NCIS 2016: OVERVIEW
Telling our story The National Convenience Industry Summit drives home the important role c-stores play in their communities BY NIKKI LOCKINGTON The National Convenience Industry Summit kicked off this past September in Collingwood, ON with a video containing a simple message:
C-stores matter in their communities. “The opening video told the story of the importance of the c-store in the progression of a lifetime, so from childhood to old age,” says NACDA President, Anne Kothawala. “That sense of independence starts with the kid who goes to the corner store with a dollar in his or her pocket 18
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2017
to pick out their own treat for the first time by themselves and it carries through to the elderly, who can’t always drive to the grocery store, but maybe they can walk to the corner store a couple of blocks away to pick up some of those basic necessities or lottery tickets,” she says.
There’s something nostalgic about the role c-stores play in their communities, she says. “It’s about that connection, and it’s something I think most of us can fondly remember.” And with that opening video, the Summit’s 2016 theme of “Telling Our Story and Growing our Business” was launched. The Summit, which was held from September 28-29, 2016, saw record attendance of distributors, retailers and manufacturers. Speakers included radio personality and marketing expert Terry O’Reilly, host of Under the Influence, who provided some very tangible examples of companies and industries that have used storytelling to grow their brand or their marketing strategies. “Paul Hollands from A&W really put theory into action with his presentation. He spoke about the A&W story and how they decided, in the quick service burger market, they were going to be the healthiest out of their competiCCentral.ca
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NACDA
Anne Kothawala, NACDA President