Convenience Matters

With more people leaving their home kitchens and exploring new foods, convenience stores and restaurants are ready to re-capture customers. Mark DiDomenico of Datassential shares his insights on food and menu trends transpiring in 2021.

Hosted by:

Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS and Chris Blasinsky, Content Strategist, NACS

About our Guest:

Mark DiDomenico, Director, Customer Success, Datassential

Mark DiDomenico has been following trends in the Foodservice market for 30 years, working for food manufacturers like Kellogg and Sara Lee, as well as research and insights providers like the NPD Group and Datassential. In his current role, Mark is leveraging his significant experience helping both manufacturers and retailers develop strategies and tactics to support marketing and sales activities as well as new product development and innovation.

Although environmental, social and governance (ESG) planning is voluntary, that could change with legislative efforts to drive greater sustainability programming in the future. What does this mean for convenience retailers as they consider how and when to implement ESG planning?

Hosted by:

John Eichberger, Executive Director, The Fuels Institute

About our Guest:

Jeff Hove, Vice President, The Fuels Institute

Jeff Hove recently joined The Fuels Institute to deliver objective, fact-based analysis about the transportation energy sector. The Fuels Institute is a non-advocacy research organization dedicated to studying issues affecting the vehicles and fuels markets. Prior to joining the Fuels Institute, Jeff spent more than 20 years in the transportation sector in a variety of roles, most recently as vice president of the Alternative Fuels Council, a software-based compliance project of NATSO, the national trade association focused on travel plaza and truck stop owners, focused on renewable/low carbon fuel blending and the trading of renewable fuel credits.

The great penny debate continues! Although many Americans support the penny, others say the currency doesn't make sense. Listen to our conversation with the co-directors of "Heads-Up: Will We Stop Making Cents?" for both sides of the debate.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard, VP Strategic Industry Initiatives, NACS and Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS

About our Guests:

Zach Edick and Jamie Kovach, Directors, "Heads-Up: Will We Stop Making Cents?"

Zach Edick and Jamie Kovach are a husband-and-wife filmmaking team based in Austin, Texas. The pair met in art school and have been working and creating together since. Zach has spent the last decade working as a director and cinematographer on various commercial, narrative, and music video projects. He recently co-directed "The Tacos of Texas," a documentary mini-series produced by ITVS for PBS Digital Studios, and "Heads-Up: Will We Stop Making Cents?," a feature documentary about coin production. Jamie received her MFA from the University of New Mexico in 2013 and has since taught photography and design at Central Texas College while working side-by-side with Zach on "Heads-Up."It

The Retailer Deep Dive series showcases industry leaders who are leading the way by staying ahead of the ever-changing consumer and retail landscape. In this episode, Rachel Krupa at NYC's The Goods Mart shares some ideas that helped her business survive and thrive during the difficult year that was 2020. Watch additional videos at convenience.org/thegoodsmart.

Hosted by:

Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS and Chris Blasinsky, Content Strategist, NACS

From climate change to taxes, NACS lobbyists highlight some of the top industry issues already taking shape in the new 117th Congress.

Hosted by:

John Eichberger, Executive Director, Fuels Institute and Chris Blasinsky, Content Strategist, NACS

About our Guests:

Paige Anderson, Director of Government Relations, NACS and Jon Taets, Director of Government Relations, NACS

In their roles of Directors of Government Relations for NACS, Paige Anderson and Jon Taets work to protect the best interests of the convenience and fuel retailing industry before Congress and federal government agencies — especially against rules and regulations that can have a negative impact on business.

From electric vehicle policy to emissions regulations, what will fuel travel look like in 2021? What will the incoming Biden Administration mean for travel and for vehicle sales in the U.S.?

Hosted by:

Donovan Woods, Director of Operations, Fuels Institute and John Eichberger, Executive Director, Fuels Institute

About our Guest:

Dave Ruisard, U.S. Products Editor, Argus Media

From gasoline to residual fuel oil to distillates to crude oil, David Ruisard has extensive experience in the US markets. He first became a market reporter when he joined Platts in 2001 as their US Gulf coast gasoline and distillates reporter. Before the oil markets, David was an award winning news reporter and is a proud graduate of Baylor University.

Convenience store marketers and merchandisers have to be on their toes, especially this year. We talked with the legendary Derek Gaskins on his experiences in the industry, with the pandemic and what he thinks makes the c-store industry awesome.

Hosted by:

Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS and Britt Brewer, Marketing Manager, NACS

When it comes to food safety in convenience stores, retailers agree that it is not a competitive advantage. The host of the popular Risky or Not podcast series joins us today to talk about safe food handling practices for retailers.

Hosted by:

Chris Blasinsky, Content Strategist, NACS and Donovan Woods, Director of Operations, Fuels Institute

What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine deployment in the U.S. as it relates to essential convenience store front-line employees.

Hosted by:

Jeff Lenard, VP Strategic Industry Initiatives, NACS and Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS

About our Guests:

Anna Ready-Blom, Director, Government Relations, NACS

In her role of Director of Government Relations for NACS, Anna Ready-Blom works to protect the best interests of the convenience and fuel retailing industry before Congress and federal government agencies — especially against rules and regulations that can have a negative impact on business.

Doug Kantor, Partner, Steptoe and Johnson, LLC

Doug Kantor works in tandem with the NACS Government Relations team advocating for the convenience and fuel retailing industry. At Steptoe, Kantor provides governmental advocacy, strategic advice, and legal counseling services to a range of clients before the Congressional and Executive branch agencies, and he provides legal representation for clients facing investigations by state attorneys general and the Congress. He advocates for clients in areas including financial services, technology, energy, tax issues, the judiciary, and appropriations.

As President Joe Biden's Cabinet takes shape, we talk with the NACS lobbying team at how his picks might affect the convenience retailing industry.

Hosted by:

John Eichberger, Executive Director, Fuels Institute and Chris Blasinsky, Content Strategist, NACS