Multi-format retailer Giant Eagle, Inc. today announced the receipt of a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification for its GetGo convenience store and fuel station located at 140 Towne Center Drive in Wexford, Pa. “Adding a LEED-certified convenience store and fuel station to our wealth of sustainable business practices underscores Giant Eagle’s…
NACS Introduces Teri Richman Internship Program
NACS has established an ongoing internship program honoring Teri Richman to perpetuate her passion for growing young talent, exploring new ideas and bettering the industry. The program was announced Feb. 10 at the NACS Leadership Forum in San Francisco. Richman joined NACS in 1982 as its first in-house federal lobbyist and played a critical role…
NACS Past President Sam Jacobsen Passes Away
Sam Jacobsen, one of the early leaders who helped expand the role of NACS after its founding in 1961, and its 1971-1972 president, died Monday at his home in Madison, Wisconsin at age 84, NACS reported. “Sam’s contribution to our association and our industry goes far beyond his tenure as president,” said NACS president and…
Should Customers Pay For Air?
Gas stations in Connecticut are being called out for disobeying a law that says it’s illegal for motorists to pay for air in the state, The Day reported. Across the nation, gas stations have been adding coin-operated air compressors for the customers to use to inflate tires, but while Connecticut stations are allowed to use…
Lessons Learned from Challenging Year
There’s no doubt that 2009 will go down as one of the most challenging years ever for the convenience store and petroleum industry. Combined with the poor economy that plagued marketers all year, credit card fees and tobacco regulations added fuel to a fire that, quite honestly, was already burning out of control. For this…
Fighting Credit Card Costs
Is there relief ahead for exorbitant credit card fees? The answer is yes. But first, there’s a fight to be fought. According to NACS in Alexandria, Va., credit card payments have grown from 21% of transactions in 1995 to 49% today, with the trend expected to grow to more than 50% by next year. The…
Nice & Envied
Mission accomplished. When John MacDougall challenged his team at Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes to come up with a company mission statement, he left pretty simple instructions. “Keep it short, keep it focused and let’s be true to ourselves,” he said. The result was a concise proclamation of the chain’s commitment to the customers it…
Are Your Underground Storage Tanks Safe?
Convenience store operators who don’t know state regulations concerning underground storage tanks (USTs) from a hole in the ground had better learn more about what’s in those holes and what the government is both offering and expecting from them. Federal mandates requiring a significant increase in biofuels production, for example, have spurred an increase in…
Turning to the RYO Category
Since the onset of the April SCHIP tax increase, tobacco retailers have been turning to puffed or extended tobacco to help customers deal with the skyrocketing costs of cigarettes, especially as more customers are turning to the roll your own (RYO) category in an attempt to save dollars. Republic Tobacco’s Gambler is the market leader…
Creating Supply Chain Efficiencies
Getting products to stores more efficiently is now a major focus for all major retailers and distributors. Better distribution means lower costs and higher margins—both items high on c-store owners’ agendas these days—when customers are clutching their wallets more tightly than they have in years. “There are two ways to make money: increase prices or…