Convenience Matters

A new Transportation Energy Institute research report highlights how several surprises affected the retail fuels market over the past 10 years, and what industry stakeholders should be prepared for in the next decade.

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 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.

Retail design teams do great work but, in many cases, can benefit from experts. We look at how to decide what's best for your business in developing and executing a digital strategy.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Rick Sales, President, Abierto Networks

Rick is founder and president of Abierto Networks, a leading digital engagement solutions provider focused on the convenience store and convenience foodservice retail industries and used in more than 4,000 locations across the country.

NACS was founded in August 1961, but its roots go back decades earlier. We share stories about how and why the industry--and NACS--was created, and where it's going.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

E-fuels are increasingly seen as a global alternative to electric vehicles, which until now have been the only option for achieving the decarbonization objectives set by countries throughout Europe.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Dr. Lorenz Kiene, Owner and Managing Director, Luehmann Group

Lorenz is owner and managing director of the Luehmann Group, overseeing different initiatives to promote the ramp up of green technologies in Germany.

The acceptance of cannabis in retail has come a long way in the past decade. Today, consumers talk about the properties—a sleep aid, a solution to chronic pain, or some other benefit—as opposed to the stereotypes a few decades ago. With these changes are changes in laws and regulations regarding its sale.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Melissa Vonder Haar, Writer/Consultant, MelissaV Inc.

Melissa has written about the convenience retailing industry for nearly two decades and has written numerous feature articles for NACS Magazine. In addition to her work at MelissaV Inc., she also is marketing director for iSee Store Innovations LLC.

Food safety expert and attorney Shawn Stevens shares how his team works with companies to develop food handling protocols, interventions, and supplier partnerships to ensure convenience retailers and restaurants serve high quality and safe food for their consumers.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard and Chrissy Blasinsky

About our Guest:

Shawn Stevens, Founder and Food Industry Lawyer, Food Industry Counsel LLC

Shawn is the founding member of Food Industry Counsel LLC, the only law firm in the United States that represents the food industry exclusively. As a food industry consultant and lawyer, he works with food industry clients (growers, processors, restaurant chains, distributors, grocers) helping them protect their brand by complying with FDA and USDA regulations, reducing risk, managing recalls and defending high-profile foodborne illness claims. He also speaks regularly to national and international audiences on a wide variety of emerging scientific, regulatory and food safety legal trends.

NACS Chairman Don Rhoads visited more than 60 stores to meet with frontline employees and thank them for being the face of our industry. He also has great stories to share from several road trips with NACS staff.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard and Chrissy Blasinsky

About our Guest:

Don Rhoads, 2022-23 NACS Chairman, President/CEO, The Convenience Group LLC

As NACS chairman, Don also leads the NACS Executive Committee, which provides strategic direction and financial oversight to the association. He began his convenience career in 1989 as president of the Quick Shop Minit Mart, a retail store chain in Vancouver, Washington. He started The Convenience Group in 2000 and has led the company in strategic growth, planning and establishment of long-term goals and policies and building the company's asset portfolio.

Gasoline prices are more than a dollar lower than this time last year, and demand has rebounded. This episode explores how geopolitics, hurricanes and shifting demand will influence the market for the remainder of 2023.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Denton Cinquegrana, Chief Oil Analyst, OPIS

Denton has been with OPIS since 2001 and serves as the chief oil analyst, responsible for the day-to-day operations of OPIS' news and analysis division. In his role, he also provides big picture views to OPIS subscribers on a variety of topics from supply and demand trends to anticipating price moves in the futures, spot and retail markets in North America.

Most organizations will struggle with innovation. Conexxus provides convenience retailers with the tools they need to develop their own technology road map and plan for the industry's future.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guests:

Linda Toth, Managing Director, Conexxus

Linda oversees all day-to-day operations of Conexxus. In addition, she advocates and collaborates on behalf of the convenience industry at various associations and organizations on payments, standards, and technology related topics.

Gray Taylor, Executive Director, Conexxus

Gray says he has the best job in the world because he gets paid to obsess about technology, convenience retail and policy, and work with some of the best people on the planet.

Credit card swipe fees cost the average American family over $1,000 a year. Bipartisan legislation in both the Senate and House of Representatives addresses the problem. Here's what business owners need to know—and what they can do—to fix the broken card system.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard

About our Guest:

Doug Kantor, General Counsel, NACS

Doug has served as legal counsel for NACS for more than 20 years, originally as a partner with the law firms Collier Shannon Scott PLLC and Steptoe & Johnson LLP. He has been NACS in-house counsel since 2021. Doug also served as special counsel and deputy chief of staff in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.