donate. childrensmiraclenetworkhospitals.org, the donation goes to your local member hospital.
Your donations allow each hospital to be flexible to address the most urgent needs in your community, while also preparing and planning for tomorrow. With your support, we can change kids’ health to change the future.
Rounding Up In-Store For CMN Hospitals
During P8 (November 2, 2022-January 10, 2023) this year, customers can donate to the local children’s hospital through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at point-of-sale. The campaign is supported with signage in the P8 sales kits. The signage includes the local member hospital logo, so you, your associates, and customers know which local children’s hospital donations are supporting.
Customers are prompted to donate at the point-of-sale by rounding up their purchase to the nearest dollar amount. Research shows that customers prefer to round up over other donation options by a 2:1 ratio. Rounding up is easy for associates and customers!
Progress updates will be shared throughout the campaign to keep you and your associates informed and inspired to ask customers to round up or donate using the $1 barcode UPC.
Hospitals can transform lives in your community AND its good for business. • Eighty-eight percent of people who donate at checkout say their opinion of the business improves or stays the same when asked to donate.
• By a 2:1 ratio, people prefer to
round up their total to the next dollar amount over other donation options. • 2 out of 3 people feel positive to neutral about being asked to donate every time they visit over the same week or several weeks. (Source: Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Point-of-Sale Research 2022)
Ask customers to round up in-store and come together by helping make our community stronger and safer in providing needed treatments for patients—ultimately having ripple effects that positively impact communities for years to come and unlocking a world of possibilities!





































Working On The Challenges
BY SUKHI SANDHU, NCASEF CHAIRMAN
There are many challenges that franchisees and the system are currently facing. Among them are the AR Gap, store safety, delivery issues, and rising operational expenses that include labor costs, inflation, and rising credit card swipe fees, and others. However, NCASEF is diligently working with SEI to address these issues and put them behind us so we can move forward to increase sales and profitability for franchisees and all 7-Eleven stakeholders.
The AR Gap has been a major pain point for franchisees. The cause of the AR Gap is not anyone’s fault in particular; it’s more a byproduct of COVID, which has disrupted not only our personal lives, but the operations, logistics, and staffing of our vendors and franchisor. Nevertheless, we have expressed our concerns about the AR Gap and other accounting issues—like the backlog of MASC cases—to SEI, and we’re working with them on permanent solutions. For their part, SEI has allocated additional resources into accounting and is working with the wholesalers, including CoreMark and McLane, to address these cases.
We have also been meeting with our wholesalers to improve the delivery process and fill rates so we have products available on our store shelves for our customers. We’ve been developing and improving a long-term solution for the AR Gap by way of store check-in simplification (SCIS). We’ve been working with SEI, their Logistics team and our wholesale partners to fine tune the SCIS process and make it efficient and accurate so we don’t have to face AR Gaps and our entire delivery and fill rate process is improved.
The profitability around 7NOW has been another challenge. SEI had temporarily suspended its policy of subsidizing the program’s delivery fees, but we had numerous meetings and discussions with our franchisor, and we mutually agreed that franchisee profitability is critical to the success of the program. We all realize that 7Now is a very important program for the brand, but franchisees need to know that it will also be profitable for them so they will invest time and effort into the program to maximize its potential. SEI agreed with this and decided to continue subsidizing the delivery fee, which will be retroactive from the time it was suspended on July 1.
Another topic that we’re engaging with SEI on is store safety. We have requested to form a cross-functional, multi-departmental committee with our franchisor that will look at every obstacle store safety generates, even the challenges that it provides, such as logistics. There is work being done with the Asset Protection department to test crime prevention products and other solutions. There’s even an ongoing test where some stores are allowed to close from midnight to five in the morning to see if that reduces the number of incidents occurring in the stores.
Pass through windows are being tested, which would allow franchisees to serve customers after hours without letting them into the store. It’s being piloted in 10 stores in Northern California and Dallas, Texas, and will be installed in 126 stores by Q1 2023. Then there is the Live View Technology program, which involves deploying cameras to monitor fuel theft, loitering, homeless people, vandalism, theft, robbery, and employee and customer safety. Unfortunately, there is no simple solution to crime because it is more of a societal issue than a 7-Eleven issue, but we are looking into ways to ensure our stores, staff, customers, and franchisees are safe.
We are also working with SEI to form a committee to address our insurance premium increases and the fact that insurance companies are not renewing or offering new Business Owners Policies (BOP) because of the heighten crime plaguing convenience stores. As you know, BOPs protect you from liability claims and lawsuits; safeguards your building, equipment, and inventory; and cover you financially if your business unexpectedly shuts down from a covered loss. This isn’t just happening to 7-Eleven stores, but to

Working On The Challenges
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other convenience retailers, as well. This new committee will look for solutions to both premium increases and BOP renewal problems.
Labor is another hot issue we’re tackling, the shortage and the rising cost. Presently, labor is the number one expense for franchisees—it accounts for as much as 70 percent of our total expenses and has increased 25 percent in the last three years. Although store sales are up, franchisee labor expenses are outpacing any financial gains we’re making from sales. It’s already tough for us to keep up with the market prevailing wages but come January several states are going to implement more minimum wage hikes. This is one of the many reasons we’re working with SEI to increase overall franchisee profitability.
In terms of finding workers for our stores, we’re looking at reasonably priced third-party staff recruitment companies to help us find eligible employees. We’re also supporting several legislative measures on the federal level that will help widen the labor pool, such as one that gives retirees relief from Social Security penalties for returning to the workforce, and another that would lift the top and bottom age limits for eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which affects lower income workers. We’re also supporting federal programs that will bring in more foreign workers via the H2C visa program and Ukrainian workers program.
Rising credit card swipe fees is becoming a very big problem, so we’ve partnered with SEI’s Government Affairs team to visit our representatives in Washington, D.C. recently and ask them to support two bi-partisan bills that will lower swipe fees by bringing competition to the credit card processing market. The House bill, the Credit Card Competition Act, would require banks to allow credit card transactions to be processed over at least two unaffiliated card payment networks. The Senate version of the bill would also require that credit cards to be processed over at least two unaffiliated networks— Visa or Mastercard plus a network such as NYCE, Star or Shazam. We plan to keep the pressure on our elected officials to make sure these bills are passed so we can get some relief from credit card fees.
The pin pad issue, which was making life difficult at the store level, is being addressed. After expressing concerns over the faulty devices, SEI committed to ordering brand new pin pads for our stores. The Item Master issue also appears to be behind us. SEI’s IT department feels like they have a handle on the situation, but if any stores continue to have problems with Item Master they are encouraged to bring it to the IT department’s attention for resolution.
Your NCASEF leadership is committed to resolving all issues so we can focus on increasing sales and profits. Whether it’s store safety, credit card swipe fees, or increased operational expenses, we’re working to address all of them. And the key to successfully resolving all of these issues is open and honest communication—not only between NCASEF, SEI and vendors, but also amongst franchisees. That’s why I and the other NCASEF officers travel across the country to attend as many local FOA events as possible—to meet and talk and listen to franchisees so we can bring your system issues to SEI’s attention and help resolve them.
Before I sign off, I would like to acknowledge and thank everyone who united to help out after Hurricane Ian tore through Florida in late September. Great kudos to everyone working together, from franchisees and local FOA leadership, to SEI’s Facility Maintenance and Operations and suppliers and vendors. It was truly inspiring to see how the 7-Eleven family came together to not only help the stores impacted by the storm, but to support the communities and first responders, as well.

CAN BE REACHED AT 855-444-7711 or sukhi.sandhu@ncasef.com

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Support Durbin’s Efforts To Lower Swipe Fees
BY JOE ROSSI, NCASEF EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIR
The 30 plus years that I’ve spent at the corner of North Dearborn and Maple in Chicago as a 7-Eleven franchisee have been some of the greatest of my life. Since I first opened the doors of my store, I’ve been able to support my community through thick and thin. But now, I’m finding it more difficult to keep my lights on and serve Chicagoans due to increased credit card swipe fees.
This issue has been a long time coming. On every purchase, credit card companies will impose a processing fee, or what most Americans know as a “swipe fee.” Unfortunately, the credit card processing market is unfairly stacked against small businesses, as just two companies—Visa and Mastercard— are able to monopolize the rules.
Back when I first opened up shop at the corner of North Dearborn and Maple in 1988—which is now referred to as “Honorary Joseph Rossi Way”—20 percent of my customers paid by credit card, while 80 percent used cash. Those numbers have since swapped, as change shortages and the COVID-19 pandemic further increased shoppers’ reliance on credit cards. For Visa and Mastercard, this shift in consumer habits has been a godsend. For me, not so much.
I’ve had little choice but to increase the price tag on many of my products to offset these rising swipe fees, and slow down hiring for open positions. While I always want to avoid raising prices and creating pain points for my customers, the credit card business has thrown me between a rock and a hard place.
These companies are double dipping. Not only are they automatically able to make more money off swipe fees due to inflation, but they also do so by directly increasing the fees themselves. You couldn’t ask for a clearer example of highway robbery.
It’s not just my business that is suffering. The convenience store industry at large lost out on $13 billion to swipe fees in 2021, while the average 7-Eleven store pays an average of $85,000 each year in these fees alone. Many businesses have found themselves at the complete mercy of credit card businesses, opting to go “credit card only,” which increases the financial pain.
It’s frightening to consider that I may not be able to support the community the same way I once have due to swipe fees. In prior years, I’ve donated to both my local school district and Lurie Children’s Hospital, but that may be more difficult this year and next due to these added costs.
Congress is attempting to clamp down on unregulated swipe fees and restore competition within the credit card industry. A group of lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate, on both sides of the aisle, introduced the Credit Card Competition Act, which would require the largest U.S. banks to offer other networks for processing credit transactions.
Senator Dick Durbin is one of the lead sponsors of the legislation and should be applauded for his efforts to help small businesses at such a difficult economic time. The entire Illinois congressional delegation— particularly those representing the Chicago area—should follow Senator Durbin’s lead and support this measure. In all of my years of business, I’ve been able to withstand the worst of circumstances— from shoplifting incidents to the COVID-19 pandemic. But runaway swipe fees are a new serious challenge and one that may be near impossible to overcome. Washington must restore competition in the credit card industry or else Visa and Mastercard may drive my business—and others across the country—straight into the ground.
“A group of lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate, on both sides of the aisle, introduced the Credit Card Competition Act, which would require the largest U.S. banks to offer other networks for processing credit transactions.” “Washington must restore competition in the credit card industry or else Visa and Mastercard may drive my business—and others across the country— straight into the ground.” JOE ROSSI
CAN BE REACHED AT 312-501-4337 or joer@ncasef.com
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A Decrease In Gross Profit
BY ERIC H. KARP, ESQ., GENERAL COUNSEL TO NCASEF
This assurance to investors in Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd., the publicly held parent company of 7-Eleven, Inc., appears as a small print footnote within the 23-page report entitled “Brief Summary for the Second Quarter of FY 2022 (Year Ending February 28, 2023).” The assurance was necessary because systemwide gross profit on merchandise for the six months ended June 30, 2022 was 33.3 percent, or 1.1 percent less than the same period in 2021. Systemwide merchandise sales for the first six months of 2022 were $13.2 billion. That amounts to a loss of gross profit margin of just under $145 million systemwide.
Same store merchandise sales increased for the first six months of 2022 by 4.9 percent, a sharp reduction from the 7.6 percent increase in 2021.
Every franchisee in the system is directly affected by merchandise gross profit, but franchised stores with gasoline do not share in that gross profit, and elevated profit on fuel may be counterproductive to merchandise sales. SEI’s retail fuel margins measured as cents per gallon rose from 33.06 cents for the first six months of 2021 to 39.75 cents in the first half of 2022. This is in part why the number of gallons sold increased by 44 percent, but fuel sales more than doubled. As SEI’s parent company stated to investors: “Volume headwinds have not translated into lower profits.”
In the end, for the first six months of 2022, SEI earned operating income of $1.35 billion, an 85 percent increase from the year before. And in its separate report issued on October 6, 2022, “Presentation for the Group Management Strategy,” Seven & i reported that the synergies associated with the Speedway acquisition are substantially ahead of plan and projected to reach $450 million for the current fiscal year.
But among the four separate reports that its parent company issued for the first half of fiscal year 2022, comprising a total of 100 pages packed with financial disclosures, not one word measured franchisee financial performance in general, or franchisee merchandise sales, gross profit, net profit, or enterprise value in particular. Franchisees invest in a brand with the goal of achieving steadily increasing profits and building equity and value in the business that can be harvested or passed along to the next generation.
The question presented is what is the overall strategy of the company and the extent to which the tactics employed in pursuit of that strategy involves elevating franchisee financial performance.
About 2,500 years ago, Chinese military strategist, Sun Tzu, wrote “The Art of War.” In it, he said: “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” Tactics and strategy should always complement each other and are two sides of the same coin (Emil SAYEGH, Law Journal Newsletter, August 2021).
A series of clues about company strategy can be found in a presentation “7-Eleven, Inc. Initiatives for Further Growth” issued on October 6, 2022, which describes four separate plans for the future, including (1) expanding exclusive merchandise assortments, (2) digital technology utilization, (3) restaurant business, and (4) delivery service. Let’s take a look at how these tactics might affect the lives and livelihoods of you and your fellow franchisees.
1. Merchandise Assortment
The presentation states that the year-overyear increases in fresh food and proprietary beverages sales were 14.5 percent and 12.7 percent, respectively, compared to the overall existing store sales increase of 4.9 percent. The implication is that, but for the increase in fresh food and proprietary beverages sales, the overall existing store sales increase would have been materially less. SEI is projecting that fresh food sales will grow to 25 percent in 2025. But if gross margin does not at least keep pace with sales increases, how does that elevate financial performance?
In its Group Management Strategy Presentation, the parent company noted that in order to react to the environmental dynamics of the fuel business, it expects to put effort into expanding fresh food and the restaurant business (see below). The translation is that although electric vehicle penetration remains low, it will grow steadily and that over time the massive profit from fuel will need to be replaced to some extent.
Selling fresh food involves materially more labor than selling processed food, but there is no analysis of this fact in these presentations. And SEI’s parent company does not disclose data on gross margin by
A Decrease In Gross Profit On Merchandise Outweighed By Growth In Gross Profit On Fuel
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merchandise category for SEI, but it does disclose that data for Seven-Eleven Japan: gross margin for fast food and daily food for the first half of 2022 were 37.2 percent and 34.4 percent, respectively, compared to gross margin for processed food of 39.8 percent. And of particular note is that the overall merchandise gross margin for the SEJ stores was 31.9 percent, compared to SEI stores at 33.3 percent. Does this mean that emphasizing a category with lower gross margin (not to mention higher labor costs) will cause the overall gross margin of the U.S. stores to drift downward?
The Group Management Strategy Presentation states that proprietary products— which now number more than 900—will yield higher gross margin, but few details are provided. The projection is that private brand products will generate $2.1 billion in sales in 2025, or double such sales in 2020.
2. Digital Technology Utilization
Seven & i discloses that 7Rewards and Speedy Rewards have approximately 80 million members combined, 1/3 of whom have used one of those apps within the last 90 days. For franchisees who are signatories to the so-called 2019 or later form of franchise agreement, the participation in all loyalty programs is required and the failure to do so is an event of default for which the agreement can be terminated. Section 17(a) of the franchise agreement specifically states that the cost of redeeming all points earned by customers, no matter at what store they were earned, rests with the franchisee, without any right to reimbursement or offset. And the franchise agreement states that the design and economics of these programs are at SEI’s sole discretion. While such loyalty programs are certainly ubiquitous at restaurants and convenience stores across the nation, responding to customer demands and preferences, any positive impact on franchisee gross margin or net profit is neither clear nor assured.
The Expanded 7Now Program Amendment appears at page F-114 of the FDD. Among its most salient provisions are those which allow SEI to determine (a) at which store any order will be directed for fulfillment, (b) when, on what basis and in what amount refunds will be granted to customers, (c) specifications for proprietary bags and packaging, the cost of which must be borne by the franchisee, (d) standards for determining whether a franchisee is fulfilling the orders in a “prompt and timely manner,” (e) the price is charged to customers for all orders, and (f) the designation of payment processor companies, which may charge higher fees than in store sales.
3. Restaurant Business
According to the presentation, SEI had a total of 488 Laredo Taco locations and 38 Raise the Roost locations as of June 30, 2022. The disclosure states that these apparently co-branded locations experienced significant increases in sales and gross profit. The disclosures include neither any detailed information regarding the financial metrics associated with the operation of these brands nor the extent to which they may differ from the convenience store model. There is no indication that franchisees are currently or will in the future be offered the opportunity to include these brands in their locations or whether they will even have a say as to whether or not that occurs. The 2022 Franchise Disclosure Document does not mention either of these brands as part of the franchise offering.
4. Delivery Service
Seven & i informs its investors that more than 50 percent of the nation’s population now live in areas within two miles of a 7-Eleven or Speedway store, that approximately 6,000 stores will be participating in delivery by the end of the fiscal year and that that sector of the business has experienced a sales growth
rate of more than 47 percent. Delivery sales totaled $112 million in the second quarter of 2022. The 2019 and later franchise agreements purport to give SEI broad discretion to design and require franchisees to participate in either third party delivery services or delivery provided by the “The 2019 and later franchise agreements purport to give SEI broad discretion to design franchisee directly. Section 17(b) of the franchise agreement states that the and require franchisees to participate in franchisee is responsible for either third party delivery services or delivery the cost of these delivery programs, which could include provided by the franchisee directly.” the need to employ additional personnel and acquire and insure multiple motor vehicles. It also states that the franchisee’s delivery area is not exclusive. Section 17(c) states that the cost of maintaining computer-related equipment to facilitate pick up and delivery from the store may be charged to the franchisee. The form of Delivery Services Amendment included at page F-112 of the 2022 FDD states that the third-party delivery cost is treated as cost of goods sold and thus shared under the gross profit split. This changes the provisions of the franchise agreement which state that SEI can allocate delivery cost at its discretion.
Conclusion
At least some of this strategy and the tactics of both SEI and its parent company are revealed in a careful review of its extensive presentation to investors. As we have stated in previous columns, SEI has become much more of a gasoline company and a company owned location enterprise than in the past. All the more reasons for franchisees to be fully informed and to ask good questions when presented with the opportunity.
ERIC H. KARP
CAN BE REACHED AT 617-423-7250 or ekarp@wkwrlaw.com
BY JOHN HARP, CSP, ARM—RISK ENGINEERING CONSULTANT
MITSUI SUMITOMO INSURANCE GROUP
One of your key safety director roles is to identify potential hazards and correct the situation before it results in an employee or customer injury, or damage to the store. There’s a lot to consider if you are at the store running the day-to-day operations, but a quality inspection will prove valuable to your bottom line and can be done with minimal disruption to activities. A manager can be a good resource to complete the survey and once a procedure is in place, it can be a good training exercise to rotate the responsibility among employees.
Self-inspections are the best remedy to find and correct unsafe conditions or behavior. Following the I.A.A. model, you can reduce the chances of potential claims and disruptions by identifying the risks, implementing the corrections, and creating a culture of safety to address corrections continuously.
Although your store can be subject to inspections from the city, state, fire marshal, SEI, insurance companies, and others, it’s important to be proactive and not wait for outside agencies to implement corrections.
There Are Legal Reasons, Too!
There are legal reasons for recognizing and correcting possible hazards. OSHA 1910.22 requires places of employment to maintain clean, orderly, and sanitary conditions to avoid slips, trips, or falls. 1910.37 requires working exits that are unobstructed, and have adequate lighting. 1910.1200 requires proper labeling and safety training for cleaning chemicals. These are a few of the OSHA standards, with all requirements easily addressed in a self-inspection.
Unsafe Conditions or Unsafe Behaviors are the root cause of any incident. Sometimes both a condition and behavior are involved. The key is recognizing and correcting these root causes before an incident occurs.
Here are a few key items to check in your self-inspection:
Parking Lot, Sidewalk, and Apron
• Potholes, cracks, and uneven surfaces should be marked as a hazard until repaired. Contact SEI immediately and maintain records. • Parking stops are misaligned or damaged. Check and immediately schedule repair. • Quality of lighting—call if bulbs are out or dim. • Gas islands can have oil or other liquid spills. Check often and keep absorbent available for use. • If there is a mat outside, make sure it is in good condition.

Customer/Sales Area
• Use a suitable mat at the front door, check that it doesn’t have upturned corners and is clean. • Any unattended spills. Add cones or wet floor signs and supervise the spill. • Is the mop head okay and is the mop water clean? • Warning signs or cones where unneeded. • Any stock, cleaning materials, or other items on the floor where a customer or employee could trip. • Do cameras allow for a good view of the aisles in case a record is needed of an alleged incident? • Is the cash register area clearly visible from outside?
Vault and Backroom
• Crate dollies should be out of the aisle and turned upside down when not in use.

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• Is lighting sufficient to see any trip or slip hazards? • Restroom— is it secured, dry and clean? • Is the vault clean with clear access for stocking shelves? • Is the emergency exit/back door unobstructed? • Is the office door locked?
Equipment
• Suitable and safe ladder or step stool available. • Mops, brooms, and other items in good condition. • Are electrical breaker panels clear of obstructions? • Any loose displays or shelves, any sharp edges? • Is the panic alarm where it’s supposed to be and working?
Employee Activities
• Are employees lifting properly and within their limits? • Using the correct technique to mop? • Reacting to all customer encounters in a friendly, nonconfrontational way?
Simple housekeeping is one of the most effective tools in preventing unsafe conditions. It’s easy to get used to looking at things as they are when you are in the store every day. Are you looking but not seeing?
Self-inspection is an effective way to reduce hazards and will alert employees to possible causes of injury or store damage. Show your employees it matters and expect clean, orderly storage areas, coolers, register areas, and especially the sales floor.
We’re here to help manage your risks. Contact your broker or insurance company for a self-inspection form to document the assessment. If you have any questions or need further advice, contact your broker or MSIG.“It’s easy to get used to looking at things as they are when you are in the store every day. Are you looking but not seeing?”
“In summary, how do we recognize and correct an unsafe condition? Hazard Identification! Walk the store and check
and correct basic conditions to prevent the causes of employee or customer injuries.”
JOHN HARP
CAN BE REACHED AT 908-604-2951 or jharp@msigusa.com
Texas FOA Donates To Swim Across America
The Texas FOA donated $20,000 to Swim Across America on September 24 in Dallas on behalf of its members and vendors partners. The funds were raised during the FOA’s annual Charity Golf Tournament held August 25 at the Cowboys Golf Club in Grapevine, Texas. The Texas FOA has been a proud supporter of Swim Across America for the last 15 years and has donated more than $200,000 to the charity to date.

BY ALI HAIDER, MICHIGAN FOA PRESIDENT; LEADERSHIP COUNCIL BOARD MEMBER (SMALL BUSINESS ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN)
In April, the FDA announced its plan to ban menthol-flavored cigarettes. Although many may celebrate this decision as a groundbreaking victory for public health, it does not take a scholar to recognize that prohibitions tend to fail. Instead of focusing on uplifting our communities and helping smokers move to less harmful options, a menthol ban will punish those who struggle to quit, while devastating local businesses in its wake.
As a multi-unit convenience store owner and vape wholesaler, I have spent my entire career in retail. Over the years, I have watched countless officials wrongly support similar policies, seemingly refusing to learn from the mistakes of their colleagues and predecessors. The same story continues to unfold— forced prohibitions take away regulated products from small businesses, fueling unchecked illicit trade in its place.
A recent study by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy stated that nearly 20 percent of all cigarettes consumed in Michigan were smuggled in as a function of tax evasion or avoidance, ranking my state 15th nationally. Simply, excessive taxes or a prohibition of certain cigarettes or other flavored nicotine products will increase smuggling and embolden further criminal activity.
Moreover, convenience stores in Michigan typically count on tobacco products for nearly 35 percent of their in-store purchases. This number doesn’t account for the additional purchases these customers make while visiting our stores. Put simply, these businesses are not prepared to handle the substantial losses expected from a ban on all menthol tobacco products.
While the Biden administration has spent much of its time providing extraordinary relief to local businesses across all industries, bans or prohibitions place an unfair burden on convenience stores hit hard by the global pandemic. This is particularly true for stores in traditionally minority neighborhoods, which generally prefer menthol-flavored
tobacco products.
There is a solution to help consumers quit smoking, and it’s known as Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR). THR is a growing, scientifically substantiated movement to share the potential public health and community benefits of providing tobacco smokers access and education to potentially less harmful nicotine products.
For example, a recent study found that the presence of vapor products not only had little impact on encouraging smoking among young people, but it did encourage more adults who use cigarettes to quit. Study after study shows that


continued from page 29
nicotine alternatives, including vaping products, are significantly safer than cigarettes, because tar in traditional cigarettes causes health problems, not nicotine.
I know firsthand the benefits of switching because I’ve applied the THR strategy and transitioned from traditional cigarettes to vaping. Honestly, it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and why I can no longer remain silent over the FDA’s attempted shakedown.
If we ban certain tobacco products and their nicotine alternatives, people who want nicotine will stick to now illegal, traditional products and roll the dice with their health, safety, and personal freedom. Unlike more progressive public health programs in places such as Europe, the FDA does not have a realistic strategy or plan. They may continue to stand behind their decision to enforce prohibitions, but that doesn’t change the reality that such a policy will only lead to harmful outcomes. Rather than abandon smokers, we need this administration to support policies that provide opportunities for those that wish to quit.
Prohibition is a failed policy—until the FDA reverses course, history will continue to repeat itself.
ALI HAIDER
CAN BE REACHED AT 517-219-5288 or aliokemos@gmail.com
7-Eleven Fundraising Campaign For CMN Hospitals
SEI recently kicked off a multi-week round-up campaign in all 7-Eleven stores benefitting Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals, running from November 2 to January 10. All store associates are encouraged to ask customers to round up their purchase at check-out to support this worthy organization. Funds raised at 7-Eleven stores will stay local, directly benefitting the local member hospital, allowing them to address the most urgent needs in your community, while also preparing and planning for tomorrow.
NCASEF has adopted CMN Hospitals as its charity of choice, helping to raise critical funds to support children’s hospitals across the U.S. advance pediatric healthcare by providing critical lifesaving equipment and much needed resources to help treat sick and injured children throughout the communities 7-Eleven serves.
“Children’s hospitals are on the frontlines when it comes to protecting the health of future generations,” said NCASEF Chairman Sukhi Sandhu. “But they can’t do it alone. When we work together to positively change the health of even one child, we create a ripple effect felt in our neighborhoods for years to come.”
To learn more about CMN Hospitals and your local children’s hospital, visit cmnhospitals.org.


AFFILIATE MEMBERS The Fall 2022 AFFILIATE MEMBER DIRECTORY
Franchisees: Call or email the representatives below if you have questions for them or simply want to speak to a representative from their company.
Please note: This directory is current as of October 31, 2022.
21 Rocs
Ron Berman
10857 Portal Dr Los Alamitos CA 90720 833-244-1212 310-704-2345 ron@21rocs.com
5-Hour Energy
Brad Margheim
14150 Colt Chase Road Frisco TX 75035 972-948-2481 bmargheim@fivehour.com
Abbott Nutrition
James Spencer
10115 Kingshyre Way Tampa FL 33647 813-295-3163 james.spencer@abbott.com
Accel Entertainment
Teresa Radtke
140 Tower Drive Burr Ridge IL 60527 630-280-6119
teresar@accelentertainment.com
Acosta Sales & Mktg
Rene Chumbley
605 Promontory Drive Keller TX 76248 817-475-4710 rchumbley@acosta.com
Advantage Solutions
Randy Watkins
3425 Knob Oak Drive Grapevine TX 76051 512-632-1809
Altria Group Distribution
James Duke
6601 W. Broad Street Richmond VA 23230 804-484-8151 407-375-0935 james.duke@altria.com
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
James Allred
13142 Terlingua Creek Drive Frisco TX 75033 601-209-5667
james.allred@anheuser-busch.com
Aon Risk Services
Tonya Rosales
5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1400 Dallas TX 75244 214-989-2349 972-757-3322 214-989-2304 tonya.rosales@aon.com
AriZona Beverages
Doreen Higney
1 Arizona Plaza, Suite 400 Woodbury NY 11797 516-812-0365 dhigney@drinkarizona.com
Aspire Brands
Kyle Kulhanek
400 N May #301 Chicago IL 60642 630-460-1197 kylek@aspiredrinks.com
Atkinson-Crawford Sales Co.
Butch Henderson
11999 Plano Road, Suite 110 Dallas TX 75243 972-234-0947 972-979-9845 bhenderson@acsales.com
Bang Energy
Anayansi Ramirez
1600 North Park Dr Weston FL 33326 786-390-2043
anayansi.ramirez@bangenergy.com
Barbot Insurance Services
John Barbot
9001 Grossmont Blvd #711 La Mesa CA 91941 619-337-0290 619-609-1882 619-337-2703 jcbarbot@barbotins.com
Bayside Wireless
Mickeal Assaf
950 East Grantline Rd, Suite 400 Tracy CA 95304 415-637-9931 415-637-9958
Mike@baysidewirelessdist.com
BeatBox Beverages
Craig Ritcheson
1023 Springdale Rd #11F Austin TX 78721 805-823-5959 craig@beatboxbeverages.com
BIC USA
Joe Tesauro
One Bic Way, Suite 1 Shelton CT 06484 609-651-6046 joe.tesauro@bicworld.com
Big Ideas Marketing
Marc Segal
2235 Sisson St Baltimore MD 21211 888-908-8697 443-277-0223 410-654-8792 marc@bigideasmarketing.com
Blue Triton Brands
Erik Dube
1322 Crestside Drive Suite 100 Coppell TX 75019 203-241-2653 erik.dube@waters.nestle.com
Bon Appetit
Mike Kawas
4850 E. 50th Street Vernon CA 90058 913-708-5526 323-584-1075
m.kawas@bonappetitbakery.com
Botanic Tonics LLC
Jennifer Hunter
740 Kingman Ave Santa Monica CA 90402 512-983-4468 jhunter@botanictonics.com
AFFILIATE MEMBERS
continued from page 31
Bug Juice International
Richard Hunsberger
5520 Wisdom Court Waco TX 76708 214-914-5531 rhunsberger@bugjuice.com
CAB Enterprises— Electrolit
Kaitlin Pierce
300 Great Oaks Blvd, Suite 325 Albany NY 12203 817-333-4196 kaitlinopierce@outlook.com
Calypso Lemonade
Kim Hickey
851 W Grange Ave Milwaukee WI 53221 414-482-0303 208-851-2626 khickey@drinkcalypso.com
Campbell’s Snacks
Sabrina Crum
1617 Funny Cide Drive Waxhaw NC 28173 704-748-3530 sabrina_crum@campbells.com
Campofrio
Chris K. Perry
37 Belgrade Road Oakland ME 04963 407-921-2121 chris.perry@campofriofg.com
Canarchy Craft Brewery
Jeff Kataoka
12 Walnut Bay Court Sacramento CA 95831 916-320-4288 jeffk@canarchy.beer 300-2318 Oak St Vancouver BC V6H 4J1 510-529-1988 srivas@centrcorp.com
Chobani
Aaron Steinbach
23902 Hartford Springs Trail Katy TX 77493 402-250-9985 aaron.steinbach@chobani.com
Coca-Cola
Myrna Hawkins
5800 Granite Pkwy, Suite #900 Plano TX 75024 214-244-9485
mbarronhawkins@coca-cola.com
Congo Brands
Franklyn Williams
9067 Lunette Lane Mechanicsville VA 23116 540-497-1520 fwilliams@congobrands.com
Constellation Brands
Tonya Huff
10110 Robin Hill Lane Dallas TX 75238 469-585-5937 tonya.huff@cbrands.com
Core-Mark International
Chris Ladesich
3200 Hackberry Road 3E18G Irving TX 75063 972-750-6190 cladesich@core-mark.com
Crossmark Convenience
Cheryl Tucker
5100 Legacy Drive Plano TX 75024 469-814-1508 817-226-8678 972-803-9630 cheryl.tucker@crossmark.com
Crossmark/Johnson & Johnson
Lauren Pecoraro
453 Monterey Dr Rockwall TX 75087 972-835-0836 todd.mares@danone.com
DEFY
Bennett Mark
4109 E 10th Ave, Ste 135 Denver CO 80220 214-232-9690 bennettm@drinkdefy.com
D.G. Yuengling and Son
Karoline Las
2890 Telluride Loop, 305 Sarasota FL 34243 518-491-5124 klas@yuengling.com
Don’t Quit
Kirk Hardwick
715 North Douglas Street, Suite B El Segundo CA 90245 214-676-1196 kirk@dontquit.com
Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream
Chip Vineyard
1202 Lakewood Drive McKinney TX 75072 214-534-5721 chip.vineyard@us.nestle.com
Ecolab
David Read
116 Dory Ln Stansbury Park UT 84074 413-265-5054 david.read@ecolab.com
Fairlife LLC
Jason Tomlinson
1001 W. Adams Street Chicago IL 60607 740-403-0885 jasont@fairlife.com
Ferrara Candy
Taylor Condon
404 W. Harrison St., Suite 650 Chicago IL 60607 248-877-1847 Taylor.Devine@ferrarausa.com 11444 W. Olympic Blvd. Suite 210 Los Angeles CA 90064 856-426-2775 patrick.haas@fijiwater.com
FitVine
Tim Turner
2515 Freeland Court Naperville IL 60564 630-988-5908 tim.turner@fitvinewine.com
Gaskets Unlimited
Patrick Loo
3001 McCall Drive Atlanta GA 30340 877-542-7538 patrick@gasketsunlimited.com
GetUpside
Zachary Vickers
11921 N Mopac Expy, Ste 105 Austin TX 78759 800-741-6726 480-323-8428 zachary.vickers@getupside. com
Glanbia Performance Nutrition/ Amino Energy
Adam Friday
3500 Lacey Rd., Suite 1200 Downers Grove IL 60515 561-353-8563 adamfriday@glanbia.com
Green Team Worldwide Environmental Group
Miglena Minkova
65 Triangle Blvd Carlstadt NJ 07072 973-420-4634 miglena.minkova@greenteamworldwide.com
Happy Dad Hard Seltzer
Sam Shahidi
25712 Demeter Way Mission Viejo, CA 92691 949-370-4000 sam@happydad.com
222 W Las Colinas Blvd, 1675E Irving TX 75039 949-599-6105 paquino@heinekenusa.com
Hershey Company
Samantha Priest
19 East Chocolate Ave Hershey PA 17033 774-641-3600 sepriest@hersheys.com
Hostess Brands
Jackie Lawing
9030 County Road 2432 Terrell TX 75160 972-635-7523 940-368-4413 972-638-7523 jlawing@hostessbrands.com
IDG Wine & Spirits
Rodolfo Rubalcava
10303 Camintio Aralia #97 San Diego CA 92131 619-301-1099 rodolfor@idgwines.com
Ignite International
Aaron Covarrubias
3308 Towerwood Drive Dallas TX 75234 505-795-9138 aaron.covarrubias@ignite.com
Impact Sales & Marketing
Diane Drew
1851 Windmill Run Wimberley TX 78676 512-847-3284 512-563-3947 512-847-7284 ddrew@impact-sales.net
Infin8 Brands
Nabi Naseeb
500 Esna Park Drive Markham ON L3R1H5 416-994-0290 nabi@infin8brands.com 7314 Madison Street Paramount CA 90723 562-537-6898 anorouzi@in-motion-design.com
Johnsonville Sausage
Eugene Rech
PO Box 906 Sheboygan Falls WI 53085 920-453-6960 920-918-9102 920-453-2221 grech@johnsonville.com
JUUL Labs
Lisa Lee
560 20th Street San Francisco CA 94123 706-570-0206 lisa.lee@juul.com
Kellogg’s
Christina Quintana
One Kellogg Square Battle Creek MI 49016 331-703-4511
Christina.Quintana@kellogg.com
Kenny’s Candy and Confections
Stephen Ornell
109 Lakeside Drive Perham MN 56573 972-977-2446 sornell@klnfamilybrands.com
Keurig Dr Pepper
Tom Nawa
5301 Legacy Drive Plano TX 75024 214-212-1232 tom.nawa@kdrp.com
Koia
Linnea Solbrook
5190 Shaw Lane Denton TX 76208 214-843-7012 linnea@drinkkoia.com
Michael Evans
1280 N McDowell Blvd Petaluma CA 94954 217-652-6147 michael.evans@lagunitas.com
L.A. Libations
Daniel Stepper
1708 Walnut Manhattan Beach CA 90266 310-291-1713 818-279-0502 danny@lalbev.com
LifeMade Products
Colt Bearden
6375 Lansdale Road Fort Worth TX 76116 817-538-8693 Colt.Bearden@lifemadeproducts.com
AFFILIATE MEMBERS
continued from previous page
McLane Company Inc.
Nick Bullard
4747 McLane Parkway Temple TX 76504 414-704-9392 nick.bullard@mclaneco.com
MegaMex Foods/ Hormel—Don Miguel
Todd Ginley
333 S Anita Drive, Suite 1000 Orange CA 92868 714-385-4500 972-670-8875 twginley@mmxfoods.com
Liquid Death
Rachel Ridenour
3898 Van Ness Lane Dallas TX 75220 214-558-2482 Rachel@liquiddeath.com
LTS
Alex White
12930 Worldgate Dr. Suite 300 Herndon VA 20170 202-679-7107 awhite@lts.com
Lucas Oil Products
Marty Feldman
302 N Sheridan St Corona CA 92878 972-214-7120 mfeldman@lucasoil.com
Mad Tasty
Daniel Kelly
4041 Macarthur Blvd, Suite 170 Newport Beach CA 92660 941-527-5749 dankelly@madtasty.com
Mela Water
Alina Segura
10 Hawaii Dr Aliso Viejo CA 92656 951-551-6578 alina@melawater.com
Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co.
Nuno Melo
9605 Buckhorn Dr Frisco TX 75033 972-837-3193 nmelo@mikeshard.com
Mini Melts of America
William Allison
2540 Metropolitan Drive Trevose PA 19053 860-889-7300 267-975-0262 860-887-1033 bill@minimelts.com
Molson Coors
Keith Smith
7800 North Dallas Parkway, Ste 400 Plano TX 75024 484-947-7696 312-496-2700 accts payable keith.smith@molsoncoors.com
AFFILIATE MEMBERS
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Mondelez International
Steven Myers
6 James Circle Shippensburg PA 17257 240-533-5067 steven.myers@mdlz.com
MONSTER Energy Company
Michael Pineiro
1 Monster Way Corona CA 92879 951-316-8635 michael.pineiro@monsterenergy.com
Morinaga America
Raymond Gates
4 Park Plaza, Suite 750 Irvine CA 92614 518-812-4478 gates@morinaga-america.com
Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee
Peter Doyle
7800 Will Rogers Blvd Fort Worth TX 76140 713-682-8250 832-725-1749 713-682-0530 pdoyle@mother-parkers.com
KC Ann Hansen
15303 Dallas Parkway, Suite 1300 Addison TX 75001 908-928-4090 908-251-3863 kchansen@msigusa.com 8445 NW 62nd Place Parkland FL 33067 954-465-6896 zahid711@gmail.com
NJOY
Justin Finn
9977 N 90th Street, Suite 160 Scottsdale AZ 85258 609-903-3678 jfinn@njoy.com
NXT LVL Gamer Shot
Mike Costello
119 E. Union Street, Suite B Pasadena CA 91103 630-328-9999 mike.c@takeoverind.com
PathWater
Jaswinder Singh
3133 Osgood Ct Fremont CA 94539 916-430-6771 jassi@drinkpath.com
Payality Powered by Payroll People
Bettye Smith
2152 E Copper Ave, #105 Fresno CA 93730 559-251-9060 bsmith@payrollpeople.com
PepsiCo, Inc.
Marla Daudelin
7701 Legacy Drive Plano TX 75024 407-461-1243 Marla.Daudelin@pepsico.com
Perfetti Van Melle
Scott Swanson
3645 Turfway Road Erlanger KY 41018 918-231-0119 scott.swanson@perfettivanmelle.com
Napjitsu Inc.
Austin Allen
109 Stratford Reserve Place Austin TX 78746 813-777-2044 austin@napjitsu.com
Pladis
Bryan Baker
10 Bank Street, 10th Floor White Plains NY 10606 201-681-1157 bryan.baker@pladisglobal.com
Scott Abajian
23652 Meadcliff Pl Diamond Bar CA 91765 909-717-3775 sabajian@promotioninmotion. com
Red Bull North America
Amanda Pomorski
35 Red Oak Drive Coatesville PA 19320 717-286-6478 amanda.pomorski@redbull.com
REV GUM
Annie Flowers
Texas 737-230-2277 annie@chewrevgum.com
RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co./RAI TMS
Rosa Garcia
4601 Silo Hills Drive Springfield MO 65802 424-228-2709 847-630-9540 garciar2@rjrt.com
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Stephan Jannuzzo
4487 Windsor Oaks Circle Marietta GA 30066 770-500-9373 sjannuzzo@sierranevada.com
Som Sleep
Abdul Khan
5029 Auckland Avenue North Hollywood CA 91601 415-203-1514 abdul@getsom.com
SRP Companies
Jack Claiborne
15 N. 1800 West Lindon UT 84042 407-412-8563 jack.claiborne@srpcompanies. com
Ralph Talamantez
5800 Heron Bay Lane McKinney TX 75070 916-622-4188 ralph.talamantez@stewartspiked.com
Storck USA
Tony Harper
8809 E. Long Court Centennial, CO 80112 312-494-5912 312-256-3745 312-494-7912 tony.harper@us.storck.com
Stratus Group
Gabriel Lopez
Director of Sales 41518 Grand View Drive Murrietta CA 92562 310-989-6782 gabriel@stratusgp.com
Swedish Match North America
Aaron H. Choate
403 Wellington Court Southlake TX 76092 817-312-2017 877-860-7481
aaron.choate@swedishmatch.com
Swisher International
Brett Anthony
4354 E. Kentbrook Dr. Springfield MO 65802 904-598-4642 banthony@swisher.com
T-Mobile
R. Brian Bycott
7668 Warren Parkway Frisco TX 75034 214-455-6565 Robert.Bycott@t-mobile.com
TransAct Technologies
Dave Ritchie
2319 Whitney Ave. Suite 3B Hamden CT 06518 404-405-6258 dritchie@transact-tech.com
610 Tall Oaks Court Centerton AR 72719 479-224-9763 gcooper@tpbi.com
Twang Partners
Heath Chapman
6255 WT Montgomery San Antonio TX 78252 809-508-8095 512-773-6621 hchapman@twang.com
Ultimate Sales & Services

Beth Coldsmith
613 Stephenson Ave. Suite 101 Savannah GA 31405 512-657-4317
bcoldsmith@ultimate-sales.com
UPTIME Energy Inc.
Carrie Kim
8000 Woodley Avenue Van Nuys CA 91406 310-623-9170 310-968-9019 ckim@uptimeenergy.com 250 Park Ave South, 7th Floor New York NY 10003 718-614-8592 tpuntoompoti@vitacoco.com
Vixxo Corporation
Regina Coleman
7000 E Shea Blvd Ste H1970 Scottsdale AZ 85254 925-756-7075 916-217-5130 regina.coleman@vixxo.com
Wen & Winnie Trading
Tony Liu
3198 Factory Drive Pomona CA 91768 909-664-3514 Wen.Winnie.trading@gmail. com
Wonderful Pistachios & Almonds
Holly Hines
1063 Enchanted Rock Drive Allen TX 75013 214-701-5282 holly.hines@wonderful.com
AFFILIATE MEMBERS
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VENDORS: Join The NCASEF Affiliate Member Program
Register online at NCASEF.com
The Affiliate Member Program provides an excellent opportunity for vendor representatives to network and form new relationships with NCASEF Board members from around the country.
The Program consists of three meetings per year—two in spring, and one in fall— where Affiliate Members can meet with the President and Vice President from each of the NCASEF’s 41 regional Franchise Owners Associations. Each FOA represents between 15 and 400 franchisee members, and each meeting includes a charity golf tournament benefitting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, presentations from the franchise community and/or industry executives, plus roundtable discussions, breakout sessions, and group social events that provide time for oneon-one networking.
All Affiliate Members also receive the NCASEF’s list of FOA Presidents and Vice Presidents and their contact information. Each Affiliate Member can have up to two representatives at the meetings. During breakout sessions and roundtable discussions Affiliate Members can ask any question and bring up any topic before the group or among individual FOA leaders.
Additionally, each Affiliate Member has the opportunity to purchase presentation time at any of the four annual NCASEF Board Meetings to present their latest and greatest products to the Board, purchase a table at the Tabletop Trade Show held during three of the Board meetings, and will be listed in Avanti Magazine’s Affiliate Member Directory, printed twice yearly.
You can register for the Affiliate Member Program online by visiting https://ncasef.com/ program-pages/vendor-affiliate-members/.
Board Presentations
If your company would like to present before the NCASEF Board of Directors at any of the 2023 Board Meetings, contact Meeting and Trade Show Coordinator John Riggio at 262394-5518 or johnr@ jrplanners.com.
Member News
continued from page 15
SEI Senior VP Among 2022 Top Women In Convenience
SEI’s senior vice president of construction, engineering and facilities, Holly Angell, was one of five Women of the Year honorees at this year’s ninth annual Convenience Store News Top Women in Convenience Awards Gala, held October 2 at the Renaissance Las Vegas following day two of the 2022 NACS Show. TWIC is the first and only c-store industry program that spotlights the integral role women play in convenience retailing and celebrates individuals across retailer, distributor and supplier businesses for outstanding contributions to their companies and the industry at large, according to Convenience Store News. SEI President and CEO Joe DePinto was a featured speaker at the event.
As senior vice president of construction, engineering and facilities for the world’s largest convenience store retailer, Holly Angell’s role is to strategize and execute the modernization of SEI’s more than 12,000 brick-and-mortar stores. In her role, she has been an essential part of 7-Eleven’s integration of Speedway locations following their acquisition, including installing LEDs in the stores to contribute to the company’s overall CO2 reduction goal.

High Attendance At 2022 NACS Show
The 2022 NACS Show attracted the third-highest attendance in NACS Show history with 24,534 industry stakeholders from 73 countries, which includes 8,841 retail “buyers,” the c-store trade organization announced. The event, held October 1-4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, delivered four days of learnings, insights, networking and exploring what’s new and exciting for the convenience and fuel retailing industry. From food to technology, car wash, electric vehicle equipment and in-store merchandise, the NACS Show Expo was the second largest in NACS Show history at 429,200 net square feet. It featured 1,262 exhibitors, 250 of them new to the NACS Show, offering retailers a sneak peek at the new products and services available for their stores.
C-Stores Filling The Gap Between Larger Grocery Trips
Data from point-of-sale company National Retail Solutions (NRS) reveals that consumers are using convenience stores as a “gap fill” in between larger grocery shopping trips, reported Food Business News. Nearly half of shoppers surveyed by the company said they use convenience stores to purchase grocery items in lieu of a longer trek to the supermarket. Grocery is now the third most common category purchased at convenience stores, falling just below snacks and candy, according to the NRS data.
Meal solutions are also gaining momentum in convenience stores. Packaged ramen is outselling the total gum category and has the same velocity as PepsiCo’s Ruffles potato chips across convenience stores in the NRS network, which encompasses more than 17,500 locations across the country. Baking supplies also are becoming more prevalent alongside items like lactose-free milk, cheese, pre-made seasoning mixes, fresh meat, produce and pet supplies.
Inflation Hits Four-Decade High
U.S. consumer inflation excluding energy and food accelerated to a new four-decade high in September, a sign that strong and broad price pressures are persisting, reported the Wall Street Journal. The Labor Department said that its so-called core consumer price index—which excludes volatile energy and food prices—rose 6.6 percent in September from a year earlier, the biggest increase since August 1982. The measure increased 6.3 percent in August. Prices rose in September for housing, medical care, airline fares and other services, threatening to keep inflation high for a while.
The overall CPI increased 8.2 percent in