Convenience Matters

For VERC Enterprises, business goals always come back to serving the community. Nearly 20 years ago, the company tested a program to provide work to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After finding that the program significantly increased culture, it grew to providing employment to other hard-to-place individuals. Today, more than 20% of the 250 employees are individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This is just one of the many ways the company seeks to delight customers and celebrate the communities in which it serves.

Co-hosts Jeff Lenard, NACS Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives; and Stephanie Sikorski, Director, NACS Foundation and Mission Marketing talk to Leo about how he delights customers and gives back to the community.

EPA's Office of Underground Storage Tanks is responsible for ensuring that fuel retailers maintain their tank systems to prevent petroleum releases. A 2016 report issued by the Office found that many diesel fuel retailers have experienced excessive corrosion in their systems and that many more may not even know they have a problem. Convenience Matters spoke with EPA about this study, new tank regulations and the relationship between EPA and tank owners.

Co-hosts John Eichberger, Executive Director of the Fuels Institute, and Donovan Woods, Director of the Fuels Institute, talk to the EPA about the Agency's report on corrosion in diesel storage tanks, underground storage tank regulations and priorities for the tanks program.

Customers are increasingly seeking out more fresh items at convenience stores--whether bananas, fruit cups or salads. And this trend is attracting new customers, especially millennials and women. But that doesn't mean that a fresh offer will work at every store. If you're not sure if you are ready to expand your fresh offer, review a quick 10-point checklist that Kelly helped develop as part of her involvement on the NACS-United Fresh "Fresh Convenience" task force.

Co-hosts Jeff Lenard, NACS Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives; and Stephanie Sikorski, Director, NACS Foundation and Mission Marketing talk to Kelly about what stores need to consider before they embark upon a more comprehensive fresh offer in stores.

Larry Thomas is known by that iconic character but sometimes it's about being in the right place at the right time. He got the call to play the part about 7:30 at night and came up with his character in the early morning hours. And over the course of those few hours he created a character so memorable it led to an Emmy, an iconic catch phrase and a product line of, you guessed it, soups. Larry shares his thoughts on the NACS Show, explains how soup can sell in a c-store, and provides a behind-the-scenes account of his time working with the stars of the hit TV show, Seinfeld.

Co-hosts Stephanie Sikorski, Director, NACS Foundation and Mission Marketing; and Nat Keller, NACS Director of Marketing talk to Larry about foodservice in the convenience channel with the debut of his new soup line, growing up in an entrepreneurial household, and—of course—what it's like to have been a part of a show that revolutionized American pop culture.

Why do blindfolded taste-test volunteers say that chocolate yogurt tastes like strawberry yogurt? It comes down to psychology and if their minds think it, they react accordingly. NACS Show attendees packed an education session to get insights about how the consumers' mind works from Adam Brumberg—and we had a chance to dive deeper into how retailers can better understand human psychology to help increase sales of better-for-you items in stores.

Co-hosts Jeff Lenard, NACS Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives; and Carolyn Schnare, NACS Director of Strategic Industry Initiatives talk to Adam about the psychology behind how consumers make decisions—and what you can do about it.

"You need to separate yourself from the competition," stresses Kent Couch. It's something that he first did with a series of record-setting cluster balloon flights, beginning in 2006. However, the story about his Stop & Go store in Bend, OR, is really about what they have brought home from learning at NACS Shows and through NACS membership. Currently, it's the wildly popular growler program, with more than 50 taps in the gas station. His store was the first to put in a growler station in the Northwest a few years ago. (Kent said that he got the idea from a NACS Daily article, and he says that it may have kick-started the entire growler craze in the Northwest.)

Co-hosts Jeff Lenard, NACS Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives; and Carolyn Schnare, NACS Director of Strategic Industry Initiatives talk to Kent about how he finds ideas to grow his one-store business. (Hint: The NACS Show plays a big role.)

Everyone at the NACS Show was talking about the NACS Show general session speeches. So it only makes sense that Convenience Matters talked to one of these speakers, Steve Gross. At the heart of his work, Steve helps others discover the power of optimism so that they can build resilience and bring greater joy, connection, courage and creativity to their lives.

Co-hosts Carolyn Schnare, NACS Director of Strategic Industry Initiatives; and Stephanie Sikorski, Director, NACS Foundation and Mission Marketing talk to Steve about the themes that were part of his highly acclaimed 2016 NACS Show general session presentation.

The fuels and vehicles markets are truly global in scope and there are a number of fueling trends in South America that are relevant to the United States, from how they fuel vehicles to what fuels are sold, to what consumers do once they come inside the stores. And, as can be expected, there are also some interesting fueling-related issues that have emerged.

For a lot of consumers, ethanol seems like a new transportation fuel, whether E85, E15 or the standard E10 blend that is in virtually every gallon of gasoline sold today. But it's actually the fuel that was used for those first automobiles produced in the 1880s. And ethanol is continuing to evolve, with new blends and feedstocks expected to fuel its growth, and an expanded distribution infrastructure that is efficient at delivering ethanol to markets throughout the U.S. Hear some trends you can expect to see in your tank – and get some in-depth analysis of the market.

Whether you are a first-time attendee or a regular, there is always something new to see and do at the NACS Show. So are there any tips for getting the most out of your experience? Our panelists certainly would know because cumulatively they have attended 50 NACS Shows. What's their advice–beyond to wear comfortable shoes? It's really about having a plan for success because all it takes is one great idea that can change your business.