Given the various challenges that the economy faced last year with high fuel prices, high inflation and rapidly rising interest rates, I’ve been waiting for some indication that the petro mergers and acquisitions (M&A) environment will begin to moderate with diminished buyer enthusiasm and corresponding deal values. But as we enter 2023, this has not…

Seldom does a week go by without someone asking me why the convenience and gas mergers and acquisitions (M&A) environment is still so dynamic when everything else is in utter chaos. We seem to be floating along in an insulated bubble of reality. Whether its divestitures of c-stores or dealer or commercial fuels and lubes…

As we enter the second half of 2022, the petro mergers and acquisitions (M&A) environment remains positive for both retail and commercial acquisitions. However, current actions by the Fed to counter inflation by raising interest rates and the resultant cost of money may begin to dampen M&A enthusiasm, while moderating cash flow valuation multiples and…

The advent of pricebook automation is here, and this will be as historically transformational as the transition from pump attendants to self-serve gas was for our industry. The first helped foster the universal emergence of convenience to the retail petroleum landscape, while the other will effectively automate many of the labor-intensive functions currently required to…

Last month, I predicted that potential tax increases by the Biden administration could alter the structure of mergers and acquisitions by increasing store leasing at the expense of real estate ownership transfers. In this follow-up article, I’ll look into my crystal ball and offer some thoughts on what the future might hold for new-to-industry (NTI)…

As the second half of the year winds down, my mission with this article is to formulate and share a learned opinion as to what the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) picture will look like in 2022 for the c-store and wholesale petroleum industry. Will buyers, sellers and lenders still be plentiful? Will interest rates remain…

As I pen this column, the dog days of summer are beginning, and 2021 is already half over. Given these past six months, it seems safe to say that the early days of the Obama administration were a cakewalk versus the political headwinds our industry now faces. The latest challenge involves underground storage tanks (USTs)…

Let’s see a show of hands if you’ve become a fan of American Pickers, the Cartoon Channel or even the NFL because the news has become so darn depressing. In a few short weeks, the Biden Administration has reversed policies that led us to energy independence and fostered middle class economic wellbeing. Unfortunately, this is…

For marketers planning a short to midterm business sale and industry exit, an improperly configured sub-jobber agreement could pose many costly challenges. We have addressed numerous sub-jobber agreements over the years and based upon this experience several common areas can be addressed in the formulation of an optimal agreement. The creation of sub-jobber agreements accelerated…

Prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the major credit card companies have further delayed the deadline for EMV fuel dispenser compliance to April 2021. This has conveniently provided marketers with some valuable time to tailor a turnkey EMV dealer development program to proactively provide upgrade guidance and support without breaking the bank. Pragmatism is a virtue…