Convenience Matters

Every July 24, roughly 1 in 5 convenience stores—and a growing list of supplier partners—celebrate the heroes in their communities. The event, 24/7 Day, draws enormous media coverage and brand awareness for participating companies.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Stephanie Sikorski, NACS VP Marketing, and Executive Director, NACS Foundation

Stephanie leads the development of integrated marketing campaigns and executes strategies to effectively grow NACS global brand and advance convenience and fuel retailing. She also oversees the NACS Foundation, which created 24/7 Day.

Data shows that 9 in 10 people who work in local shops have experienced verbal abuse over the last year. The ASC's ShopKind program unites retailers to address these behaviors.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guests:

James Lowman, Chief Executive, Association of Convenience Stores (U.K.)

James was appointed ACS chief executive in 2006. He has led ACS on political and policy representation, driven a unique research program that informs ACS' policy work, launched an industry-leading assured advice scheme in partnership with Surrey County Council and created a new and unique events program. He is a member of ministerial advisory groups including the National Retail Crime Steering Group and the Retail Sector Council.

Ed Woodall, Government Relations Director, Association of Convenience Stores (U.K.)

As government relations director since 2009, Ed consults with ACS members through ACS' Policy Committee and Expert Policy Groups to develop policy positions and the organization's public affairs strategy.

The 2024 NACS State of the Industry Summit delivered insights on c-store industry performance metrics. Hear how this year is shaping up and the tools you need to make data-driven decisions.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard and Chrissy Blasinsky

About our Guest:

Chris Rapanick, Managing Director, NACS Research

Chris oversees the day-to-day operations of NACS Research, manages and directs departmental financial and operational performance, and drives strategic development of NACS long-term research capabilities and offerings for the convenience industry.

With 85% of the population saying they have low self confidence, odds are that at times, you may be one of them. Find out how you can break the cycle.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard and Chrissy Blasinsky

About our Guest:

Juan Bendaña, keynote speaker

Juan is an internationally recognized speaker who helps leaders navigate uncertainty and exponential change by developing the unwavering confidence to thrive in any environment. Drawing from his science-based framework, the Confidence Cycle, he has inspired over 250,000 leaders, at companies including Disney, Sotheby's International, and Sony Pictures.

Foodservice is growing at convenience stores and represents 30% of inside sales. Chef Joe Arvin shares how you can keep elevating your food offer.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Joe Arvin, Celebrity Chef

Chef Joe Arvin is a two-time Culinary Federation gold medalist, three-time Chicago Fight Club champion, and finished 6th and 23rd place at The World Food Championships. He has also gained widespread recognition through appearances on the TV shows Big Brother, Cutthroat Kitchen, The Taste with Anthony Bourdain and South of MadLove, the cooking show that he created and hosts.

Brand positioning is a significant part of business because it's ultimately about how you communicate your offer to customers—and if it resonates. We'll share common pitfalls that businesses fall into and how to fix them.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Kathy Guzmán Galloway, Head Wizard, The Clarity Wizard

With 20 years of CPG experience, Kathy has helped hundreds of organizations increase revenue and decrease risk by clarifying their brand positioning. She's worked with brands like Nature Made, Lay's, and Chiki Chiki Boom Boom, among others, to turn strategy and data into action.

EV sales were down year over year Q1 of 2024, slowing a steep increase in sales over the past few years. We're discussing what drove this change and what it means for convenience retailers.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

John Eichberger, Executive Director, Transportation Energy Institute

John has more than 20 years of experience in the fuels industry, including more than a decade leading the Transportation Energy Institute (formerly known as the Fuels Institute). Prior to that, he served for 15 years as vice president of government relations at NACS, with a focus on fuels- and energy-related issues.

Culture is the cumulative effect of what people see, hear, experience and believe. In this episode we're breaking down how industry leaders can build a high-performance culture.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard and Chrissy Blasinsky

About our Guest:

Mark Miller, Author and Co-Founder, Lead Every Day

Mark is a seasoned business leader, a Wall Street Journal and international best-selling author, and a dynamic communicator. He worked for one of the world's great organizations for almost 45 years. Mark began a nearly 45-year career at Chick-fil-A as an hourly team member (and 16th corporate employee) and recently retired as the Vice President of High Performance Leadership.

Consumers are in a better—but not great—mood than a year ago. NACS surveyed consumers to capture their perceptions of convenience stores related to gas prices, crime and jobs.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Adam Rosenblatt, Founding Partner, Bold Decision

Adam Rosenblatt is one of the nation's leading political consultants sought after for his ability to help clients achieve victory through effective research-based strategies and messaging. He designs and executes cutting-edge quantitative, qualitative, and data analytics programs for campaigns as well as non-political clients like NACS.

Are they convenience stores/gas stations that serve food, or restaurants that happen to have gas? A new book visually explores these community destinations.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Kate Medley, Photojournalist and Author of "Thank You Please Come Again"

Kate Medley is a North Carolina-based visual journalist and filmmaker documenting the American South. Her latest book is "Thank You Please Come Again: How Gas Stations Feed & Fuel the American South."