Convenience Matters

What's going on with gas prices? We have the answers. Related Links: OPIS website NACS Blog: Why Gas Prices Are Rising When They Should Be Falling? NACS Blog: Who Makes Money Selling Gas? NACS Fuel Resource Center Hosted by:  Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Tom Kloza, Global Head of Energy Analysis, OPIS Tom has covered downstream oil markets for over 40 years. A magna cum laude graduate of St. Francis University, Tom has a degree in English and has analyzed crude oil, refined products, and gas liquids for parts of four decades. He has also written commentary for MarketWatch and is a regular guest commentator for Bloomberg Financial Markets and NPR Marketplace. He provides unbiased and expert commentary for print and electronic media during times of oil volatility and is regularly quoted in virtually every U.S. and international periodical on the subject.

Encouraging repeat customer business is an art form. Hear what works and what can really turn a consumer off. Related Links: Episode #249 Loyalty Matters. A Lot. Let's Talk Loyalty Podcast Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS, and Rose Johnson, Audience Development and Production Manager, NACS About our Guest: Paula Thomas, Host of "Let's Talk Loyalty" Podcast Paula Thomas is an independent loyalty marketing consultant, writer and podcast host. Paula has experience leading consumer loyalty programs across multiple sectors including telecommunications, the energy sector, banking and airline loyalty programs and published a book entitled “Driving Loyalty in Convenience Retail.” Her podcast, “Let’s Talk Loyalty” covers every aspect of loyalty marketing across all industries.

Consumers will embrace a brand that stands for something, cares about the community, and shares their values. Kum & Go is one convenience retail company that goes beyond leading with purpose and models its entire operation around it. Related Links: NACS Managing Food Waste Guide  Kum & Go/Krause Group 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility Report  Episode #298 Resolving Food Waste as a Business Solution  Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS and Jeff Lenard, VP Strategic Industry Initiatives, NACS About our Guests: Emily Bahnsen, Philanthropy Manager, Kum & Go Emily Bahnsen oversees Kum & Go’s philanthropic giving programs, including the company’s annual United Way and Habitat for Humanity campaigns, grants and in-kind donations. In addition to her work at Kum & Go, Bahnsen is a member of the Mid-Iowa Planned Giving Council, Association of Fundraising Professionals and Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines Funders Forum. She also volunteers her time with the Y

Serving up a foodservice program that is fast, safe and delicious is important for convenience retailers. Having the technology to support it is critical. Related Links: Supplyit NACS Research Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS About our Guests: Jayme Gough, Research Manager, NACS Jayme Gough is an experienced researcher and PMP at NACS with a Biochemistry degree from Bates College and a Project Management Certificate from Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies. Greg Watson, Regional Food Service Manager, Tri Star Energy, LLC Greg Watson is responsible for the foodservice program and implementation throughout Twice Daily's convenience stores. He has a rich history in the restaurant industry, as well. Thomasin LaMachia, Partner, Supplyit Thomasin LaMachia is a Partner at Supplyit/Jera Concepts. The team helps businesses manage their operations from start to finish. It's not just about the food, it’s about empowering customers to tackle the challenges that come with a c

Convenience is about speed and choice. In this episode, we talk with innovative Founder and CEO of Choice convenience stores in Denver to hear how he has mastered food, technology and most of all, choice. Related Links: Choice Markets NACS Ideas 2 Go: Choice Markets For you Pfish fans Shop Talk LIVE #26 Redefining U.S. Convenience In a Digital Age – With Kwik Chek & Choice Markets Hosted by: Jeff Lenard and Carolyn Schnare About our Guest: Mike Fogarty, Founder and CEO, Choice Mike Fogarty is the Founder and CEO of Choice Market located in downtown Denver. Choice, which opened in October 2017 is an omnichannel convenience store concept that combines the operating hours, transaction times, and store size of traditional c-store with the product selection of a natural market and fast-casual restaurant. Prior to Choice, Mike served as Senior Category Manager at Danone (Formerly WhiteWave Foods), one of the world’s largest manufacturers of natural and organic products.

In this rapid-fire Q&A, hear what may affect convenience retailers in U.S. legislation and policy. Related Links: NACS Advocacy Issues Take Action on NACS Issues Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare About our Guests: Anna Blom, Director of Government Relations, NACS; Doug Kantor, General Counsel, NACS; Jon Taets, Director of Government Relations, NACS In their roles at NACS, Anna Blom, Doug Kantor and Jon Taets work tirelessly 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.

The Biden Administration wants half a million EV charging units in the U.S. by 2030. Retailers, utilities, and other businesses are brainstorming how to make it happen on target and on budget. Related Links: Fuels Institute EV Council reports Hosted by: John Eichberger, Executive Director, Fuels Institute and Paige Anderson, Director of Government Relations, NACS About our Guest: Erika Myers, Acting Director of Global eMobility, World Resources Institute Erika Myers is an electric vehicle subject matter expert at WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. She leads the electric mobility team’s research efforts and works with cities across the globe to identify opportunities to electrify transportation, including infrastructure deployment and vehicle-grid integration methods for public transit and other municipal fleets. Erika has worked for nearly two decades on clean energy, alternative transportation fuels, and distributed energy resource topics in government, for-profit, and non-profit roles. Her background g

Working with trusted partners and tying metrics to project outcomes is imperative to success. Related Links: Stuzo webpage Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare and Donovan Woods About our Guest: As Stuzo’s Chief Marketing Officer, Aaron leads the company’s marketing department, supports go-to-market efforts, and leads media relations, analyst relations, and product marketing. Aaron is also a serial technology entrepreneur, a lifelong musician / composer, and co-founder and former Board Member of Philly Startup Leaders.

Technology makes everything move faster, even customer visits. Forward-thinking retailers are focusing on self-checkout and mobile payment options with the goal of increasing customer traffic. Related Links: NACS Convenience Retail Technology Implementation & Benchmarks J & H Family Stores Gilbarco Veeder-Root Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS About our Guests: Patrick Loftus, Survey Research and Data Visualization Manager, NACS Patrick Loftus manages a robust portfolio of quantitative and qualitative research solutions designed to meet the unique needs of the convenience and fuel retail industry, including the NACS State of the Industry Report and NACS State of the Industry Compensation Report, as well as the NACS CSX benchmarking database and annual NACS State of the Industry Summit. Chris Whitley, Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Gilbarco Veeder-Root Chris Whitley is the Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Gilbarco Veeder-Root, the global producer of retai

Learn how to better handle and react to change with easy-to-remember, life-changing tools in this fun and uplifting episode. Related Links: Being Better with Jennifer Powers Website Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS and Rose Johnson, Audience Development and Production Manager, NACS About our Guest: Jennifer Powers, Master Certified Coach, Powerhouse, Inc. In 2009, Jennifer Powers published the best-selling book, Oh, shift! and a few years later Oh, shift! for Teens and its accompanying curriculum. Good shift! How to deal with change before it deals with you was released in 2020.

Investing in new store equipment and lights can save thousands of dollars per year. How does your store measure up? Related Links: NACS Convenience Store Energy Use Survey NACS/Energy Star Tools NACS Energy Star Survey Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS and Paige Anderson, Director of Government Relations, NACS About our Guest: Patrick Loftus, Survey Research and Data Visualization Manager, NACS Patrick Loftus manages a robust portfolio of quantitative and qualitative research solutions designed to meet the unique needs of the convenience and fuel retail industry, including the NACS State of the Industry Report and NACS State of the Industry Compensation Report, as well as the NACS CSX benchmarking database and annual NACS State of the Industry Summit. Loftus worked at Gartner and its former subsidiary CEB for more than a decade in a series of increasingly responsible positions, most recently as senior principal of data science and benchmarking. In this role, he directed more tha

Good leaders appreciate that employee experience is critical to the delivery of a great customer experience. Related Links: The Michelli Experience Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS and Rose Johnson, Audience Development and Production Manager, NACS About our Guest: Joseph Michelli, CEO, The Michelli Experience Joseph A. Michelli, Ph.D., C.S.P., is a speaker, author, and organizational consultant who transfers his knowledge of exceptional business practices in ways that develop joyful and productive workplaces with a focus on customer experience. His insights encourage leaders and frontline workers to grow and invest passionately in all aspects of their lives. Dr. Michelli is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Nielson BookScan, and New York Times #1 bestselling author. His latest book is Stronger Through Adversity: World-Class Leaders Share Pandemic-Tested Lessons on Thriving During the Toughest Challenges.

Two things stand out in great c-stores around the world: friendly customer service and tidy, clean stores. Related Links: Insight Research Website CAF European 2021 C-Store Shopper Insights Survey Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS and Chris Blasinsky, Content Strategist, NACS About our Guests: Nick Scherzer, Director, Insight Research Insight Director, Nick Scherzer joined the business over a decade ago and is a recognized expert on the European and international convenience and fuel retail markets. Nick has led Insight’s global strategic store visit program for many years, building a strong network of relationships with retailers across the globe. Prior to joining Insight, Nick spent 12 years in a variety of operational roles with SPAR South Africa, one of the most sophisticated operators of the SPAR brand globally. Mike G. Zahajko, Executive Vice President, CAF Mike Zahajko is an insight leader and teacher in the retail petroleum industry with experience as a fuel retailer at

Convenience stores sell a lot of food, but finding a destination for unused food is important. Donating leftover food is easy with Feeding America for both small and large c-store operators. Related Links: Feeding America Corporate Donations MealConnect NACS Information on Donations Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS and Jeff Lenard, VP Strategic Industry Initiatives, NACS About our Guest: Danielle Lawson, Account Manager, Feeding America Danielle Lawson is an account manager for Feeding America’s Retail Partnerships team, managing a portfolio of national donors that collectively helped provide over 119 million meals to people in need, in 2020. Danielle has been doing work to eliminate food insecurity for 9 years, first at Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, and now at the national level, on behalf of 200 (Feeding America) member food banks. Prior to this work, she immersed herself in the clothing and toy industries, as a buyer for companies like Lands’ End, American G

High-quality, effective, and well-designed digital content is important, especially when the goal is to enhance the customer experience. Related Links: Abierto Sample Content LG Business Solutions Episode #248 The Future of Forecourt Communication is in Pixels Hosted by: Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS About our Guests: Rick Sales, President, Abierto Enrique (Rick) Sales has served as the President of Abierto since it was founded in 2005. He has an extensive background in the Convenience and Fueling industry, working as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Intelligent Controls before starting Abierto. As technology changes, Rick continues to evolve the company and adapt to new industry trends and problems. Rick has a black belt in Taekwondo, enjoys fishing, and is a rabid Celtics fan. Abierto Networks is a Digital Engagement Solutions provider focused on the Convenience Store and Convenience Foodservice Retail industries. Their digital marketing solutions integrate in-store digi

Testing, learning, analyzing and ruffling some feathers are some of the keys to success for launching new ideas. Related Links: Andy Ellwood's website Hosted by: Chris Blasinsky, Content Strategist, NACS and Britt Brewer, Marketing Manager, NACS About our Guest: Andy Ellwood, Founder, Basket Andy Ellwood is an Executive Coach based in NYC and serves coaching partners worldwide. Andy partners with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and corporate executives to tackle the challenges of leadership, fundraising, and growth. Andy spent over a decade as a startup operator. First leading partnerships and sales for companies acquired by Google (Waze) and Facebook (Gowalla) before then going on to found three companies of his own.

The inaugural 2020 Fuel Leaders report, published by Fuels Market News and NACS and compiled by OPIS, tracks the performance of over 250 fuel retailers with a solid overview of the industry’s top 50 fuel operators. In this episode, we'll talk about the methodology and analysis behind the rankings. Related Links: 2020 Fuel Leaders, Fuels Market News Magazine OPIS Brand Power Ranking Report OPIS RetailSuite Hosted by: Jeff Lenard, VP Strategic Industry Initiatives, NACS About our Guests: Keith Reid, Editor, Fuels Market News Keith Reid founded Fuels Market News, a multifaceted digital and print media company in 2013 to focus on the needs of petroleum marketers, retailers and commercial fuel buyers. The company was acquired by NACS in 2020. Brian Norris, Executive Director of Retail Fuels, OPIS Brian joined OPIS in 2005, working in a variety of sales and marketing roles before joining the OPIS Retail division. Over the last 10 years, Brian has worked to ensure the accuracy and integrity of OPIS retail pricing, m

Having an app is not a strategy, it's just one step in building a cohesive digital strategy to enhance the customer's experience. Find out what else makes up a digitally sophisticated brand. Related Links: Hathway Website Hosted by: Donovan Woods, Director of Operations, Fuels Institute and Chris Blasinsky, Content Strategist, NACS About our Guests: Matt Carinio, VP, Strategy, Hathway With 20 years of operations, R&D, product and marketing experience in the online and mobile space, Matt Carinio thrives on formulating executable solutions to complex problems. With proven methods that allow organizational leaders to successfully uncover challenges that they were unaware of or to just clarify ones that are already known, Matt's goal is always to make their business and them as individuals successful through the process of strategic planning and execution. Sam Herro, Director of Business Development, Hathway Sam Herro is the Director of Business Development at Hathway. In his role, he’s tasked with growing Ha

According to this independent operator, "your net worth is your network" and connecting with other entrepreneurs is the best way to grow your business. Hear tips to attract and retain employees and beat your competition from 3-store convenience retailer, Bassem Nowyhed. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard, VP Strategic Industry Initiatives, NACS and Carolyn Schnare, Director Strategic Initiatives, NACS About our Guest: Bassem Nowyhed, Convenience Store Franchise Owner and Founder of Invig Consulting Bassem Nowyhed has more than a decade of experience in convenience store management and the Food & Beverage industry. As a forward thinker and natural networker, Bassem’s brought numerous innovations to the multiple convenience store franchise locations he owns in California.

Innovation is important but it must be done with purpose and intention and with leadership to lead it and a culture to accept it. How do you take innovation from the C-suite to the C-store? Related Links: Leapfrogging Hosted by: Jeff Lenard, VP Strategic Industry Initiatives, NACS and Chris Blasinsky, Content Strategist, NACS About our Guest: Soren Kaplan, Managing Principal, InnovationPoint Soren Kaplan is the bestselling and award winning author of Leapfrogging and The Invisible Advantage, an Affiliate at the Center for Effective Organizations at USC’s Marshall School of Business, a writer for Fast Company and Inc. Magazine, a globally recognized keynote speaker, the Founder of InnovationPoint and Co-founder of Praxie. He holds Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Organizational Psychology, resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, and possesses dual US-French citizenship.