Convenience Matters

We're breaking down two of the biggest questions fuel retailers have faced in decades: Will installing EV chargers be good for my business, and how do I launch a program? Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Karl Doenges, Executive Director, Charging Analytics Program Karl represents NACS on the coming disruption in mobility and how that affects convenience retailers. In this role, Karl focuses on the NACS EV charging infrastructure program, monitoring and engaging the EV industry and the Fuels Institute Electric Vehicle Council.

Convenience store design has come a long way from the standard 40x60 box. Today, design involves many new elements, including brand strategy. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Amanda Baltazar, Retail & Hospitality Journalist Amanda is a journalist with 20+ years of experience and expertise in foodservice, beverages, restaurants/bars and overall retail. She covers everything from operations to how to staff a c-suite.

How do you revitalize and reimagine a nearly 90-year-old family brand? Stephanie Stuckey shares the lessons she's learned during her 5-year journey at the helm of Stuckey's. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Stephanie Stuckey, Chair, Stuckey’s Stephanie is chair of Stuckey’s. She worked as a trial lawyer a state representative in Georgia and Atlanta’s director of sustainability before purchasing Stuckey’s in 2019 and assuming the role of CEO. When she’s not running Stuckey’s, she enjoys travelling by car to explore the back roads of America.

In rural areas, locals know the best meals come from gas stations. In this episode, Stafford Shurden shares his tips for finding great c-store and gas station food. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Stafford Shurden, Creator, Gas Station Tailgate Review Stafford is a restaurant owner and farmer from Drew, MS. Over the past four years, between managing his farm and restaurant, Stafford has traveled the southern United States in search of the best gas station food and filming it from the tailgate of his pickup truck. His popular show "Gas Station Tailgate Review” has amassed millions of views on social media.

Foodservice in c-stores accounts for nearly 40% of in-store profits. We're breaking down how you can ensure that food safety remains top of mind. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard and Chrissy Blasinsky About our Guest: David McIntyre, Senior Health & Safety Specialist, EG America David has more than 30 years of experience in culinary, retail and noncommercial/contract foodservice management environments. His team was instrumental in developing and rolling out a risk-based internal assessment of food and workplace safety standards at EG America. He currently works with the Fastrac and Cumberland Farms banners in New York and oversees a field team in the Midwest and Western regions.

Businesses that accepted Visa and/or Mastercard between January 1, 2004, and January 25, 2019, are eligible to claim a share of the antitrust class-action settlement, but they must file by August 30. We’ll tell you how. 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.

Ethanol and other biofuels are already used in more than 10% of all gasoline purchased in the United States. How much more can be used and what would the impact be on food supply and other considerations? 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.

We're flipping the script and answering questions from our Convenience Matters producer on how to maximize your NACS Show experience. Hosted by: Blake Althen, Human Factor Guests: Chrissy Blasinsky, NACS and Jeff Lenard, NACS

We all could use more laughter and good news, and that's what Tank Sinatra delivers to his 11 million social media followers. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Tank Sinatra, renowned content creator Tank Sinatra is the largest and most prolific meme creator on the internet and has been called “The Michael Jordan of memes.” In addition, “Tank’s Good News” is featured on GSTV.

From the corporate “police function” to nitpickers and fault finders, there are many myths around internal audits. We're debunking these myths and sharing how you can benefit from the process. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Kara Falco, Director of Internal Audit at Casey’s At Casey’s, Kara manages a team of 13 and has participated and presented in internal audit conferences sharing insights with her professional peers.

Food sales continue to grow at convenience stores, especially during a few key dayparts. However, competition from QSRs could encroach on your sales. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: David Portalatin, Senior Vice President and Industry Advisor, Food and Foodservice, Circana David is a trusted industry advisor who works closely with leading food manufacturers and retailers as well as foodservice distributors, manufacturers, and operators. He shares data and deep expertise on how U.S. consumers eat and drink, their attitudes and motivations, their personal characteristics, and their use of restaurants and other foodservice outlets. Portalatin is also the author of Circana’s Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America, a compilation of food and foodservice research.

A look at the top 50 fuels retailers by efficiency—including sales at the pump and inside the store—and what you can learn from them. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guests: Brian Norris, Executive Director of Retail Fuels, OPIS Brian has been with OPIS for nearly 20 years. Over the last 13 years, Brian's focus has been ensuring the accuracy and integrity of OPIS retail pricing, margin, market share and volume data—plus helping develop the suite of OPIS retail analytics products. Keith Reid, Editorial Director, Fuels Market News Keith has covered the fuels retailing industry for more than 20 years. In 2013, he helped found FMN Media LLC, a multifaceted digital and print media company that focuses on the needs of petroleum marketers, retailers and commercial fuel buyers. The company was acquired by NACS in 2020.

When you talk to shoppers who seek out businesses, one unique advantage rises to the top — they want to shop at places that have a true understanding of the communities they serve. In other words, they act local. How can your business be seen as a community champion? Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: Erin Wroge, Senior Director of Energy Marketing at CHS Inc. (Cenex®) Erin is responsible for Cenex® brand marketing, including support of more than 1,400 convenience store locations across 19 states. Erin has over 11 years of experience at CHS in the energy industry. During this time, she has held roles collaborating with various marketing teams across energy businesses. Additionally, she has led initiatives to develop impactful programs designed to educate customers about technical advantages, key considerations and innovative trends within both the convenience retail and energy product industries, including refined fuels, lubricants and propane. Erin leverages her expertise to provide customers with criti

On June 10, 1964, a convenience store outside Denver sold 124 gallons of gas and ushered in the modern era of self-serve fueling. Today, c-stores sell that much gas every 0.02 seconds. Hosted by: Jeff Lenard About our Guest: John Roscoe, convenience industry icon John was named one of the “50 most influential people in convenience store industry” by Convenience Store News for good reason: He was in the room during many of the industry’s critical junctures, including the launch of self-serve fueling in June 1964.

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.