NACS Magazine February 2025

Advancing Convenience & Fuel Retailing

FEBRUARY 2025 C-STORE COUNT Where the industry stands in 2025 FOODSERVICE FINDINGS Survey reveals consumer cravings

Heard Be

Top industry advocates share how to turn up the volume on your story.

convenience.org

Advancing Convenience & Fuel Retailing

FEBRUARY 2025 C-STORE COUNT Where the industry stands in 2025 FOODSERVICE FINDINGS Survey reveals consumer cravings

Heard Be

Top industry advocates share how to turn up the volume on your story.

convenience.org

Join store owners across the country who are fighting for fair tobacco policies.

Get Involved at TobaccoIssues.com

©2025

ONTENTS NACS / FEBRUARY 2025

60 On the cover: CHIARI_VFX/Getty Images; Accogliente Design/Shutterstock. This page:

The State of Eating in America NACS surveyed how and why Americans are eating on the go— and what it means for the convenience industry.

FEATURES

30 U.S. Convenience

36 46 Advocacy in Action Telling the

This was the first decline in two years.

Industry champions share their advice for using your voice to drive positive change.

Store Count Stands at 152,255 Stores

C-Store Story Advocacy is about a lot more than lobbying your elected leaders—it means talking to your chiropractor, too.

52

From A to V and In Between State and regional associations face unique challenges but share a common goal— advancing the industry.

STAY CONNECTED WITH NACS @nacsonline facebook.com/nacsonline instragram.com/nacs_online

Subscribe to NACS Daily—an indispensable “quick read” of industry headlines and legislative and regulatory news, along with knowledge and resources from NACS, delivered to your inbox every weekday. Subscribe at www.convenience.org/NACSdaily.

linkedin.com/company/nacs NACS FEBRUARY 2025 1

ONTENTS NACS / FEBRUARY 2025

DEPARTMENTS 6

From the Editor

8

The Big Question

10 NACS News 18 Convenience Cares 22 Inside Washington

Here’s how 2025’s changes in political leadership could impact the industry.

28 Ideas 2 Go 00 Cool New Products 72 Gas Station Gourmet 74 Category Close-Up

Fueled by rising demand for protein, customers are powering up on alternative snacks.

80 By the Numbers

IT’S A FACT

$4,185

Alternative snacks average sales per store, per month in 2023.

CATEGORY CLOSE-UP PAGE 74

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE 2 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

The presence of an article in our magazine should not be permitted to constitute an expression of the association’s view.

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/ FEBRUARY 2025 EDITORIAL

NACS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jeff Lenard V.P. Strategic Industry Initiatives (703) 518-4272 jlenard@convenience.org

CHAIR: Brian Hannasch, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

Ben Nussbaum Editor-in-Chief (703) 518-4248 bnussbaum@convenience.org Leah Ash Editor/Writer lash@convenience.org Noelle Riddle Editor/Writer nriddle@conveneince.org Lauren Shanesy Editor/Writer lshanesy@convenience.org CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Terri Allan, Sarah Hamaker, Al Hebert, Emma Tainter, Adam Rosenblatt DESIGN MX www.themxgroup.com

ADVERTISING Stacey Dodge Advertising Director/ Southeast (703) 518-4211 sdodge@convenience.org Jennifer Nichols Leidich National Advertising Manager/Northeast (703) 518-4276 jleidich@convenience.org

GENERAL COUNSEL: Doug Kantor, NACS MEMBERS: Lisa Blalock, BP North America Inc.; Tom Brennan, Casey’s; Andrew Clyde, Murphy USA; Terry Gallagher, Gasamat Oil Corp/ Smoker Friendly; Raymond Huff, HJB Convenience Corp. dba Russell’s

PAST CHAIRS: Victor Paterno, president and CEO of Philippine Seven Corp.; Don Rhoads, president and CEO of The Convenience Group LLC. SUPPLIER BOARD REPRESENTATIVES: Vito Maurici, McLane; Brian Morrow, Chobani & La Colombe

NACS SUPPLIER BOARD SUPPLIER BOARD CHAIR: Vito Maurici, McLane Co. Inc. CHAIR-ELECT: Bryan Morrow, Chobani & La Colombe VICE CHAIRS: Kevin LeMoyne, The Coca-Cola Company; Mike Gilroy, Mars Wrigley; Jim Hughes, GALLO

Keurig Dr Pepper; Jay Nelson, Excel Tire Gauge; Nick Paich, GSTV; Ramona Giderof, Diageo Beer; Ryan Calong, Pabst; Jordan Nicgor GENERAL COUNSEL: Doug Kantor, NACS STAFF LIAISON: Bob Hughes, NACS

Stephanie Sikorski Vice President, Marketing (703) 518-4231 ssikorski@convenience.org Nancy Pappas Marketing Director (703) 518-4290 npappas@convenience.org

NACS Magazine (ISSN 1939-4780) is published monthly by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), Alexandria, Virginia, USA.

PUBLISHING

Join us at conveniencecares.org

OFFICERS: Varish Goyal, Loop Neighborhood Markets; Lonnie McQuirter, 36 Lyn Refuel Station; Charles McIlvaine, Coen Markets Inc.; Tony Miller, Retail Delek US; Chris Bambury, Bambury Inc.; Missy Matthews, Childers Oil Co.

MEMBERS: Tony Battaglia, Tropicana Brands; David Charles, Cash Depot; Brent Cotten, The Hershey Company; Jerry Cutler, InComm Payments; Jack Dickinson, Dover Corporation; Matt Domingo, Reynolds; Mark Falcone, Greenridge Naturals; Kevin Farley, Impact 21; Danielle Holloway, Altria Group Distribution Co.; Kevin Kraft, Tropicana Brands; Sarah Vilim,

Ted Asprooth National Sales Manager/ Midwest, West (703) 518-4277 tasprooth@convenience.org

COME TOGETHER. DO MORE.

TREASURER: Annie Gauthier, CFO/Co-CEO, St. Romain Oil Co. LLC

Convenience; Mark Jordan, Refuel Operating Co.; Brian McCarthy, Blarney Castle Oil Co.; Natalie Morhous, RaceTrac Inc.; JP Patel, FASTIME; Robert Razowsky, Rmarts LLC; Stanley Reynolds, 7-Eleven Inc.; Kristin Seabrook, Pilot Travel Centers LLC; Travis Sheetz, Sheetz Inc.; Babir Sultan, Fav Trip; Doug Yawberry, Weigel’s Stores Inc., Scott Zietlow, Kwik Trip Inc.

Logan Dion Digital Media and Ad Trafficker (703) 864-3600 ldion@convenience.org

RETAIL BOARD REPRESENTATIVES: Tom Brennan, Casey’s; Scott Hartman, Rutter’s; Kevin Smartt, TXB PAST CHAIRS: David Charles, Cash Depot; Brent Cotton, The Hershey Company; Kevin Farley, Impact 21

Subscriptions are included in the dues paid by NACS member companies.

Subscriptions are also available to qualified recipients. The publisher reserves the right to limit the number of free subscriptions and to set related qualifications criteria.

Subscription requests: nacsmagazine@convenience.org POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NACS Magazine, 1600 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA, 22314-2792 USA. Contents © 2023 by the National Association of Convenience Stores.

Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria VA and additional mailing offices.

1600 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-2792

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UP FRONT FROM THE EDITOR

>

Guest

Look for notes from Guest Editor Lyle Beckwith throughout this issue.

Winning … Together

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ACS as we know it today stands on three pillars: Knowledge, connections and advocacy. However, it didn’t start out that way. When the founders of NACS first got together at the Hotel Muehlebach in Kansas City, Missouri, in August of 1961, it was all about connections. Entrepreneurs in this fledgling industry wanted to meet their peers and share their thoughts about what they were doing. They also wanted to have an opportunity to meet some of their suppliers (and … hopefully … have them pick up the bar tab).

From that humble beginning, NACS evolved into a functioning association and began providing the resources that a growing industry required. Specifically, knowledge. In the 1970s, the NACS education department began producing training videos, workshops and seminars on a wide range of topics including crime, foodservice, management, fuel sales and “train the trainer.” Later, the NACS research department began collecting industry data and producing the State of the Industry Report® and hosting an annual SOI Summit.

Advocacy didn’t really make an appearance until the early 1980s, when Teri Richman was hired as NACS’ first government relations employee. At that time, there was a nationwide concern over drunk driving. Legislative bodies of all sizes proposed some very sensible ideas to address the very real problem.

Unfortunately, some of the ideas were not so sensible, including the proposal to ban alcohol sales at businesses that also sold motor fuel. These “beer/gas bans” were started in California and quickly spread to state capitals around the country. In 1984, Teri hired me (NACS’ second government relations employee). My job was to build a coalition of convenience store operators to fight 6 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

these proposed bans. I spent most of the year in California creating Food and Fuel Retailers for Economic Equality (FFREE), bringing NACS members from across the state to lobby in Sacramento.

We ultimately defeated the initiative in California, and the other states quickly shelved theirs.

The success of FFREE was an eye-opener. As an industry, we realized the power we have when we work collectively for a mutual goal. There are convenience stores on street corners of every Congressional district in America.

What potential! NACS began investing more resources into our government relations department, where today we focus on national issues in Washington, D.C. (We also work closely with the many state and regional associations that represent the convenience and fuel retailing industry around the country, assisting them with industry data and holding a monthly call during which we all share legislative updates and ideas.)

The NACS government relations team represents the industry within the halls of Congress and federal agencies, as well as works to facilitate engagement between our members and their elected representatives. Through events such as our NACS Day on the Hill, NACS In Store, and our legislative calls to action, as well as our political action committee NACSPAC, we continue to concentrate the power of our industry to proactively push the NACS legislative agenda.

But advocacy doesn’t just mean government relations (for more on that, see Jeff Lenard’s article “Telling the C-Store Story” on page 46). Advocacy is standing up for something you are passionate about. That’s what we at NACS do every day, in every department and in so many different ways. And it is a lot of fun … especially when YOU win!!

Lyle Beckwith senior vice president, government relations

The NACS government relations team represents the industry within the halls of Congress and federal agencies, as well as works to facilitate engagement between our members and their elected representatives.

UP FRONT FACES OF THE INDUSTRY

Finding Family

Celebrating the people who make our industry great.

After having a child, Anne Domaschko returned to work at Hop Shops with goals of growth in mind— now she’s a store manager.

I

nspiring, determined, empathetic and supportive are all words that her Hop Shops coworkers use to describe store manager Anne Domaschko.

“Anne has a unique ability to lead with empathy while keeping everyone focused on our goals,” said one of her team members. “She’s the type of manager who not only inspires us to do our best but also makes us feel valued every day.”

Anne started working at her local Dairy Queen when she was 15, which at the time was owned by Harper Oil and later acquired by Valor Oil, the parent company of Hop Shops. She quickly became an assistant manager.

After several years of work and about one year off after having her daughter, the now 23-year-old Anne returned to Hop Shops in March 2023 with a goal in mind—to become a store manager.

She spoke with NACS about: WHY SHE LOVES WORKING IN CONVENIENCE I love it—I love the people I work with.

Everybody is like family. I also love my customers. We have a lot of regulars at my store, some of whom come in twice a day. You can really meet some incredible customers at this job who are almost like family, too.

I’m also a single mother, so this position and its flexibility really help me and my daughter a lot.

WHAT SHE FINDS FULFILLING ABOUT HER JOB I really appreciate my customers and the people that I work with at Hop Shops.

They treat you just like family and they would be there for you, whether you’re at work or outside of work.

8 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

“I'm a go, go, go person and

this job keeps me going.”

WHY SHE WOULD ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO PURSUE A CAREER IN CONVENIENCE It’s a really good place to start a career if you want to move up in management roles. You can move up in the industry and you can meet a lot of really great people while working here, including out-of-state people traveling.

HER FAVORITE THING ABOUT HER JOB The biggest thing that stands out to me is that I have a phenomenal team.

I hardly have to ask them to do anything because they are just really on top of their roles. They know what my expectations for the store are.

I do a lot as a manager to keep the store running, but I also get on the floor and am a regular employee, too. I like to be both an employee and a manager—to do it all and be there for everybody. I’m a go, go, go person and this job keeps me going.

INSPIRED BY SEATTLE COFFEE LOVERS

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UP FRONT NACS NEWS

Make Your Voice Heard at Day on the Hill N

ACS’ annual Day on the Hill is one of the best opportunities for you to get in front of lawmakers, share your story and advocate for the convenience industry. This year’s event will take place March 11-12, 2025, in Washington, D.C. By voicing your perspectives and sharing your challenges, you enhance lawmakers’ understanding of the issues that they cast their votes on. NACS schedules your Congressional meetings and pairs you with other convenience retailers and experienced advocates.

10 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

Sean Malloy/Getty Images

The team will also prepare you to meet with legislators during the twoday event, providing you with the necessary training and resources, including videos, webinars and briefing materials, before visiting Capitol Hill. The informational general session that takes place the day before meetings helps you understand the issues and gives you the opportunity to network with industry peers from around the nation.

Day on the Hill is an invaluable chance to interact not just with your representatives but with fellow retailers who face similar challenges and share similar concerns. Together, you can exchange experiences, insights and best practices, strengthening the collective resilience of our industry. For more information, go to convenience.org/events/day-on-thehill or contact Katie Bohny at kbohny@ convenience.org.

Register for the 2025 Food Safety Forum The NACS Food Safety Forum will take place April 8, 2025, in Dallas. The event will be co-located with the NACS State of the Industry Summit.

With more labor intensive and sophisticated foodservice programs being developed and executed within our industry, food safety is essential. The Food Safety Forum is developed and administered by convenience industry food safety, foodservice, quality assurance and risk management leaders. This is the only retail-focused event of its kind for the global convenience community. Participants will become more engaged and empowered to recognize how certain behaviors can enhance and protect their teams, customers and brand.

The 2025 event will focus on: • Preparing for the FDA’s traceability rule that will take effect in 2026.

• How to use tech and data to improve efficiency, with a case study on how Circle K stores have invested in tech-driven tools like sensors and digital temperature monitoring to streamline food safety protocols, as well as optimize labor, reduce waste, and deliver ROI that extends beyond food safety measures.

• Building consumer trust in food safety and your foodservice program.

• Insights from CEOs on shaping food culture during a conversation with two industry leaders about the importance of food safety, their brands and empowering their teams to do the right thing. This high-level discussion will offer valuable perspectives on leadership, innovation, and the future of food and food safety in convenience retail.

For more information and to register, visit convenience.org/fsf

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 11

UP FRONT NACS NEWS

Industry Update Luncheons Bring NACS to You Throughout the year, NACS hosts Industry Update Luncheons across the country. At these events, NACS leadership shares insights, performance trends and metrics, and discusses issues

and opportunities that are relevant to the convenience and fuel industry.

By attending, you’ll gain insight and knowledge on: • The NACS State of the Industry Report® and CSX data relevant to your region and state • Important legislative and regulatory issues currently facing the industry and how NACS is advocating on your behalf • Timely and relevant topics from within and outside our industry that will have an effect on your business today and in the future

Look out for a luncheon coming to your region this year. Events are currently scheduled in: • Atlanta: March 24, 2025 • Pleasanton, California: March 27, 2025 • Houston: April 2, 2025 • Des Moines, Iowa: May 1, 2025 • Providence, Rhode Island: May 6, 2025 • Salt Lake City: May 13, 2025 • Richmond, Virginia: May 20, 2025 For more information, visit convenience.org/events/ industry-update-luncheons.

Contribute to the State of the Industry Report of 2024 Data

12 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

Survey participants will receive: • Two digital access licenses to the NACS State of the Industry Report of 2024 Data • One complimentary registration to the 2025 NACS State of the Industry Summit on April 8-10, Hyatt Regency DFW International Airport • A custom report of your company’s data in comparison to the SOI aggregate data to assist in your internal analysis of your company’s performance Submit your data by March 16, 2025. For more information, visit convenience.org/soisurvey or contact Chris Rapanick at crapanick@convenience.org.

pixelfit/Getty Images; Evy/Getty Images

The NACS State of the Industry Report® of 2024 Data (SOI) Survey is open, and your data is critical.

Ahead of this year’s report and the SOI Summit in April, participate in the survey and submit your numbers for key financial and operational benchmarks. Only with continued support from convenience retailers can the NACS SOI Report provide the vital benchmarks retailers use to assist in their strategic decision-making process.

The SOI Report contains over 200 pages of tables, charts and analysis of the previous year’s operational data for convenience sites across every region of the United States. The SOI Report drills down to the NACS regional level, providing industry stakeholders an opportunity to undertake a more granular analysis of the data. Shopper insights from NACS Convenience Voices shopper survey program rounds out the financial analysis with an in-depth look at what is driving shopper behavior in the convenience channel.

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 13

UP FRONT NACS NEWS

Member News RETAILERS

Rakesh Srinivasan now serves as senior vice president, chief data and artificial intelligence officer for Pilot. Srinivasan Rakesh brings more than Srinivasan 15 years of experience developing best practices for leveraging and driving revenue growth through innovative analytics and AI solutions. He has held leadership roles for various market leaders including Walmart, Jet. com and Moda Operandi. Most recently he served as senior vice president, chief data and analytics officer and head of consumer technology for Petco.

EG America named Lisa N’Chonon as the company’s chief financial officer and treasurer. She leads all aspects Lisa N’Chonon of the company’s finance organization, including accounting, FP&A, tax and treasury and risk management. Since joining the company in 2017, N’Chonon has previously served as chief accounting officer and VP of accounting operations.

Elizabeth Pierce recently joined EG America (EGA) as the company’s chief operating officer, where she now leads Elizabeth Pierce retail operations.

Most recently, she was president/CEO of Applegreen’s U.S. operations. She brings

14 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

extensive experience to EGA in designing and executing complex business strategies, acquisitional growth and organic expansion, and developing multifunctional teams.

Laura Sherman was recently named EG America’s general counsel.

Since joining the company in 2013, Laura Sherman Sherman has held a series of progressively senior leadership positions within the legal department, most recently assistant general counsel and interim general counsel. As general counsel she leads all aspects of the legal department, including litigation, contracts, records management, retail licensing and compliance and regulatory matters.

EG America hired Whitney Johnson as vice president of loyalty and digital commerce, where she spearheads and drives Whitney the company’s Johnson future growth through loyalty marketing and digital commerce. She previously led grocery merchandising and category management for GoBrands Inc. and held several senior roles in merchandising strategy, loyalty, and category management at Murphy Oil USA Inc. and Sunoco LP.

SUPPLIERS

Michael Pengue, previously CEO of Zoa Energy has been named CEO of Hint Inc. Pengue brings more than three Michael Pengue decades of experience in the beverage industry, including senior executive roles at Keurig Dr Pepper, BAI Brands, where he helped facilitate the company’s sale to Dr Pepper Snapple and Nestlé Waters. Most recently, he served as CEO of Zoa Energy, the brand created by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which just saw Molson Coors take a majority stake in the business.

Kevin Benmoussa has joined Hint Inc. as CFO, bringing two decades of experience spanning Fortune 500 and Kevin private equityBenmoussa backed startup companies in the food and beverage space. Benmoussa most recently served as the executive vice president and CFO of food tech start-up Aleph Farms.

Krispy Krunchy Chicken appointed Matt Testa as COO. In this role, Testa will focus on strengthening the sales and Matt Testa operations teams for the brand, which licenses over 3,000 locations. Prior to Krispy Krunchy, Testa spent more than twenty years with the Pilot Flying J network.

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UP FRONT NACS NEWS

New Members

NACS welcomes the following companies that joined the Association in November 2024. NACS membership is company-wide, so we encourage employees of member companies to create a username by visiting convenience.org/ create-login. All members receive access to the NACS Online Membership directory and the latest industry news, information and resources. For more information about NACS membership, visit convenience.org/membership.

RETAILERS

Quickie Mart Inc. Goldendale, WA

Bones Coffee Co. Cape Coral, FL

Sandhu Truckline Inc. Fresno, CA

Clinton Electronics Loves Park, IL www.clintonelectronics.com

Sunoco LP Dallas, TX

Cognitec Systems www.cognitec.com

Yakamart at Phato Crossing Toppenish, WA

DBZ Enterprises Chandler, AZ www.k-chill.com

SUPPLIERS

A&R Distribution LLC Antioch, TN

Diecast Masters America Sunrise, FL

Affinity Jeffersonville, IN www.affinityhub.com

Duvel USA/Boulevard Brewing Co./Ommegang Kansas City, MO

Arizona Lottery Phoenix, AZ azlottery.gov

Ezaki Glico USA Corporation Irvine, CA www.glico.co.jp/en

Bonded Filter Co. dba BFC Solutions Nashville, TN www.bondedfilter.com

Foozy Fun Sockz

Kayco Inc. Bayonne, NJ www.kayco.com Low and Slow Snacks Farmers Branch, TX www.lowandslow.com OpenEye Liberty Lake, WA openeye.net Takeoff Brands Inc. Rancho Cucamonga, CA TDK Doors Inc. Surrey, British Columbia, Canada tdkdoors.com X Mood Drinks Pleasant Grove, UT www.xmooddrinks.com Xenia Miami, FL www.xenia.team

Group Nine Risk Consulting Mableton, GA groupnine.us

Calendar of Events 2025 MARCH NACS Day on the Hill March 11-12 | Westin Washington D.C. Downtown Washington, D.C. NACS Human Resources Forum March 24-26 | Hutton Hotel Nashville, Tennessee APRIL NACS State of the Industry Summit April 08-10 | Hyatt Regency DFW International Airport Dallas, Texas

16 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

NACS Food Safety Forum April 8 | Hyatt Regency DFW International Airport Dallas, Texas MAY NACS Leadership for Success May 12-16 | Hershey Lodge Hershey, Pennsylvania NACS Convenience Summit Europe May 27-29 | Copenhagen

JULY NACS Financial Leadership Program at Wharton July 13-18 | The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NACS Marketing Leadership Program at Kellogg July 20-25 | Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University Evanston, Illinois

For a full listing of events and information, visit www.convenience.org/events.

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CONVENIENCE CARES

In The Community Every year, the convenience retail industry dedicates billions of dollars to advancing the futures of individuals and families in our communities. The NACS Foundation unifies and builds on NACS members’ charitable efforts to amplify their work in communities across America and to share these powerful stories.

Learn more at www.conveniencecares.org.

Nittany MinitMart Raises $24,000 for Hurricane Helene Relief The retailer held a round up campaign and donated bottled water to impacted communities.

N

ittany MinitMart, a retailer with 28 locations in Pennsylvania, raised over $24,000 for Hurricane Helene relief during the month of October. The retailer said it was motivated to give back after Hurricane Helene’s devastation left communities grappling with loss and destruction.

The retailer worked with suppliers to purchase and deliver 38,304 bottles of water. The water was picked up in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, and shipped to Candler, North Carolina, where it was distributed by a local church.

“We were heartbroken by the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Helene,” said John Martin, president of Nittany MinitMart. “Seeing people without power and water drove us to find a way to make a difference.”

Nittany MinitMart stores also raised funds through a round-up campaign held throughout October. Customers “contributed by rounding up their purchases, with every cent going toward supporting those in need. All $24,165 raised was donated to Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization providing much-needed aid and resources to those affected, helping families and communities on their path to recovery,” Nittany MinitMart said.

Nicole Masullo, division manager of operations at Nittany MinitMart, expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support from customers: “We run round-up programs several times a year, and this was one of our most successful ones yet. We’re incredibly proud of the compassion our customers have shown through their generosity. We know our contributions will go a long way in helping these communities rebuild.”

18 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

WEIGEL’S DONATES TO JOY OF MUSIC SCHOOL

1 Weigel’s donated to Joy of Music School, a Knoxville-based nonprofit dedicated to providing free music education to children. The funds donated will help supply essential instruments and resources to the students, specifically going toward violins and MacBooks.

Weigel’s said the new violins will open up possibilities for budding string players, while the MacBooks will support both virtual and in-person learning, helping students expand their skills and access a broader world of musical resources.

1

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NACS FEBRUARY 2025 19

CONVENIENCE CARES

REFUEL OPERATING COMPANY RAISES $535,000 FOR CHARITY

2 Refuel Operating Company held its second-annual golf tournament in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). Refuel said it “was an overwhelming success,” with the event raising $535,000. “Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and industry partners, this event helped us surpass a major milestone—raising over $1 million for LLS.” “This year, we had the privilege of spotlighting our honored hero, Zach, a courageous survivor of T-Cell Leukemia. Diagnosed just four years ago at the age of 10, Zach’s unwavering strength and resilience continue to inspire and motivate us all,” Refuel said.

ONCUE DONATES $275,000 TO ST. JUDE

3 OnCue raised $275,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through its fall fundraiser, bringing the partnership total to more than $3.8 million raised over 17 years. “OnCue’s gift will help ensure families being treated

by St. Jude never receive a bill from the hospital and give patients the chance to focus on what’s most important.”

During the month of October, OnCue “connected its customers 2

4

3 5

20 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

to the cause through pinup sales, rounding change at the register and specialty fountain cups.

Throughout pinup sales, OnCue team members had additional opportunities to show off their St. Jude support through ‘Dress as a Superhero Day.’”

liams Companies said this contribution will aid Arnot in continuing its critical work to provide life-saving healthcare services and support to families in need.

CUBBY’S RAISES OVER $35,000 FOR LOCAL SCHOOLS

6 In honor of Thanksgiving, Parker’s Kitchen employees prepared hot holiday meals for Savannah’s homeless community by volunteering with Union Mission. “This is our most loved Thanksgiving tradition,” Parker’s Kitchen said. “Helping others is one of our key values as a company, and we’re so proud to see our Parker’s team giving their time to make Thanksgiving a little better for those in need.”

4 Cubby’s announced that through the first three quarters of 2024, its Raise Some Dough program raised $37,072 for local schools. The program raised over $12,000 in both Q2 and Q3.

Twenty-one Cubby’s locations in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota participate in the Raise Some Dough program and donate $1 for every large Godfather’s Pizza Express or breakfast pizzas sold.

DANDY CONVENIENCE STORES DONATES $20,000 TO MEDICAL CENTER

5 Williams Companies, owner of Dandy Convenience Stores in northern Pennsylvania and southern New York, donated $20,000 to Arnot Ogden Medical Center. The donation “will immediately impact specialized services in the Arnot Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU),” Williams Companies said. Wil6

PARKER’S KITCHEN PREPARES HOLIDAY MEALS FOR COMMUNITY

ONVO RAISES $75,000 FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

7 Onvo held its annual October fundraiser in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. “This year we raised a record amount of $75,000 for the PA Breast Cancer Coalition through our fundraising efforts, which included the sale of pink ribbons, raffles and corporate donations. We are thankful to everyone who donated and to everyone who worked hard to make this year’s fundraiser a success,” Onvo said.

7

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 21

INSIDE WASHINGTON

All Eyes on the Trifecta

Here’s how 2025’s changes in political leadership could impact the industry.

BY JON TAETS

WHAT WE KNOW Republicans have secured a trifecta in Washington. They control the majorities in both chambers of Congress and have the White House, meaning the ball is entirely in their court for 2025 and 2026.

WHAT IS STILL UP IN THE AIR In the last weeks of 2024, it is unclear when the Republican majority will be at full strength given that there will be special elections to fill the seats of those Members of Congress who are leaving to join the Trump administration. House Republicans have won 220 seats to the Democrats’ 215. However, 22 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

due to former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-FL) resignation, they will start the 119th Congress down one seat already, giving them a 219-215 split.

President Trump has nominated three current House Republicans to his administration, which will necessitate special elections for those seats and will leave the House majority short of those votes for some time. As of this writing, two special elections have already been scheduled: one to replace former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who was nominated for U.S. Attorney General and then withdrew from consideration, and one to replace Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL), who has been nominated to be Trump’s National Security Advisor. Both special elections will take place on April 1. Additionally, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) was

beast01 and Alexkava/Shutterstock

A

t the time of this writing in early December, most of the dust has settled on the 2024 elections. The NACS Government Relations team is now sorting through the results to gauge what the outcome may mean for our industry’s priority issues in the coming months. There are several things we know, and a few that are still up in the air.

Get Involved Your voice matters, and with a new Congress in session, the stakes are higher than ever for our industry.

Attending NACS Day on the Hill (DOH) gives you the opportunity to connect with your federal lawmakers, especially the newly elected ones, and make sure they understand the convenience and fuel retailing industry’s priorities.

nominated to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, meaning her seat will become vacant when she is confirmed by the Senate. These vacancies will make a razor-thin majority even more precarious for GOP leadership to manage.

Since Gaetz resigned, his seat will remain empty until the special election in April. Waltz’s resignation will become effective January 20, and Stefanik’s will likely come once she is confirmed by the Senate. This means that the GOP could have as few as 217 votes from mid-January until early April.

THE NEW SENATE MAJORITY The biggest change on Capitol Hill is not just the Republican majority in the Senate—it’s the change of who is at the helm of the caucus. After 18 years

as Republican Leader, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) stepped down from his post at the end of the 118th Congress and passed the torch to Senator John Thune (R-SD), who won the caucus-wide election to succeed him. Thune now assumes the role of Majority Leader and the control of the Senate that comes with it. With Thune’s ascension, Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) was elected to the No. 2 position in leadership as Majority Whip.

The House majority: Unlike in the Senate, the leadership of the Republican Majority in the House remains the same.

Representatives Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Tom Emmer (R-MN) were reelected to their posts with ease as Majority Leader and Whip, respectively, following the November elections. As of this writing, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is also

DOH, taking place March 11-12, 2025, is more than just a chance to visit Washington, D.C.—it’s an opportunity to advocate for the issues that matter most.

And it’s not too late to register to attend. Retailers, if you’re ready to join us and share your perspectives on how our federal officials’ decisions impact your stores and communities, reach out to NACS Political Engagement Director Katie Bohny at kbohny@ convenience.org. Suppliers, you can also connect with Bohny to learn more about how to attend and the critical role you play in keeping our industry running smoothly.

We’re looking forward to seeing you in our nation’s capital this March!

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 23

INSIDE WASHINGTON

NACSPAC LIST expected to reclaim his post as Speaker of the House. He will likely have had to make some concessions to the right wing of the party to secure the necessary votes, but with Trump’s endorsement, he should be able to secure a full term as Speaker. (It’s worth noting that all three GOP leaders have participated in the NACS In Store Program in the past.)

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE GOP TRIFECTA With Republicans in full control of Washington, we can speculate on what that may mean for some of our industry’s priority issues over the next few years.

Tax policy: With many significant pieces of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act expiring at the end of this year, tax reform will be a major focus in the halls of the Capitol. Full Republican control means legislators can use the budget reconciliation process to bypass the need for Democrat votes in the Senate to pass new tax reform legislation—and we expect them to do just that.

Republican majorities are likely to look fondly on many of the provisions that are most important to our industry, including bonus depreciation, the 199A business income deduction and preserving the 21% corporate tax rate.

The biggest challenge is likely to be the focus among some Republicans on offsetting the cost of tax extensions to limit—to some extent at least—adding to the national debt in the process. This may end up requiring tradeoffs within the tax code or limiting the time frame these provisions are extended for again.

Swipe fee reform and payments policy: There has been growing momentum in Congress to pass legislation to give businesses and consumers relief from the enormous credit card swipe fees they bear. While the banks spent close to $100 million fighting the bill last Congress, the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) garnered support 24 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

NACSPAC was created in 1979 by NACS as the entity through which the association can legally contribute funds to political candidates supportive of our industry’s issues. For more information about NACSPAC and how political action committees (PACs) work, go to www.convenience.org/nacspac. NACSPAC donors who made contributions in November and December 2024 are: Annie Alabaugh Casey’s General Stores Inc. Chris Bambury Bambury Inc. dba BONNEAU Blake Benefiel Altria Group Distribution Company

Cedric Fortemps Matrix Capital Markets Group Inc. Jimmy Frangis PDI Technologies Chad Frazell Casey’s General Stores Inc.

John Bertucci III RowLogic LLC

Peter Garrett Volta Oil Company Inc.

Damon Borden Alsaker Corp dba Broadway

Derek Gaskins Yesway

Ned Bowman Florida Petroleum Marketers Association

Annie Gauthier St. Romain Oil Company LLC

Robert Buhler Open Pantry Food Marts of Wisconsin Inc. Chet Cadieux QuikTrip Corporation Brad Call J&T Management Spencer Cavalier Matrix Capital Markets Group Inc. David Charles Sr. Cash Depot Andrew Clyde Murphy USA Chris Cope Pilot Travel Centers LLC Timothy Cuneo iSee Store Innovations Rick DeRose TSN-A Bunzl Company Bhagdeep Dhaliwal Dhaliwal & Associates Inc. Henry Dodge Dodge’s Stores Justin Erickson Harbor Wholesale Foods Barry Eveland Rocket Oil Company

Christopher Gheysens Wawa Inc. Erin Graziosi Robinson Oil Corporation D. Brian Griffith Golden Pantry Food Stores Inc. Ieva Grimm J.M. Davis Industries Inc. Joseph Hamza Nouria Energy Corp.

Brian Hannasch Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. Shultz Hartgrove Tres Picosos LLC Jane Hartgrove Tres Picosos LLC Tom Healey Nouria Energy Corp.

Tom Heinz Coffee Cup Fuel Stops and Convenience Stores Inc. Chris Hobson Core-Mark International Sonja Hubbard Yates Group Inc. Brian Johnson Casey’s General Stores Inc.

Jeff Kahler Ready Training Online—RTO Eli Kai FLOW Bill Kent The Kent Companies dba Kent Kwik Convenience Stores Jeff Lenard NACS Michael Lipton Lipton Inc. dba LiptonMart Bill McCloskey Rmarts LLC Charlie McIlvaine Coen Markets Inc. Josh Milazzo Lard Oil Company Inc

Johnny Milazzo Lard Oil Company Inc. Tony Miller Delek US Andrew Mitchell Toot’n Totum Food Stores LLC Thomas Palombo The InStore Group Ken Parent Duane Phillips Dandy Mini Marts Inc. Robby Posener RaceTrac Inc. Daniel Razowsky Rmarts LLC Mark Reese RaceTrac Inc. Merlix Reynolds RaceTrac Inc.

Donald Rhoads The Convenience Group LLC

Paul Suarez Casey’s General Stores Inc.

Tom Robinson Robinson Oil Corporation

Melissa Sungela Yesway

Chuck Ryan Ambest Inc.

Nan Thomae Casey’s General Stores Inc.

Travis Sheetz Sheetz Inc.

Jill Van Pelt RaceTrac Inc.

Steve Spinks The Spinx Company Inc.

Lynn Wallis Wallis Companies

Nick St. Romain St. Romain Oil Company LLC

De Lone Wilson Cubby’s Inc.

Darlene Stanley Johnson Junction Inc. Bill Stein Core-Mark International Marc Strauch Cameron Park Petroleum

Brian Wright Executive Leadership Solutions Inc.

from members on both sides of the aisle, including Vice President JD Vance, who was a co-sponsor. At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in November, Republican Senators acknowledged the fees are too high and that Congress would need to act if the fees don’t come down. As this industry knows all too well, with monopolists like Visa and Mastercard, the fees never come down but instead rise year after year. The CCCA’s champions will continue to fight for a vote.

Another payments issue to watch is the expansion of digital currencies. The chairs of the Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee have said it is a top priority to pass a crypto regulatory framework.

The Senate will need 60 votes to pass that kind of measure, but a number of Democrats have signaled they would be supportive.

Food policy: Congress failed to pass a new Farm Bill in 2024, which means we will see another Farm Bill fight play out in the 119th Congress. With the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, which plays a big role 26 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

in shaping the country’s nutrition policy, it’s anticipated that the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative will impact the new Farm Bill legislation. It’s possible that language could be included that would restrict customers’ SNAP purchases to only healthy or “nutrient dense” foods.

Regardless of the administration’s priorities, the bill will still likely require extensive bipartisan negotiations between House and Senate Agriculture Committee leadership in order to pass.

Energy policy: President Trump made energy policy one of the pillars of his election effort. He criticized Biden administration policies on shifting to electric vehicles and pushed for more oil drilling and refining in the United States. The expectation is that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will work to implement those changes—principally by undoing some of the policies put in place by the Biden administration.

The process of changing regulations can be difficult, however, and the Trump EPA will have to make those changes in a way that will withstand the inevitable litigation challenges.

Tobacco and nicotine policy: The Biden administration pursued an aggressive anti-tobacco agenda with proposals to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, as well as its plans to limit the amount of nicotine in cigarettes. It is unlikely that the FDA under President Trump will pursue these actions. While he regulated flavored vapor products during his first term, he posted on Truth Social last fall, “I’ll save vaping again.” It is unclear what that will look like, but it could mean more decisions in the lengthy PMTA process, which would mean more clarity for retailers.

With Republican control in Congress, there may be more opportunities to hold FDA accountable through legislation, such as requiring the agency to provide lists of which products can and cannot be marketed.

Labor policy: Congress will continue to be hamstrung by stark differences of opinion on labor policy between the parties. With most legislation still requiring 60 votes in the Senate to bypass the filibuster, it’s unlikely we will see much from Congress on the policy front in this space. The administration is a different story. Some business groups have expressed reservations about President Trump’s pick for the Secretary of Labor, former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) because of her generally pro-organized labor track record during her one term in the House.

Despite her support for union-backed legislation, it is still likely we will see a much more business-friendly DOL than we have for the past four years. We will likely see new action on the overtime, independent contractor and joint employer rules for example, but even with DeRemer at the helm they are likely be much more reasonable proposals.

Jon Taets is NACS director of government relations. He can be reached at jtaets@ convenience.org.

beast01 and Dhemen Studio/Shutterstock

INSIDE WASHINGTON

IDEAS 2 GO

Little Store, Big Heart After buying Stop N Shop in 2000, Melissa and Andy Welch have put their mark on the family store.

Name of company: Welch’s Stop N Shop Year founded: 1981 # of stores: 1

28 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

Welch’s Stop N Shop has been a beloved staple of its community for more than four decades.

BY SARAH HAMAKER Since 1981, Welch’s Stop N Shop in Oakdale, Louisiana, has been dispensing fuel, food and love to its customers. “My mother-in-law, Elsie Welch, started the store and my husband, Andy, grew up in the store,” said Melissa Welch, who owns the store with Andy. “Local folks still fondly call the store Miss Elsie’s because she was so loved by the community.”

Andy worked in the store as a teenager, stocking and mopping floors, and Melissa occasionally did the payroll and other tasks after they married. That sense of family ownership prompted the couple to purchase the store from Andy’s mother in 2000 when she retired.

While the Welches kept much of what made Stop N Shop popular with locals, they also put their own stamp on the store. “With Andy’s background in trucking, we were able to expand the offerings and change some things to make the store more modern and accommodating,” Melissa said.

BRIGHT IDEAS

Truckers are a core customer for Stop N Shop.

REACHING THE COMMUNITY The Welches continued Elsie’s tradition of investing in the local community.

“We do a lot for the community because we love our community,” Melissa said. For example, the store recognizes “elementary school students of the month,” and gives them a coupon for a “hunk” (a fourth) of a pizza to celebrate their special moment. The Stop N Shop logo adorns banners and t-shirts around town, supporting schools, sports teams and local events.

Melissa stocks inexpensive and trendy candy and toys, like slime lickers, to give to kids who come in with a good report card or other scholastic success.

During the holidays, Santa will drop by on the Coca-Cola truck with prizes for the kids, and around Easter time, the store’s “little bunnies” can hop to the counter for a prize. “We try to keep the kids happy with these little items, and we expanded our children’s section to accommodate more of these products,” Melissa said.

In addition, the store raises funds for the local animal shelter. “There are a lot of stray dogs in our area and our daughter is passionate about helping these animals,” she said.

Truckers are a core customer for Stop N Shop. The store’s 10 gas pumps and separate fast fuel diesel/DEF area, as well as a pump with off-road fuel, caters to professional drivers, loggers and farmers. Andy expanded the truckers’ section with more automative items, plus added a shower. He bought an adjacent piece of land to offer more parking

for larger vehicles, which allowed his and Elsie’s design for a separate, heavy duty fueling area to come to life. “We recognized the need for a well-lit parking lot that could accommodate trucks,” he said.

ON THE MENU Stop N Shop was already drawing in customers with its Hunt Brother’s Pizza and Krispy Krunchy Chicken foodservice franchises, but Melissa added additional healthy food options, like salads and grilled items, to the selection. “We have new lunch specials and some evening specials, like the ‘after church special’ of a combo pizza/tender meal for families,” she said. Chicken and dumplings and lasagna are two well-received lunch specials.

One popular foodservice item is the chicken bombs—a chicken tender wrapped in bacon with a jalapeno slice in the middle. “These are our own creation and we always sell out when we offer them,” Melissa said. But the biggest draw is the homemade hamburgers and beef stew. “We also have homemade cinnamon rolls, banana pudding bread pudding bars and bundt cakes that fly off the shelves,” she said.

OUTSIDE THE BOX The Welches said the best advice they have for creating a unique experience for customers is to think outside the box. “Try to think about the customer in everything you do,” Melissa recommended. To find new ideas, she visits the NACS Show and other food shows.

“Some of our most popular items are [ones] that I found at one of those shows,” she said. For example, children’s cups that light up with sparkles, large tumblers and candles to eliminate pet or smoke odors have been popular additions to Stop N Shop’s inventory.

At the end of a visit, she wants customers “to feel like they left a family member’s house, like they have been well taken care of, appreciated and they

Welch’s Stop N Shop in Oakdale, Louisiana, has a unique incentive program for its 26 employees. “Our workers can earn Stop N Shop Bucks, which they call Andy Bucks after my husband,” said co-owner Melissa Welch. “These bucks can be redeemed in our store and are earned by being on time, completing checklists, etc. Additional bucks are also awarded for taking an extra shift or going above and beyond for our customers. They value these because they love the perk, but above all, they love knowing they are doing a good job.”

Overall, Melissa and her husband, Andy, try to set the tone in the store for their employees. “We’re in the store every day and lead by example,” she said.

“We solicit and value the employees’ opinions on how to make Stop N Shop the best that it can be. We have some long-term, committed employees and we rely on their expertise. We have a lot of one-on-one and group meetings with our employees to check in with them, and I also send out group messages to our employees via our app, such as shout-outs for jobs well done.” recognized we value them,” she said.

“This is really a small town, and we’re the local, welcoming store that everyone’s been coming to for years—some all their lives.”

Sarah Hamaker is a freelance writer, NACS Magazine contributor and award-winning romantic suspense author based in Fairfax, Virginia. Visit her online at sarahhamakerfiction.com.

Ideas 2 Go showcases how retailers today are operating the convenience store of tomorrow.

To see videos of the c-stores we profiled in 2024 and earlier, go to www.convenience.org/Ideas2Go. NACS FEBRUARY 2025 29

The number of convenience stores in the United States stands at

West (region 6)

23,080 stores

South Central (region 4)

STORES a decline of 0.1%.

30 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

The industry lost

141

total stores.

Foxys Graphic/Getty Images

24,539 stores

U.S. Convenience Store Count Central (region 5)

13,287 stores

Midwest (region 3)

23,991 stores

Northeast (region 1)

30,784 stores, down from 31,497 last year

Southeast, (region 2)

36,574 stores up from 36,288 last year

Locations that sell fuel are up by

1,791,

bringing the total to 121,852 convenience store locations that sell fuel.

Acquisitions

Locations that do not sell fuel fell by

1,932,

to a total of 30,403 sites without fuel.

played a role in the shift toward more E-size locations and fewer D-size locations, including Alimentation CoucheTard’s purchase of GetGo and Casey’s purchase of CEFCO.

With the U.S. population at an estimated 340 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there is

one convenience store for every

2,233 people.

Source: 2025 NACS/NIQ TDLinx Convenience Industry Store Count NACS FEBRUARY 2025 31

Change in Store Count Company Size by Store Count

2025

2024

2023

A (1-10)

95,946

96,156

94,928

B (11-50)

9,071

9,157

9,047

C (51-200)

8,694

9,033

8,791

D (201-500)

4,502

5,186

5,747

E (501+)

34,042

32,864

31,661

States With the Most Sites

States With the Fewest Sites

Texas

as of December 31, 2024

as of December 31, 2024

16,416

5,795

Ohio

Alaska

Vermont

California

North Carolina

Delaware

Hawaii

Florida

Michigan

Wyoming

Montana

New York

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Dakota

Illinois

North Dakota

Idaho

12,169 9,732 7,704

Georgia

7,053

5,779

4,986 4,819

4,735

185

336

342

405 468

506 524 555

639 833

Source: 2025 NACS/NIQ TDLinx Convenience Industry Store Count

Look for a retailer-by-retailer breakdown and additional information in our March issue.

32 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

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By way of introduction, we are the association that supermarkets, C-stores, foodservice, manufacturers, and restaurants can tap for the industry resources that drive success.

Connect with industry professionals from across the world by attending IDDBA 2025 in beautiful New Orleans!

SEE ALL THE GREAT REASONS TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF IDDBA!

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EDUCATION & TRAINING | TRENDS RESEARCH | CAREER GROWTH | MUCH MORE IDDBA.ORG

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BY

36 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

ocacy in Action T

here’s an oft spoken mantra at NACS when it comes to advocacy: “If you’re not at the dinner table, then you’re on the menu.”

“If you’re not engaged, understand that there are other groups that are advocating for something that will negatively impact your business,” said Tom Brennan, chief merchandising officer at Casey’s General Stores. “I would encourage retailers to get engaged so you can give your point of view, your business’s point of view and the industry’s point of view and counter the other narratives that are out there.

Political engagement needs to be ingrained in how we operate because of the impact legislation can have on your business.”

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 37

Whether you’re a CEO, a store manager, a supplier partner, or anyone else in the c-store ecosystem, advocacy comes down to one thing: Tell your story.

“Convenience retailers are quite literally where the rubber meets the road. We represent folks that our elected representatives want to hear from,” said Alex Olympidis, president of operations at Indiana retailer Family Express. “And your elected representatives need you just as much as you need them. They are real people and in most cases are thrilled to talk to their real constituents.”

That holds true whether the government official is at the federal, state or local level, and whether they are elected or appointed.

When I graduated college my dad told me, ‘If you don’t like something, get involved and find a way to change it.’ And I’ve walked by those words.”

—Dan Alsaker, Principle at Alsaker Corp. dba Broadway

PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES ARE POWERFUL Raymond Huff, president of HJB Convenience, testified earlier this year in front of the House Small Business Committee about making provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent (they are set to expire after 2025). Prior to the hearing, he prepped his testimony with NACS’ government relations team and met with representatives on the opposing side of the issue.

“It was an honor to represent the industry, even if it was a little bit scary. But a few of the committee members changed their position after hearing my story, because it makes a lot of sense,” said Huff, who owns around 10 stores in the Denver area. He described how the deductions allowed him to reinvest in his business, buy coolers, fixtures and point of sales systems, expand to open new stores and hire more employees.

“Additionally, I made some new contacts” while in D.C., added the Colorado-based retailer. “I talked to representatives from all over the United States on both sides of the issue. It was a great experience, and I think it was effective.”

Two years ago, Dan Alsaker, principle at Alsaker Corp. dba Broadway in Spokane,

Key to your story being effective and resonating with lawmakers is developing relationships with your state and local representatives.

After that, make sure to continue to cultivate the relationship over time, said Alex Olympidis, president of operations at Family Express. “After we did an In Store program with our Congressman Rudy Yakym, he now texts me when he’s at other convenience stores. He learned a lot about what it means to be a retailer and what it means to be a frontline worker that day, but that relationship continues. Every time he visits a convenience store, he thinks of us— and not just of Family Express, but of our industry as a whole.”

Laying the groundwork for those connections will also go a long way in the future—you don’t want to wait until you have a problem arise to meet your elected officials.

“It takes years to develop these kinds of relationships, but now when something new comes up, it’s common for me to walk into a congressional office, speak to someone and maybe see or hear somebody talking about that very same issue,” said Dan Alsaker, Principle at Alsaker Corp. dba Broadway.

Retailers also said it’s important to connect with legislators’ staffers on the Hill. “They direct most of the traffic on a day-to-day basis, so that’s an important relationship to develop,” said Alsaker.

38 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

Accogliente Design/Shutterstock

Relationships With Representatives

Lyle Beckwith

guest editor

If you don’t ... they won’t know!

Anyone Can Be an Advocate

A

dvocacy starts in your store. From being a friendly face for your customers and getting involved in your local community all the way to testifying on Capitol Hill, everyone from the business owner or CEO to the cashier can be an advocate. Here are some ways to get started.

Educate yourself … One of the first steps is to familiarize yourself with the most important issues to the convenience retailing business. “Get educated on the issues and understand the impact that they could have on your business,” said Tom Brennan, chief merchandising officer at Casey’s General Stores. … And your government officials … Oftentimes, said Raymond Huff, president of HJB Convenience, officials get voted in and might try to enact legislation that doesn’t make the most sense for businesses. “The only way you can fight that is to have a seat at the table and educate your legislator about why that’s not beneficial, as they might not realize it’s even detrimental. When you do that, you can usually win,” Huff said. … And your customers. Customer issues are constituent issues. If your local area is facing a new rule or regulation (tobacco bans are a great example of this), let your customers know about it. Talk to them about how it might impact them, and educate them at checkout with signage or ways they might be able to make their voice heard as well. Officials want to hear from them, too.

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Washington, was invited by Energy & Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rogers to participate in a roundtable on energy costs and their impact on the convenience and fuel industry.

“I had a story to tell,” he said. He described to the group how the high cost of energy was impacting his workforce and keeping him from staffing the right number of employees.

“I had members come up to me afterwards and say, ‘I had no idea this was going on in a real world context.’ That really helped.”

Its critical for lawmakers to hear directly from retailers who experience the day-in, day-out nature of top issues and are personally impacted by proposed legislation.

“When you’re an elected representative, especially in the United States Congress, you’re asked to be an expert on a lot of things that maybe you didn’t anticipate you would need to be an expert on. So you have to rely on the experts in their field in order to make informed decisions,” said Olympidis. “As a business and community leader, I need the representative to move the needle in the way I want it to be moved, but the truth of the matter is that the elected representative needs us in a much more profound way. They rely on those who are willing to help them inform the decisions that they make.”

SMALL BUSINESSES, BIG VOICES Steve McKinley is the founder of Urban Value Corner Store, a 10-store chain in the Dallas area. “It doesn’t matter what size business you are—your voice is as powerful as [any large company]. Anybody who is trying to get involved in advocacy needs to understand that your voice is important.”

The power of speaking up as a small business owner also resonates with Alsaker, who said that his involvement with advocacy started with the simple need to survive. “I felt that, as a little guy, if I didn’t have the width and breadth of a major company, then I had to go out and fight for every little thing that we could, even just to see an adjustment. If it wasn’t going to be us, then who was it going to be? It had to be me. I jumped in hook, line and sinker,” he said.

Accogliente Design/Shutterstock

We all assume Members of Congress understand the issues facing us. Before coming to Congress, some of them ran their own companies, and one or two have even been in the convenience store business. (Welcome newly elected congressman and former convenience store owner Tony Wied!) However, the vast majority need to have even simple issues affecting you explained to them.

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Just show up. Get involved in whatever ways you can, said Huff. “Volunteer to be on a legislative committee or a local board. Volunteer to write letters. Just show up.

There are a lot of things that you can do to advocate for the industry,” he said.

Volunteer on local boards. You can start getting engaged in advocacy at the community level by volunteering for local organizations or boards. Huff said that was how he first got involved in advocacy and it allowed him to make connections in his area. “It’s usually an hour or two per month of your time, and then from there you can find other ways you can be helpful in your community,” he said. And you don’t necessarily have to volunteer with convenience-specific organizations. Alex Olympidis, president of operations at Family Express, is a proud member of his town’s park foundation because he believes well-maintained parks are a sign of a thriving community—just like healthy convenience stores.

Host legislators in your store. NACS’ In Store program is a great way to arrange this, but inviting officials to your store helps them experience the convenience business—and its pain points—firsthand.

Go to Day on the Hill. NACS’ annual Day on the Hill occurs in March and is an opportunity to visit Capitol Hill to meet your representatives, get in front of lawmakers, build connections and share your story.

Know your stats. There are a lot of facts about the convenience industry that are worth boasting about, from how great the foodservice is to how many people the industry employs to the impact c-stores have on their local communities. Know the stats and how to talk to people about them, whether you’re talking to a legislator, a customer, your family member or your doctor.

Network with industry leaders. Go to networking events and meet other leaders, even if they’re in different

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STAY THE COURSE “Advocacy is a long game,” added Brennan.

It can be quick to get a win at the local level, but when it comes to federal issues, many bills benefiting the convenience business can take years or even decades to push through. “But it’s not about getting discouraged. It’s about continuing to be engaged and continuing to have those conversations that hopefully lead to eventual payoff.”

For Kenny Shim, president of the Ontario Convenience Stores Association and a retailer with 34 years in the business, getting approval for convenience stores to sell beer, wine and ready-to-drink cocktails in Ontario, Canada, was 20 years in the making. “When you work with the government, you have to be very, very patient—which I have become,” he said. “You have to be persistent and learn who the right people to talk to are. If you go through the wrong person, it could take an extra three or four months. That has been a learning process for me over the years.”

Shim collected half a million signatures from the industry in support of allowing c-stores to sell alcohol, and with the help of a recently elected premier, he helped get the legislation passed in September 2024.

Alsaker once worked diligently on a bill to combat fuel tax evasion for almost four years before it got passed. “I think I took a record

Accogliente Design/Shutterstock

Embrace local issues. Brennan stressed the importance of attending local hearings and board meetings to advocate in your local area. “Sometimes there might be resistance to opening a new store for example, so talking about the jobs it would create, services offered, and your company’s approach to creating a great guest experience can help people view it differently.”

If you’re not speaking up to tell your story and share your experience, then the opposing side will control the narrative. Take swipe fees for example, said Brennan.

“Members of Congress are hearing a very different message from the banks. That’s why it’s so important for them to hear from retailers and businesses of all sizes. If you have a particular point of view, you need to ensure that you’re at least giving someone the opportunity to see something in a different light, ask questions and get a greater depth of understanding on the issue,” he said. “We have to make sure that our story is told right, and that we tell it in a way that has very real examples. Silence is not an option—that is how you will get an outcome you don’t want.”

Business owners and retailers need to be active to protect regulations and keep them reasonable instead of unreasonable.

Your voice can do that.”

Find peers. Get to know other industry advocates at fellow convenience businesses. “As a small business owner, I also want to know who is speaking for [the large convenience companies]. They in turn rely on me as a small business owner to share my point of view,” said Dan Alsaker, Principle at Alsaker Corp. dba Broadway. He also noted that networking with industry advocates in other countries can help you navigate legislation they may have tackled before and can provide insight on.

Brag about the industry. Social media is full of great things convenience businesses are doing, from hosting local community events to donating to causes in their areas. Share these stories and highlight how crucial convenience businesses are to the local fabric.

Another great thing to brag about: food! Everyone loves a good food recommendation, and in many areas, a local convenience store might have the best meal in town.

Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

—Raymond Huff, president of HJB Convenience

channels, said Steve McKinley, founder of Urban Value Corner Store. “I have made so many contacts in the last few years with those from large companies like Walmart to other small business owners. It’s important to not only learn what they’re going through, but some of the best practices they’re doing.”

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 43

Silence is not an option— that is how you will get an outcome you don’t want.”

Lyle Beckwith

guest editor

This is especially true with our fight against the credit card industry. They have unlimited money ... and spend it to break us. They are counting on a war of attrition that will wear us down and crush our resolve. They have severely miscalculated.

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17 trips in one year to Washington, D.C. But I led a team that was persistent. From there we also helped make changes to state-level regulations about fuel tax evasion, which was a big deal.”

“The hope of the opposition is that we won’t stay persistent, that we will go away,” continued Alsaker. But with perseverance and the industry keeping its feet to the ground, the narrative—and outcomes—on pivotal issues can change.

In the five years that he’s been participating in Day on the Hill, Brennan said 2024’s event had the “most receptive and positive conversations” he’s been a part of. “Not that anyone is committing to voting a certain way yet, but they seem more open and the nature of the questions they ask are more supportive versus pointed,” he said.

“Advocacy isn’t something that necessarily always translates into, ‘look at what we accomplished this year,’” Brennan continued. “It’s about staying in it for the long run and continuing to engage. It’s not always quick wins—it’s about ensuring that you’re helping shape the narrative and making your point of view heard, so that when we do get to a decision point, you know you’ve done everything you can to put the perspective of the industry out there and hopefully get the best outcome.”

Lauren Shanesy is a writer and editor at NACS and has worked in business journalism for a decade. She can be reached at lshanesy@ convenience.org.

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—Tom Brennan, chief merchandising officer at Casey’s General Stores

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the C-Store 46 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

Advocacy is about a lot more than lobbying your elected leaders—it means talking to your chiropractor, too.

Simple LineShutterstock; Haal/Shutterstock

BY JEFF LENARD

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KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE A few years ago, I was invited to speak to a group of teens about nutrition. My presentation was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning in Durham, North Carolina. It was the worst possible group to deliver a standard presentation to.

So, instead I opened by talking about something everyone likes: Eating delicious food.

“Before I start, I want to talk about my dinner last night,” I said. “Stuffed pork chops, with garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed veggies— from a gas station just up the road. It was one of the best meals I’ve had in months.” I shared that my amazing meal was from Saxapahaw General Store, a convenience store nearby.

The mood of the room brightened. The kids treated me as if I was a food expert they wanted to hear, not the speaker they were quite possibly forced to hear. And that allowed me to seamlessly weave in some messaging.

The takeaway:

Don’t expect that your audience will immediately understand what you know and want to say. Find entry points than anyone can relate to and pull them in.

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Lyle Beckwith

guest editor

This holds true for lobbying as well. Members of Congress are familiar with their own convenience stores and NACS lobbyists need to know their point of reference. You don’t talk about Wawa hoagies with Members from California or Casey’s pizza with Members from Vermont!

KNOW THE RIGHT CONTEXT My job at NACS is to tell the industry’s story. In each of the thousands of interviews I’ve done with reporters, I want to tell stories that amplify a point. It could be about gas prices, sales trends or any other issue our industry faces. These stories connect the message I want to convey with industry insights. But insights can sometimes fail if your audience can’t understand them.

That happened to a friend who was disappointed by a newspaper story in which he was quoted. His immediate reaction was, “I can’t believe the reporter got it all wrong!”

My friend had been in the business for 40-plus years and had a 20-minute conversation that he expected was sufficient to explain a complex issue to a news reporter who covers a different topic every day. The time spent on the interview was probably sufficient, but the context was wrong. He was likely too high-level and that’s a lot to digest for someone new to the subject—and on a tight deadline.

He should have started the interview with a few minutes of background information, which could have provided valuable context for his later comments to resonate.

Not every one of my interviews with reporters has gone well either. My first one at NACS was terrible. It was with an industry trade publication, so there is no reason that it

Gwens Graphic Studio/Shutterstock

’ve shared the industry’s story for more than 25 years. In that time, I’ve seen how the importance of storytelling has grown and the impact that it can have.

But storytelling has always been around to bond communities—whether ancient civilizations creating narratives around clusters of stars in the universe or modern filmmakers creating origin stories about a universe of superheroes.

Storytelling also is advocacy, and it’s a type of advocacy that everyone can do—a frontline worker, a store manager or a CEO. Advocacy is talking about what you care about—and then making your audience care about it, too. Advocacy doesn’t have to be a conversation with a politician that leads to getting their vote on a bill. It just has to make whoever you are talking to become more interested in the industry.

shouldn’t have gone well. I was asked about a complex government relations issue and simply repeated what someone told me about the issue. I didn’t provide any context and my comments that were printed didn’t present NACS in the best light. Instead of making that my last interview opportunity, my boss made it a learning opportunity. She used a great restaurant analogy: “Don’t just be the server and deliver the meal. Be the chef and prepare it.”

I heard that lesson worded differently by 2001 NACS Show speaker John Major, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. After he concluded his presentation, he said he had time for questions. “You can ask any questions you want, and I will answer them any way I want,” he said.

He gave the audience insight into one of the most important lessons in media training: Answer the question you want to answer—and that may not be the question asked.

KNOW YOUR OPPORTUNITIES Your opportunities to advocate are limitless, and they also can be opportunities to test things out.

Every now and then I’ll go to the chiropractor to get an adjustment. At some point, he’ll ask me about my family and my job. It took me a while to figure out that maybe he doesn’t actually care what my answers are. Instead, they are incredibly easy conversation starters for him to keep the session lively, even if it’s not always easy for me to answer when I’m face down on the table. But I digress.

When he asks about my job, I don’t talk about how many e-mails I sent, meetings I had or even where the office is located. I talk about things that I think might make him like convenience stores more. Just like the way a comedian might workshop jokes in a small club before going out on tour, I’ll try some material out on him about cool stores, like a gas station that had a swimming pool (Fuel City), a brewery connected with a convenience store (93 Octane) or fantastic birria tacos and quesadillas in a Shell station (Birria Boys). It’s pretty easy to quickly sense what works and what doesn’t, and that is great practice for what I might later say in a speech or to a reporter.

My chiropractor isn’t an elected official, but he has a say in the future of our industry—as a voter and as a consumer. So why not plant a few seeds and see if they take root? You never know how it could play out—he could tell two friends, they could tell two friends and … that was the logic behind that classic Faberge Organics shampoo word-of-mouth advertising campaign from the 1980s.

I do the same thing at meetings outside our industry. I serve on the boards of a few community-focused groups, and there’s always some sort of industry fact or nugget I will add when we go around the room giving introductions. At some meetings, people are actually disappointed if I don’t bring a new one.

The takeaway:

The takeaway:

Ultimately, you’re in control of your story. Make sure you provide necessary context for what you want your audience to remember, and that may mean modifying the topic beyond simply responding to questions.

As an industry advocate, you’re never really off duty. You can hone your skills wherever you are and with whomever you’re talking with.

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Messages That Work

One of the most important tools for me in communications is the extensive research we’ve conducted on consumer perceptions. Understanding what consumers think about our industry allows us to amplify positive attributes and address others that may be perceived as less positive. And those insights allow us to have valuable context around what people think. For instance, 24-hour operations are often perceived as a negative and assumptions are that nothing good happens after a certain time of the day. We have a different take on that, as you’ll see below.

In addition, we’ve also tested messages to see how effective they are, much like how a political campaign is run: Find out what people consider most important and then focus on how you best address those issues of importance. And just like with political campaigns, we’ve seen that messages bringing issues down to a local level are highly effective.

Below are three broad messages that have related context and facts that have been very effective in telling our industry’s story. Most of the statistics are U.S.-focused, but the messages can easily resonate across the globe with different metrics to support them.

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venience stores assist at-risk youth through the National Safe Place Network or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

CONVENIENCE STORES INVEST IN THEIR COMMUNITIES Convenience stores are part of the fabric of the communities they serve, and demonstrate that through their charitable giving programs and in their continual enhancements to stores.

The convenience store industry cumulatively collects and contributes more than $1 billion per year to charities. Two in three c-stores (66%) support five or more charitable causes.

Local causes are particularly important to c-stores, whether church groups, shelters, food banks or youth groups.

Convenience stores also are there for communities when disaster strikes. They are often the last to close and the first to open during natural disasters, whether that’s forest fires, hurricanes or floods. Countless c-store parking lots have become command centers for first responders to gather.

Lyle Beckwith

guest editor

And don’t forget the vital role we played during the Covid shutdown. As essential businesses, we were a lifeline of normalcy to the communities we serve.

Simple Line/Shutterstock; Iryn/Shutterstock

C-STORES ARE ACCESSIBLE WHEN FEW OTHER CHANNELS ARE OPEN Convenience stores are one of the few 24/7 businesses that provide much-needed food, fuel and refreshment for millions of Americans, especially first responders, police officers, firemen, factory workers, hospital workers and restaurant employees.

Increasingly, Americans working later shifts depend upon convenience stores, which are often the only stores open to serve them. More than one in seven workers (15% of all full-time wage-earners) are defined as “second or third shift workers” (those who work between 6:00 pm and 7:00 am).

For some professions, shift work is much more common.

Over half (51%) of all protective service workers (police, fire, EMT, etc.) work either second or third shifts—and 28% of health-care support workers (hospital, home care, etc.) work second or third shifts. Workers supporting other critical services are also more likely to work later shifts. Twenty-nine percent of transportation workers (truckers, delivery, etc.) work second or third shifts, as do 40% of those involved with food preparation and related occupations.

As 24/7 operations, convenience stores are in a unique position to address important societal issues, like human trafficking. More than 30,000 stores work with the organization Convenience Stores Against Trafficking, posting “Freedom Stickers” in restroom stalls, while others work with the U.S. government’s “Blue Campaign.” Other con-

Vector_illustrator/Shutterstock

In addition to serving communities, convenience store operators invest in them. The average cost to build a new store is more than $5 million. In addition, stores are regularly remodeled; the average cost of a remodel is nearly $800,000. With this large investment, store owners have a valuable stake in the community’s success.

Convenience stores also invest in the people in a community.

The industry overall adds 2.74 million jobs to the U.S. economy.

Every convenience store that opens provides 18.1 jobs at the store level—plus 1.2 jobs for headquarters personnel. These convenience store jobs present great opportunities to establish business skills, whether as good first jobs for those looking to enter the workforce or for those who will work their way up to become managers or even run their own stores. Convenience store jobs are also flexible and offer students, parents, caretakers and others a way to earn a paycheck on nights and weekends.

CONVENIENCE STORES ARE INTENSELY LOCAL …

AND A HUGE INDUSTRY Convenience stores are closer to their customers than any other channel: 93% of Americans say they are within 10 minutes of a convenience store, including 86% of rural Americans.

The 152,396 convenience stores in the United States—one for every 2,200 people—are intensely local businesses that are tailored to the needs of customers who are often located within a mile or two of the store. Collectively, they conduct approximately 160 million transactions per day, which equates to nearly half the U.S. population.

C-stores also cater to the needs of commuters and travelers.

They sell an estimated 80% of the fuel purchased in the United States, which equates to about 32 million fill-ups every day.

In addition to having convenient locations, convenience stores offer speed of service—the average time spent inside a convenience store is under 4 minutes, which is significantly faster than any other channel.

Convenience store sales in 2023 were $860 billion, which was 3.1% of the $27.4 trillion U.S. economy; that means that one of every $32 spent in the country on goods and services was spent at a convenience store. And if total industry sales were compared to the GDP of countries, the industry would rank at #20, behind Switzerland and ahead of Poland.

As part of these sales, the convenience industry paid or collected $19.7 billion in state and federal taxes. That’s about $350 per store, per day filling up government coffers and helping to pay for essential services.

KNOW YOUR FACTS Okay, so let’s put everything together. Opportunities to advocate are limitless, especially when you properly frame your conversation with stories that are both of interest to your audience and advance a message important to you. The final element is adding facts. But not just any facts. You want fun facts. And fun facts are facts that someone else wants to hear. (Fun fact: Most of the time when someone starts a sentence with “fun fact,” odds are what they next say is not fun.)

Over the years, we have developed some key messages that we have seen work. They are statements that position the industry in a positive light.

They provide context so you don’t get lost in numbers that are difficult to follow. And they make someone understand our industry a little bit better.

On a local level, you may not want to use our national numbers, so feel free to instead define how your business hits on some of these message points by defining what you mean to your community.

And share your success stories on advocacy with me. Tell me what connects and what people find interesting.

I’m always looking for new material.

Jeff Lenard is NACS vice president, strategic industry initiatives. You can reach him at jlenard@ convenience.org.

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 51

From (Arkansas)

To (Arizona)

52 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

Lyle Beckwith

BlazenImages, grandriver, and Tashka/Getty Images

guest editor

With more and more legislative and regulatory action happening at the state and local level, convenience store operators are increasingly looking to their state trade associations for help … which is why it is so important to be engaged with your state associations as well as NACS at the federal level.

AND IN BETWEEN (Vermont)

State and regional associations face unique challenges but share a common goal— advancing the industry.

BY BEN NUSSBAUM NACS FEBRUARY 2025 53

NEW ENGLAND

CONVENIENCE STORE IMPACT

8,339

134,258

7,9 13,711

TOTAL STORES

EMPLOYEES

TRANSACTIONS PER DAY

This data is from the NACS State of the Industry Report® of 2023 Data and Nielsen TDLinx, compiled by the NACS government relations team to help advocates speak to elected officials and others.

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CITY-BY-CITY BATTLES IN

NEW ENGLAND Peter Brennan Esq., the executive director of the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association (NECSEMA), has six state capitals to keep an eye on. “There’s never a dull moment,” he said.

In addition to statewide legislation, New England municipalities often pass local regulations. A vivid example is when Providence, Rhode Island, moved to ban all new-build gas stations. Although a version of the bill passed in October, NECSEMA advocacy led to a compromise that allows new stations via a special-use permit.

Another example: Several cities and towns in Massachusetts have debated or enacted generational tobacco bans, in which the minimum age to legally buy tobacco increases every year. Advocates of this policy have already announced that they plan to pursue a statewide bill in the next Massachusetts legislative session to ban all nicotine products for people born after a certain date.

“Some of the hardest fights we face are at the local level, because you’re not going to have the resources. It’s hard to get the word out. Generally, the municipalities that are taking action don’t want their citizens to know that they’re taking it,” Brennan said. “It’s up to us to find out about, say, a board of health hearing, educate the citizens, do the outreach, get the word out, get people there and testify.”

In addition to Brennan, NECSEMA has two other full-time staffers and over a dozen lobbyists and consultants throughout the region. NACS, the Energy Marketers of America (EMA) and the National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) are important partners.

Brennan forecasts a busy next few years for NECSEMA. “In the previous Trump administration, [Democratic-led] state legislatures tended to double down, from our perspective, on some very bad progressive ideas because they wanted to ‘Trump-proof’ their state. In Massachusetts, legislative leaders have already said that they’re going to ramp up their efforts, especially on environmental policies favored by progressive think tanks,” he said, predicting that other New England states will do the same.

haveseen/Getty Images

S

tate and regional associations have an important role in the c-store ecosystem—and each state has a unique set of circumstances. With small staffs and large purviews, the state leaders balance evergreen issues like employment law and environmental regulations with sudden, drop-everything-now battles at the local level.

Here’s a look at three leading associations.

Another area of concern is nicotine pouches.

“There’s now a movement with certain health inspectors and tobacco control people who want to relegate these pouches to adult-only stores, and that’s whether that town has an adult-only store. So essentially, they want to ban nicotine pouches,” Brennan said.

Whether it's pouches or generational tobacco bans, “Advocates [get] 45 minutes to talk. I get two minutes,” Brennan said. His two-minute message is simple. “Well, if you don’t want people to smoke cigarettes, then they might want an alternative. If you ban that alternative, then they’re probably going to stick with what they have, and they’re just going to go to the next town over, go across the state lines or go to the illicit market.”

Despite the whack-a-mole nature of the job, NECSEMA has recently earned some major statewide wins, including helping stop an EV mandate in Connecticut and tobacco flavor bans in Vermont and Maine. Massachusetts banned flavored tobacco, including menthol cigarettes, in 2020. The data from that ban arms Brennan when he opposes the idea in other states.

“Thanks to the tax stamps, you can trace every pack of menthols that used to be sold in Massachusetts, and they’re now being sold in New Hampshire, Rhode Island or some other state,” Brennan said. “The flavor ban has not significantly altered cigarette smoking, and 21+ individuals are still smoking menthols, too.

That’s their cigarette of choice. There’s a thriving illicit market. When advocates talk about kids using flavored vapes … this is all illicit and driven by prohibition in regulated channels. I shudder to think about what might be in these products, because they aren’t being sold in our stores and probably came from overseas.”

Working across the entire New England region, Brennan has learned to focus on what’s unique about each area. Even though there’s overlap, “What might work in Rhode Island is not going to work in Maine, and what might work in Vermont is not going to work in Massachusetts.”

“People have different values, as you might expect. Legislators have different values. I have found that no matter what state you go to, legislators tend to reflect their district—as they should.”

Peter Brennan represents New England retailers at home and in D.C.

What’s universal, in his experience, is the value of advocacy. “I have found that every business owner that has been willing to testify against bad policy before a local board or a state committee has come across as very genuine. They live that life and they can answer the questions. Legislators are, with no exception, always happy to hear from local business owners, even if it’s about something that they don’t agree with.”

Lyle Beckwith

guest editor

Peter Brennan Esq. Executive director, New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association

The power of grassroots involvement by retailers cannot be underestimated. Your voices make a difference!

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Arizona’s Amanda Gray, along with other advocates, meets with Sen. Mark Kelly.

Lyle Beckwith

guest editor

When you have “noisy neighbors,” your only choices are to learn how to live with them … or move.

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A POLICY-SETTING STATE TIPS THE SCALES IN

ARIZONA

If you want to know what’s unique about Arizona’s fuel retailing environment, look at its neighbor. California’s 38 million residents and aggressive regulation create a wake that Arizona’s retailers have to navigate.

“California is working on a variety of regulations that are extremely concerning for our members because they will impact Arizona fuel supply and price,” said Amanda Gray, the executive director of the Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association (APMA). There are no refineries in the state of Arizona, and about 45% of Arizona’s fuel comes from California.

Top of mind for Arizona retailers are three developments in California: • SBX 1-2, which passed in an emergency session in 2023. This law “has a variety of reporting requirements for marketers who buy product in California, even if it’s

being sold in a different state. Additionally, the law asked the California Energy Commission (CEC) to impose what they’re calling a gross refining margin cap and penalty—basically setting a level at which they determine refiner profits to be excessive,” said Gray. She noted that the margin cap and penalties from SBX 1-2 are still being worked on and have yet to be finalized.

• ABX 2-1, signed into law in October 2024.

This law creates a “mandate for minimum supply that refiners have to maintain in the state,” said Gray. Refiners then “have to get approval from the CEC for any planned maintenance and have a plan for how they’re going to make up for any product shortfalls. Those volumes haven’t been determined yet, so that’s important.”

• California Air Resources Board (CARB) restrictions. CARB took a vote in November that tightens restrictions around the gasoline that’s being sold in California in a move that will reduce emissions but increase gas prices.

Kruck20/Getty Images

It’s hard for Arizonans to fight political battles in California, but APMA engages through workshops and submits comments. Earlier this year, the governors of Arizona and Nevada sent California Governor Gavin Newsom a joint letter expressing their concerns.

APMA is working to educate its members as well as Arizona lawmakers about how California policies impact the Arizona market. “It is pretty unusual for a state association to activate in opposition to another state’s policies, but in this circumstance, the APMA board has decided to do just that,” said Gray.

Even if it has limited sway next door, APMA is very effective within its state. The group scored a huge win in 2015 when it “worked on a significant revitalization of the Underground Storage Tank Revolving Fund (UST RF) program within our state.”

The bill that passed “has a number of components that are very successful,” Gray said.

The Arizona UST RF reimburses environmental response costs for insurance denials and for orphan sites. One component of UST RF, known as Tank Site Improvement Program (TSIP), has paid for nearly $50 million in tank pulls, environmental assessments and system upgrades since 2015. “This is a proactive part of the program that seeks to remove old tanks and upgrade systems to current regulatory standards before a catastrophic release,” according to Gray.

UST RF also covers the cost of state and federally required operator training for site owners and operators. The program is funded through a penny-per-gallon UST throughput fee.

Another win came in November when Proposition 312 passed. The legislation, which APMA and its members helped craft and strongly supported, allows business owners to get a tax refund to offset costs incurred from public nuisance and loitering incidents. “Ideally, retailers will not need to seek a refund,” said Gray. Instead, APMA members would like city governments to be more responsive, which would allow retailers to report a problem and have a reasonable expectation of government action. “This is a first-in-the-nation approach

to hopefully get cities to prioritize addressing property owners’ concerns,” Gray said.

For individual operators, Gray said the first step to get engaged is to “introduce yourself and your company to the lawmakers where you live and where your stores are located.

It can be intimidating or uncomfortable for business owners to step into this advocacy space, but it’s really critical that we stand together, especially in these evolving and challenging times,” Gray said. “Your state association’s primary purpose is working to further the cause of its members, and so being engaged is an investment of time and resources in your own success.”

Amanda Gray

Executive director, Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association

ARIZONA

CONVENIENCE STORE IMPACT

2,333

37,561

2,214,017

TOTAL STORES

EMPLOYEES

TRANSACTIONS PER DAY

This data is from the NACS State of the Industry Report® of 2023 Data and Nielsen TDLinx, compiled by the NACS government relations team to help advocates speak to elected officials and others.

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 57

ARKANSAS

ASSOCIATIONS ARE STRONGER TOGETHER

Steve Goode

Arkansas Grocers and Retail Merchants Association, Arkansas Oil Marketers Association

“We joke with our members, if you don’t know your state senator or state representative today, there’s going to be a test. The next time we have a meeting, you better be able to know both. It’s just very important to know your legislators.”

—Steve Goode, Arkansas Oil Marketers

58 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

Steve Goode wears many hats. He operates two grocery stores, raises cattle, runs a four-person lobbying firm in Little Rock, Arkansas, and, through his firm, leads two associations: the Arkansas Grocers and Retail Merchants Association and the Arkansas Oil Marketers Association. In the past he’s owned convenience stores, been an elected official and served in the cabinet of the state of Arkansas, where tobacco control was among his responsibilities.

Goode was a member of the grocers’ association in 2020 when the previous executive director left. Instead of hiring a new full-time employee, the group decided to change its

model and become a client of Goode’s lobbying firm. The state’s oil marketers followed suit.

“We think it’s a good model going forward, especially for a small state like Arkansas,” Goode said. When it comes to representing both grocers and fuel marketers, the two groups are aligned on “99% of the issues,” Goode said.

“We told both groups that there is really only one issue that you won’t be in lockstep on, and that’s hot food on SNAP. And that won’t be decided at the state level. That will be decided at the federal level,” Goode said.

His firm, as a consequence of representing both groups, doesn’t lobby federally on that issue. But the few areas where representing both grocers and fuel marketers might create conflict are outweighed by the strength-innumbers benefit of representing both groups.

ARKANSAS

BlazenImages/Getty Images

CONVENIENCE STORE IMPACT

In Arkansas, Steve Goode leads two related associations.

“It’s been pretty nice to be able to put together cohesive packages for when we go talk to a legislator. I can say, ‘I’m here on behalf of the retailers and the oil marketers.’ They’re still separate groups, but when you put the firepower together, we’re the largest employer in the state between the two associations.

We will contribute more to the state’s economy than anything other than agriculture, probably. We have some real firepower when we go talk to members at the statehouse about issues,” Goode said.

For the coming year, Goode has two major priorities. The first is advocating for a bill similar to one that passed in Tennessee modifying the state trust fund for underground storage tanks. “The federal law is that you have to report in 24 hours. We get that. We’re not trying to change federal law. But to be eligible for the trust fund, it also has to be 24 hours.”

If a consultant tells an assistant manager about a problem, and then one minute later that same assistant manager gets a call that his kid fell off a piece of playground equipment and broke his arm, and as a result, reporting is delayed by a day … well, as Goode said, “Life happens. The proposed bill penalizes late reporting by increasing the deductible but doesn’t remove eligibility entirely if reporting doesn’t happen in that narrow window.”

The second priority is to fight against the state’s one-of-a-kind soft drink tax, which levies a charge of $1.26 per gallon of syrup or 20.6 cents per gallon of bottled or canned soft drinks. “That’s real money to our members, especially our small, mom-and-pop, independent members,” Goode said. On this issue, “You’ll see the firepower of larger retailers and c-stores coming together, because it affects both of them.”

Goode doesn’t currently have to worry about any statewide industry-rattling regulation—a situation he knows he’s fortunate to be in. “We’re blessed in Arkansas,” he said.

“We’re a very pro-business state. Things that are going to harm business typically don’t get a lot of traction here.”

1,9 63 TOTAL STORES

31,604 EMPLOYEES

1,862,887 TRANSACTIONS PER DAY

Ben Nussbaum is the editorin-chief of NACS Magazine.

This data is from the NACS State of the Industry Report® of 2023 Data and Nielsen TDLinx, compiled by the NACS government relations team to help advocates speak to elected officials and others.

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 59

THE

OF

AMERICA

butenkow/Getty Images; ValentynVolkov/Getty Images

IN

NACS surveyed how and why Americans are eating on

60 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

BY JEFF LENARD AND ADAM ROSENBLATT

the go—and what it means to the convenience industry.

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 61

THE TRADITIONAL CONCEPT OF THREE MEALS A DAY IS LARGELY GONE, as on-the-go lifestyles and demographic shifts—not to mention the increase in snacking—have changed when meals are consumed. Understanding how and why eating occasions are changing can have a profound impact on convenience store sales over the next five years and beyond.

“You’re increasingly seeing the (c-store) industry move from a gas station that, oh, by the way, has food, to a restaurant that, oh, by the way, has the opportunity for a fill up or a charge.”

—August 19, 2024, MarketPlace article, “When Did Convenience Store Food Get Better?”

“By tempting customers’ palates with fresh deli sandwiches and build-your-own burgers, the humble food marts want to become an alternative to fast-food restaurants for busy Americans who crave easy, interesting and less expensive eating options.”

—October 20, 2024, Associated Press article, “Will U.S. Convenience Stores Find the Secret to Selling Better Food?”

These mainstream news stories are telling a broader audience beyond the industry what loyal c-store customers already know: Convenience stores are increasingly leading with their foodservice offer.

Because of the industry’s focus on redefining its offer, foodservice has more than doubled its share of in-store sales in the past two decades—from 13.1% in 2003 to 26.7% in 2023, according to NACS State of the Industry data.

This 20-year journey was made possible because of innovation in the kitchens of c-stores across the country that have figured out how to offer tasty, fast and affordable options.

Whether foodservice will again double its percentage of sales, and if so how quickly, will depend on how retailers navigate 62 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

emerging trends and their continued excellence at addressing the food-focused needs of their customers.

A NACS survey conducted in late 2024 of convenience store customers explored four areas: 1. Consumer sentiment about their finances and the economy 2. Personal preferences for healthy options 3. The change in meal occasions 4. How the c-store foodservice offer meets— or in some cases, doesn’t meet—consumer expectations THEY’RE FEELING OKAY-ISH As any retailer knows, happy consumers are much more likely to spend money than those who are concerned about their finances. With the 2024 election now in the rearview mirror, consumers are marginally more optimistic about the state of the economy than they were in January 2024 prior to the election. However, there is a lot of things that worry Americans, and that should be cause for concern for any retailer.

WHAT CONCERNS AMERICANS MOST Over the past year, they have worried about their …

All the time

Quite a bit

Finances

35%

61%

26%

Overall health

16%

38%

22%

Personal safety

14%

30%

16%

April 8-10, 2025 Dallas, TX

Clarity,

REGISTER TODAY.

Not Uncertainty.

Trusted Insights for Convenience.

The NACS State of the Industry® Summit is the trusted source for convenience benchmarking. The Summit delivers exceptional, precise, and actionable insights that empower you to navigate the fuel and convenience industry with confidence and facilitate strategic decision making.

convenience.org/SOIclarity

Consumers are extremely stressed about their finances: More than one in three (35%) say they worry about their finances “all the time.” Women are much more likely than men to worry about their finances “all the time” (40% vs. 29%). The age demographic that most worries all the time about finances are those ages 35 to 49 (40%).

Concerns over finances are clearly tied to the inflation/cost of living issue that played a central role in the 2024 election. When asked in their own words to name the most important issue facing the country or facing their own communities, inflation/cost of living took the top spot, followed closely by the related issue of economy/jobs. Combined, these issues are far ahead of the next biggest concern of consumers: immigration (at the national level) and crime (at the local level).

WHAT IS THE TOP ISSUE FACING …

The Country

Your Community

Inflation/ cost of living

23%

17%

Economy/jobs

20%

19%

Immigration

13%

4%

Homelessness/ poverty

6%

13%

Crime/ guns/drugs

3%

14%

(Open-ended responses categorized; the top five listed here)

64 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

Despite their concerns about finances, consumer optimism about the economy has grown over the past two years, with a bare majority now tilting towards optimism.

OPTIMISM IS ON THE RISE Percentage saying that they are “optimistic” about the economy Optimistic

Pessimistic

Dec. 2024

51%

49%

Jan. 2024

48%

52%

Feb. 2023

34%

66%

The enormous swing in optimism since 2023 likely has a direct tie to gas prices. At the time of this survey, gas prices were around $3 per gallon. But in early 2023, the memory of $5plus gas in the summer of 2022 was still fresh in the minds of the consumer—and 87% of consumers say that gas prices affect their feelings about the economy.

One last point on gas prices. Consumers are uncertain whether the results of the 2024 election will significantly change gas prices—or inflation and prices of other everyday goods and services overall. However, they are inclined to believe that the election result will improve the stock market and the overall economy.

CONSUMER PREDICTION ON ELECTION’S ECONOMIC EFFECT How will the election affect …

Go up

Go down

Gas prices

36%

42%

Inflation and price of everyday goods

41%

40%

Stock market/ overall economy

46%

26%

Thanks for joining us at the

2025

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HEALTHY OPTIONS ARE A GREAT OPTION Finances are unquestionably the top concern of consumers, but health is their second biggest concern.

That said, consumers offer mixed signals for their concern with their health affects their food purchases.

Consumers say that they should be eating healthier, but at the same time they say they are eating a healthy diet. The way to reconcile those two statements is related to conviction.

While roughly half of all consumers (49%) agree with the statement that they eat a healthy diet, only 15% “strongly agree” with that statement.

GOODBYE THREE SQUARE MEALS The typical American convenience store customer is eating two meals a day, with breakfast being the meal most often skipped.

By contrast, the most common main meal is dinner, which is most routinely eaten at home.

Taken together, that means the big immediate opportunity for c-stores is lunch and snacks, including before and/or after lunch.

HOW ARE YOUR EATING HABITS?

55%

Most days I probably should be eating healthier

45%

Most days I eat about what I should

It’s how you message to these consumers that will be important. Are you seen as encouraging them to try something new—or are you seen as making them feel guilty about their choices?

DIETS AND LIFESTYLES Strongly agree

Somewhat agree

Eating healthy foods is a high priority

23%

58%

35%

I am satisfied with my current diet

20%

56%

36%

I think I have a healthy lifestyle

16%

50%

34%

I think I eat a healthy diet

15%

49%

34%

66 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

HOW MANY MEALS DO YOU EAT A DAY?

46% 31% 14% 7% 2%

Two meals Three meals One meal More than three Less than one

Who eats out? Not surprisingly, younger consumers ages 18-34. On weekdays, one in five (20%) say they eat dinner out and more than two in five (41%) say they eat lunch out.

On weekends, they are even more likely to eat lunch out (30%) and roughly the same amount eat dinner out (38%) as on weekdays.

Dinner is not often seen as an opportunity for c-stores or QSRs due to the fact that it is typically the meal that most often involves the entire family. However, there may be opportunities for retailers who position their offer toward individuals, as opposed to families, especially since younger consumers are most likely to be single—and eat dinner out.

WHERE THEY EAT …

Weekdays

Out

At home

Don’t eat this meal

Breakfast

6%

71%

23%

Lunch

33%

53%

14%

Dinner

10%

86%

4%

Weekends

Out

At home

Don’t eat this meal

Breakfast

10%

70%

20%

Lunch

24%

61%

15%

Dinner

25%

71%

4%

Snacking, meanwhile, is another great opportunity. Snacks may function as a meal of sorts for consumers who graze instead of eating a standard meal. Given that more than three in four consumers (76%) snack at least once a day, there is plenty of opportunity to tell them how your snack options—healthy or otherwise—might mesh with their desire for snacking

SNACK ON THIS Beyond meals, do you intentionally eat a snack or drink a beverage …

76% 7% 8% 9%

Every day Only on weekdays

THEY LIKE YOU … MOST OF THE TIME Customers have embraced convenience stores and their food offer. Nearly one in five (19%) visit a convenience store at least every day as part of a meal occasion.

MEALS AT C-STORES How many times do you purchase food or drink from a c-store as part of a meal?

8% 11% 25% 30% 26%

More than once a day Once a day More than once a week Once a week or less Not at all

To continue to grow foodservice sales, c-stores will need to both expand their customer base and keep current customers amid a highly competitive marketplace. Do c-stores meet customer needs for food—and if they fall short, where?

The great news is that only 9% of customers say their last c-store experience fell short of expectations in terms of getting what they needed.

CUSTOMERS GENERALLY HAPPY WITH THE EXPERIENCE What was your experience the last time you were in a c-store?

91%

Accomplished nearly everything I intended

9%

I was not able to accomplish everything I hoped to

Only on weekends Never

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 67

For customers who weren’t able to accomplish everything they wanted, product availability was most often cited—either the item desired was out of stock or not carried by the store.

REASONS FOR DISSATISFACTION Why didn’t you accomplish everything?

38% 23% 16% 6%

Product availability Money/price issue Wait/crowded Restroom unavailable/ closed

ABOUT THE SURVEY

NACS has conducted national consumer sentiment surveys since 2007 to learn about specific areas of importance to convenience retailers. This latest survey, with a focus on food, was conducted by national public opinion research firm Bold Decision (bold-decision.com); a total of 602 U.S. convenience store customers were surveyed from December 5-8, 2024. The margin for error for the study is +/- 3.99% at the 95% confidence level.

68 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

A bigger concern is that whether they are satisfied or not, a sizable percentage of c-store customers immediately go to another store on a foodservice mission.

SOME CUSTOMERS IMMEDIATELY GO ELSEWHERE After the c-store, did you immediately go to another place to purchase food or beverages?

29% 71%

Yes No

Why are they going somewhere else? The good news is that it’s largely not because of operations issues like cleanliness or customer service.

Instead, they are going somewhere else out of a desire for a specific food offering. They wanted a specific food place (like McDonald’s or some other desired brand), better options (more healthy options?) or product availability (out of stocks or a limited menu). In short, a majority of these customers are going to another place to get food because the offering at a particular c-store didn’t fully meet their needs.

REASONS TO SHOP ELSEWHERE Why did you go to another place after the c-store?

37% 19% 19% 6%

Desired specific food place

5% 2% 1%

Too crowded at previous store

Desired better options Product availability Price was too high at previous store

Cleanliness issue Customer service issue

YOUR OPPORTUNITIES Convenience stores have scooped up a sizable percentage of foodservice sales that used to belong to quick-serve restaurants. But QSRs are not sitting by idly, and they have aggressively sought out opportunities to steal back sales—by focusing more on late-night sales and even snacking.

What can convenience stores do to continue to grow their foodservice sales?

First, have the conversation with your customer before they step inside the store, whether on your app or your gas dispensers.

Nearly half (43%) of all customers say the main reason that they stopped at a store was to buy gas. That’s more than said they went to get food or a beverage combined.

GAS REMAINS A BIG TRAFFIC DRIVER What was the main reason you last went to a c-store?

49% 23% 19%

Buy gas Buy a beverage Buy food/meal/ gum/snack

While most customers already have a good idea of what they want to purchase as soon as they walk inside the store, about one in three customers are open to trying something new—and that’s a huge opportunity.

WILL THEY TRY SOMETHING NEW? How do you shop for food or drinks in c-stores?

68%

Mostly buy the same things

32%

Often try new or different things

Find different ways to present your products to consumers that address both their needs and concerns.

• What is your message and offer that provides value, appealing to financial concerns?

• How can you present healthy options— whether prepared or packaged items—in a way customers want to receive them?

• Can you help them redefine snacks as meals—or vice versa? It may be as simple as calling out products as meals, like labeling a section of health bars as “great for breakfast.”

2025 brings a new year of opportunities for convenience stores and their post-election, post-pandemic customers. Successful operators who connect the dots between their in-store offering and customer desires will be poised for continued success in the short and long term.

Jeff Lenard is NACS vice president, strategic industry initiatives. You can reach him at jlenard@convenience.org.

Adam Rosenblatt is the founding partner of Bold Decision and has been leading NACS consumer surveys since 2009.

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 69

Cool New Products Guide This advertorial-style guide of services and packaging appears monthly and is an information-packed tour of ideas and approaches that can change how consumers view your store or choose your brand. It spotlights the newest thinking in convenience and fuel retailing and gives you an advance look at ways of staying in front of industry trends.

Products are categorized the same way we organize the Cool New Products Preview Room at the NACS Show each year in October— New Design, New to the Industry, New Flavors, Health & Wellness, Green (EcoFriendly), New Services and New Technology.

Products are considered “new” this year if they’ve been introduced since October 2024.

The products featured here also can be seen in the Cool New Products Discovery Center at www.convenience.org/coolnewproducts.

NEW DESIGN

Kretek International, Inc. Clipper Reusable Pocket Lighters and Butane Refills

There’s a Clipper For Everyone!

Clipper proudly introduces a brand new range of reusable lighter design collections for 2025! The Classic Clipper lighter offers nearly unlimited lights by replacing butane, flints, and spark wheels. Clipper stands out with collectible designs and unique features like the built-in packing tool for tamping down a briar pipe, or roll-your own alternative. Every Clipper product is fully insured and designed with safety in mind, from the fire-resistant nylon body and isobutene fuel, to CPSC approved function and recessed flame. Clipper Classic Family also includes the innovative CKJ11 Jet Flame lighter featuring a fast burning, wind-proof flame. Solve your customer’s everyday needs with Clipper Minitube and Tube Plus refillable utility lighters available in a wide range of attractive designs and finishes to meet every need. Contact your Kretek Sales Representative to learn more!

70 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

NEW FLAVORS

Krispy Krunchy Chicken® Chicken Nuggets

Fuel Up With Our New Nuggets!

Introducing Krispy Krunchy Chicken’s® new Chicken Nuggets! Made from premium whole-muscle white meat breast, our freezer-to-fryer nuggets are marinated with a proprietary blend of seasonings and fried to a golden brown with special breading. Demonstrated in market tests to grow overall chicken sales, we offer these nuggets as part of our turnkey menu program that features bone-in chicken, tenders, the award-winning Cajun chicken sandwich, mouth-watering sides, and signature honey biscuits. See what you’ve been missing with this incredible foodservice solution and try the new nuggets today!*

NACS

NACS | Research NACS State of the Industry® Talent Insights Dashboard

Recruit. Retain. Thrive.

The most trusted source for convenience retail industry data and benchmarks designed to elevate and inform your human resources decisions is now an interactive digital tool.

The NACS State of the Industry® Talent Insights Dashboard provides convenience human resource benchmarking data, highlighting the key categories of compensation, turnover, benefits, and recruitment. It’s all the same data and insights you’re used to seeing in the former Compensation Report, wholly collected from convenience retailers; it is considered an essential guide for HR professionals in the convenience retail industry. 2024 data will be available in March of 2025.

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 71

GAS STATION GOURMET

What Makes a Great Hamburger?

Successful foodservice operators share their strategies for making burgers that bring in loyal customers.

BY AL HEBERT

I

f burgers are part of your foodservice offer, could you take your burger to the next level? If so … is it the meat, the seasonings, the toppings, the technique or a blend of all of the above that can set you apart?

Even burger experts don’t agree on what makes a great burger—so there’s room to make your own offer stand out.

TECHNIQUE AND TASTE Billy Kramer left his career in advertising to create an amazing burger. The NFA (No Fooling Around) Burger has been a hit, drawing lines around the Chevron station in Dunwoody, Georgia.

Since opening in 2019, he’s sold more than 300,000 burgers.

Kramer started to test out various

When Billy Kramer set out to make burgers, it had become a bit of a game, where he asked himself: “Can I make the perfect burger? Could I make the perfect burger for my family? Could I do it again for my friends? How high a bar can I leap over?”

72 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

seasonings and blends: “I went to Publix and found spices like Paul Prudhomme’s and Slap Ya Mama. I experimented, and it took 19 tries to get it right. The best one might be number 20, but after 19 tries, I had what I wanted. My friends and family were happy.”

Kramer also found that it’s not just the ingredients that make a burger great—technique is key. He doesn’t season the meat before making the patties.

Instead, he sprinkles seasoning on right before it hits the grill and avoids overworking the meat.

“You can season a ribeye and put it in the fridge for two days, and it’s perfect,” he said. “Ground beef has a different reaction.”

The NFA patty rests on a Martin’s potato roll. “I tried all kinds of buns, but I found that this one holds the best and is perfect for the meat-to-bun ratio,” Kramer explained.

Everything that goes on the burger is strategically placed. “We want the first bite and the last bite to have the same flavor. We have mustard, pickles, cheese and sauce,” Kramer said, adding, “Pickles are circular. You need to have a pickle in every bite, so we use 4 pickles. Instead of strips of bacon, we use diced bacon so you get bacon in every bite. We also considered that strips of bacon might be fatty, and possibly slide off the burger.”

Kramer continued, “Cheddar cheese gets real oily. American cheese melts great—it tastes great, too. It just belongs on my burger.”

dressed with the usual lettuce, tomato, mayo and cheese. “I usually use American cheese, but it depends on the customer. Depending on what the customers want, I can also use cheddar or white cheese,” he explained.

Hooshang Nazarali put a unique spin on the Hooshburger with his blend of Persian spices.

PUT YOUR OWN SPIN ON IT Great food often stems from passion, and Hooshang Nazarali’s love for the American cheeseburger began in 1977.

After moving from Iran to East Texas to pursue his education, the first thing he ate was a cheeseburger—which he called a life-changing experience.

Nazarali owns the Pig Trail Bypass County Café, a restaurant and convenience store in Elkins, Arkansas. Over the years, he’s made a few changes to the café. Inspired by his first cheeseburger, Nazarali decided to add a Persian twist to the American classic.

“Before I make the patty, I add chopped onions and my secret blend of spices,” he said. “The burger is seasoned inside and out.”

Great burgers evolve. “I tried using grass-fed beef, but customers found it too dry. Now, I use an 80/20 ratio—80% lean and 20% fat,” he said.

Once the patty is cooked to perfection, it’s placed on a 4.5-inch bun. It’s

The Hooshburger is served with handcut french fries.

BACK TO BASICS In Texas, where beef reigns supreme, Nathan’s Barbecue in Brenham continues to gain fans with its simple, classic burger.

Manager Cyndi Merski said, “We use fresh ground meat each day—an 80/20 blend. We make our own patties, weigh them individually and hand patty each one. It’s a half-pound burger seasoned with just salt and pepper.”

At Nathan’s, each burger is cooked fresh, which means a 12-minute wait when a burger is ordered.

The burger’s popularity has grown, and Merski noted that people are still discovering it. “We’ve had nights when all we do is line the grill. It’s Texas; if you don’t want brisket, you want a burger—seriously. Some customers ask for two patties. I tell them that’s a pound of meat, and they say, ‘Put it on,’” she said.

“If you get one of my burgers with fries and a drink, it’s about $13,” Merski said. “I’ll put my deal up against anyone in town.”

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Rob Zorn’s Acadiana Burger Company has no brick-and-mortar location, but it has proven that customers will seek out a great burger.

Zorn said two things make his burgers stand out: texture and flavor.

“My burger is 100% ground beef with no fillers, and I believe a great burger has a high fat content,” he said. “I use the highest fat content—27% fat and 73% lean. The fat is where all the flavor is—whether it’s pork or ribeye, fat holds the best flavor. Some people believe a burger is just high-quality ground beef with salt and pepper. I believe you have to be bold with the prep. I incorporate seasoning into the hand mix with the raw ingredients.”

A popular burger on Rob Zorn’s menu is his Hangover Burger, which is made with onions caramelized in bacon fat, an over easy egg, thick cut bacon and American cheese, served on a garlic buttered grilled sweet bun.

Zorn uses five different natural seasonings and is firm on one point: “If your burger requires toppings to be good, then you don’t have a good burger.”

“When someone has the burger for the first time, they don’t know what they’re in for. They walk away and take a bite, then stop in their tracks. They take another bite and then turn around and look back at us with a ‘What the hell did I just eat’ look on their face,” Zorn said. “It’s the coolest thing.”

Al Hebert is the Gas Station Gourmet, showcasing America’s hidden culinary treasures. Find him at www.GasStationGourmet.com.

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 73

CATEGORY CLOSE-UP ALTERNATIVE SNACKS

Smart Snacking Fueled by rising demand for protein, customers are powering up on alternative snacks.

BY TERRI ALLAN

74 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

Hekla/Shutterstock

C

onsumers are looking for protein-enriched snacks, and the increasing demand is driving changes in the alternative snacks category. Marketers of the products— ranging from meat snacks to nutrition and energy bars to granola and fruit snacks—are responding in kind, and convenience retailers say they expect the category to continue to benefit from changes customers are making in their snacking habits.

“I’m seeing more movement with products like beef jerky and protein bars lately,” said Andrew Mendez, co-owner of Mendez Fuel, which has three locations in Miami. “People are trying to eat healthier, cleaner and are looking for more protein.”

Farris Jamal, merchandising manager at Chestnut Market, with around 70 stores in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, added that “many alternative snack buyers are active, whether it’s through regular exercise, outdoor activities or other health-focused routines.

This makes sense, as many of these snacks serve a functional purpose— offering quick, portable protein, energy and nutritional benefits on the go.”

Industry Sales

% of In-Store Sales Alternative snack vendors have seen the growing opportunity for proteinand energy-enhanced snacks and are working to make a wide variety available to c-store customers.

“Consumers today want snacks that don’t just fill them up. They want snacks that fuel them,” said Thomas Pryor, vice president, c-store, at Jack Link’s. “We’re redefining snacking by delivering convenience, protein and bold flavor— all in one bite.” Jack Link’s recently expanded its line of protein snacks with the introduction of Turkey Sticks and the Duos line, which pairs contrasting flavors, like buffalo and ranch nuggets, in one pack.

POWERED BY PROTEIN Alternative snacks are a top 10 in-store category for c-stores, accounting for 1.9% of sales, according to the NACS State of the Industry Report® of 2023 Data. Average sales per store, per month increased by 4.7% in 2023 to $4,185, up from $3,997 in 2022. For the first few months of 2024, category sales were

$1,887

The average gross profit dollar contribution of alternative snacks per store, per month.

Source: NACS State of the Industry Report® of 2023 Data

trending above that of the same period in the year prior, but by mid-year, the trend had leveled out as sales of meat snacks slowed.

“The big news for 2024 has been the growth in the health/energy/protein bars subcategory and a decrease in meat snacks share,” said Emma Tainter, research analyst at NACS. “People are trying to increase their protein intake and reduce carb consumption.”

While losing ground lately, meat snacks still account for the lion’s share of alternative snack sales at 41.3% in 2023, compared to 50.4% in 2023.

Average per store, per month sales equated to $1,730 in 2023, according to the SOI Report, and $778 in average gross profit. Health/energy/protein bars, meanwhile, gained share, reaching 27.2% of category sales, with average sales of $1,134 per store, per month. The subcategory provided the best gross margin within alternative snacks at 50.9% in 2023. Granola/fruit snacks and other alternative snacks also posted sales and share gains during the year.

At Chestnut Market, alternative snacks have become a key driver in store growth, Jamal said. “We’ve seen a growing demand for meat snacks, fruit and granola bars, and protein-packed alternatives,” he said. “In fact, we’ve been actively expanding our selection of alternative snacks to meet this demand.”

In addition to helping generate foot traffic at his stores, alternative snacks are increasing basket size as customers are incorporating the products into their everyday routines. They’re also often purchasing complementary products, including cold-pressed juices

1.91% 1.91% 2022

2023

Avg. Sales/Store

$3,977 $4,185 2022

2023

Gross Margin

44.76% 45.09% 2022

2023

Source: NACS State of the Industry Report® of 2023 Data NACS FEBRUARY 2025 75

CATEGORY CLOSE-UP ALTERNATIVE SNACKS

NACS CSX Benchmarking Database, n 2021 Per Store, Per Month Sales

n 2022

n 2023

n 2024

SEP

OCT

$3,374

$4,000 $3,500 $3,000 $2,500 $2,000 $1,500 $1,000 JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

NOV

DEC

Source: NACS CSX Convenience Benchmarking Database

The Power of CSX Data

76 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

“People want cleaner products.

They’re more aware of ingredients and are focusing more on themselves and what they consume.” and plant-based drinks. “By focusing on this high-growth category, we’re not just responding to current trends, we’re positioning ourselves to be the go-to destination for consumers seeking healthier, on-the-go snack solutions,” Jamal explained.

CATEGORY WORKHORSE Meat snacks remain the category leader.

“Meat snacks aren’t just a trendy addon, they’re a profit-driving engine,” Pryor said. “With meat snacks as the reigning superstar, the alternative snacks category is one that no c-store operator can afford to ignore.”

Within the subcategory, meat sticks and emerging bites are gaining traction.

According to Ashley Spade, vice president and general manager at Conagra Brands—marketer of Slim Jim, Duke’s and Fatty brands—more affordable meat sticks are outperforming traditional jerky at retail. As a result, meat sticks warrant more shelf space in c-stores, particularly at the front end of the store, Spade said.

Mark Falconi, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Greenridge Naturals, agreed. “Sticks are more cost effective and are driving category growth.

jirkaejc/Getty Images

CSX, the engine behind category metrics and NACS State of the Industry data, provides current and customizable tools for financial and operational reporting and analysis in the convenience industry. Retailers can measure their company by any of the myriad metrics generated via our live database.

Contact Chris Rapanick at (703) 518–4253 or crapanick@convenience. org for a complimentary executive walkthrough.

Alternative Snacks Same-Firm Sample, Per Store, Per Month Percent of Sales

Avg. Sales/Store

Avg. GP$/Store

Gross Margin %

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

2022

2023

Meat Snacks

50.4%

41.3%

$2,015

$1,730

$923

$778

45.80%

44.97%

Health/Energy/ Protein Bars

19.1%

27.1%

$764

$1,134

$400

$578

52.35%

50.93%

Other Alternative Snacks

25.8%

26.0%

$1,032

$1,090

$396

$422

38.39%

38.77%

Granola/Fruit Snacks

4.7%

5.5%

$186

$231

$70

$109

37.71%

47.11%

100.0%

100.0%

$3,997

$4,185

$1,789

$1,887

44.76%

45.09%

Total

Source: NACS State of the Industry Report ® of 2023 Data

jenifoto/Getty Images

They provide a better value for suppliers, c-stores and consumers,” he said, noting that single stick pricing generally ranges between $1.99 and $2.49.

Bite-size meat snacks are also on the rise. Conagra Brands recently introduced Slim Jim Bites, packaged in portable, resealable packaging that’s “ideal for snacking and grazing on the go,” Spade said. “At $6.49 for a 3.75-oz resealable bag, they provide great value compared to jerky shelved in similar locations,” she said.

But meat snacks aren’t necessarily relegated to ambient store conditions.

Greenridge, for example, markets refrigerated meat snacks that are designed for open-air refrigerators. Those types of products are performing well at Pit Stop Express in Dorton, Kentucky, according to Kerrigan Branham, assistant manager. “We recently upgraded our cold deli with more refrigerated units,” she explained, allowing space for the meat snacks. “Customers have responded well,” Branham noted, while sales of ambient meat snacks at the store have languished.

“Consumers today want snacks that don’t just fill them up. They want snacks that fuel them.”

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 77

CATEGORY CLOSE-UP ALTERNATIVE SNACKS

78 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

Among the new offerings from Welch’s Fruit Snacks are Juicefuls Fusions—with one fruit flavor on the outside and a juicy burst of another on the inside—and a new mango-peach flavor of the original Fruit Snacks product.

In 2024, the brand partnered with chef Gordon Ramsay, appointing him Fruit Snacks’ chief fruit officer (CFO).

VISIBILITY IS KEY Marketers of alternative snacks encourage c-store operators to creatively merchandise the products to drive sales and recommend multiple placements throughout the store. “Top-performing c-stores know that when it comes to meat snacks, visibility is key,” said Jack Links’ Pryor. “Meat snacks should be featured in multiple locations—checkout counters, beverage coolers and in high-traffic snack aisles. The impulsive nature of meat snack purchases means that well-placed displays can significantly increase sales.”

In addition to placing alternative snacks in high-traffic areas, Chestnut Markets stocks the products in dedicated wellness or better-for-you sections, Jamal reported. Similarly, Mendez Fuel features a protein section with multiserve bags of jerky hung from pegs.

limpido /Getty Images

SHOPPER MAINSTAY For most of the first half of 2024, average sales of health/energy/protein bars per store, per month outperformed that of the same period a year earlier. “Bars continue to be a mainstay for shoppers,” said Dan Meyer, shopper insights manager at General Mills. “Depending on the need, we continue to see shoppers splitting between occasions for breakfast or high-protein bars.”

General Mills recently introduced Protein One Max Bars exclusively in c-stores in two flavors—chocolate peanut butter and double chocolate brownie—each featuring 20 grams of protein. “Launched as a low-calorie, high-protein snack, Protein One Max Bars taste great at an approachable price point and aim to democratize the ‘toos’ of protein solution—too expensive, too chalky, too hard or chewy,” Meyer said. The 2.1-ounce bars have a suggested retail price of $3.49.

“When a new protein bar comes out, it gets a lot of buzz and customers come in specifically for that brand because they want to try it,” said Mendez. He pointed to the recent addition of David protein bars at his Miami stores for $4.29 to $4.49 per bar. “They’re doing well. We can sell through a case pretty quickly.”

But at Pit Stop Express, protein bars don’t perform as well. “Sales are few and far between,” Branham said. “We offer them but they’re not big sellers. We don’t have too many health-conscious customers.”

Fruit snacks are also riding the nutrition wave in c-stores. Lance Smith, executive vice president, sales and industry affairs at PIM Brands, noted that Welch’s Fruit ‘n Yogurt snacks have “expertly leveraged consumer trends, driving an impressive year-to-date dollar growth of 48% through October 27, 2024. Their alignment with consumer demand for nutritious and convenient snacks has propelled their strong market performance.”

While consumers of health/energy/ protein bars often purchase the items in bulk at big-box stores, General Mills’ Meyer noted that the single bars merchandised in c-stores help stimulate trial. In a recent shop-along, the company found that shoppers like the variety they can purchase in c-stores “without buying 5, 10 or 20-plus of one flavor,” he said. “They can mix and match a variety of flavors and still come out ahead.”

Sampling, where possible, is another good way to drive trial of alternative snacks, Falconi of Greenridge Naturals said. He also sees opportunity in promoting products like meat sticks as part of loyalty programs, with offers like a

ADVERTISER INDEX Contact Information

Page

Altria Group Distribution Company......... Inside Front Cover AGDCTradeRelations@Altria.com www.altria.com www.tobaccoissues.com Calico Brands, Inc. ........................................................................... 25 www.calicobrands.com Cash Depot ........................................................................... 39 (800) 776-8834 sales@cdlatm.com www.cdlatm.com Chyl Brand LLC ............................................................................34-35 (404) 642-4967 www.getchyl.com Conexxus .........................................................................................65 www.conexxus.org

Contact Information

International Dairy Deli Bakery Association ................................. 33 (608) 310-5000 www.iddba.org Kretek International ................................................................. 27, 70 www.kretek.com

Terri Allan is a New Jersey-based freelance writer, specializing in consumer products and retail channels.

She can be reached at terri4beer@aol.com.

Thank you to these advertisers who have demonstrated their support of the convenience and fuel retailing industry by investing in NACS Magazine.

Page

Krispy Krunchy Foods, LLC ..................71, Front Cover - Note www.krispykrunchy.com Liggett Vector Brands LLC ......................... Inside Back Cover (919) 990-3500 www.liggettvectorbrands.com Monster Energy Company ..................................................... 7 www.monsterenergy.com MOOSOO Corporation ........................................................................9 www.moosoo.com NACS Day on the Hill 2025 ................................................................41 www.convenience.org/events/Day-On-the-Hill NACS State of the Industry ® Summit 2025 ....................................63 www.convenience.org/events/SOI NACS State of the Industry ® Talent Insights Dashboard ...............71 www.convenience.org/Research

Cool New Products Guide ............................................................70-71 www.convenience.org/Media/NACS-Magazine/Cool-New-Products

free meat stick on a particular day of the week for qualified customers.

Consumer demand for protein-enriched snacks isn’t likely to slow down anytime soon, and convenience retailers are prepared to leverage the trend. “People want cleaner products,” Mendez said. “They’re more aware of ingredients and are focusing more on themselves and what they consume.”

Contact Information

Page

Stone Gate Foods .............................................................................19 (952) 445-1350 www.stonegate-foods.com Sunny Sky Products North America, Ltd. ...........................17 (877) 235-6466 ww.sunnyskyproducts.com Swedish Match North America LLC (ZYN) .......................... 45 (800) 367-3677 www.smna.com Tote.ai ...............................................................................................21 www.tote.ai Trion Industries ................................................................................. 5 (800) 444-4665 www.triononline.com Xcaliber International ..........................................................15 (888) 4-XCALIBER www.xcaliberinternational.com

PIM Brands ............................................................................. 3 www.pimbrands.com Polar King International Inc. ...........................................................13 (866) 576-7645 www.polarking.com www.polarleasing.com Premier Manufacturing ....................................................Back Cover (636) 537-6800 www.gopremier.com

NACS FEBRUARY 2025 79

BY THE NUMBERS

Training Time The NACS State of the Industry Talent Insights Dashboard (TID) tracks the high-level metrics that all convenience HR professionals need to know. Among many data points, the TID collects convenience-specific salaries, benefits, and recruitment and retention data.

Another way for convenience retailers to use the TID is to look at training metrics—how does your training program compare to others in the industry?

Convenience retailers have training courses that can, in some cases, reach close to 300 hours in the first 90 days, although there is a wide range and the amount of training time can vary based on the store size. Smaller stores, or those with 1 through 10

locations, spend more time on average training all levels of employees. In particular, full-time employees at those smaller stores spend an average of 98.38 hours in training the first 90 days versus an average of 62.56 across all companies. Foodservice employees spend 17.8% of their training hours on food safety, compared to 9.1% for non-foodservice employees.

2024 data will be available on the NACS State of the Industry Talent Insights Dashboard in March. For more information, contact Jayme Gough, director, research and development, at jgough@convenience.org.

How Training Time Is Spent in the First 90 Days FOODSERVICE EMPLOYEES

9.7%

NON-FOODSERVICE EMPLOYEES

9.7%

CLEANING

13.9%

11.0%

CUSTOMER SERVICE

DIVERSITY

FOOD SAFETY

18.6%

ANTI-HARASSMENT

3.2%

18.2%

31.9%

3.9%

4.6%

JOB SPECIFIC

43.2%

9.1% 4.6%

17.8% OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY

Source: NACS State of the Industry Talent Insights Dashboard 80 FEBRUARY 2025 convenience.org

THE EXCELLENCE YOUR CUSTOMERS EXPECT Value. TasTe. QualiTy.

10

SAT 0% GUARISFACTION ANTE ED

That’s the Premier Promise

Make quality your priority while keeping value in mind.

Premier Manufacturing, Inc. is owned by U.S. Tobacco Cooperative, a cooperative of U.S. farmers who grow the finest U.S. flue-cured tobacco to make high-quality, value-priced cigarette brands for adult consumers.

www.gopremier.com