MIAMI, Fla. - Day two of the NACS Leadership Forum dug deep in the theme of Visions of the Future by tackling two key convenience drivers: refreshment and refueling.
Moderated by Neeli Bendapudi, professor of marketing at The Ohio State University, the lively morning session featured insights examining why the convenience channel is the number one destination for consumers seeking refreshment.
"We are the refreshment channel," declared Dae Kim, NACS vice president of research, as he launched into his data-driven presentation, sharing NACS State of the Industry data as well as consumer insights from the Convenience Tracking Program (CTP).
Opokua Kwapong, vice president of R&D, sports and hydration at PepsiCo, continued the discussion as she discussed the five key trends shaping the future: demographic changes, economic challenges, continued emphasis on health and wellness, lifestyle changes and finally, the environment.
Then retailers took the stage to share their advice and experience. Dave Carpenter, president of J.D. Carpenter Companies, talked about the beer category, namely the importance of beer caves and the potential growth of growlers, draft beer for takeaway.
John Zikias, vice president of marketing for Thorntons Inc., shared the secret to Thorntons?? cold and frozen dispensed success: a quality program, commitment, consistency across stores and thorough communication about the program both internally and externally.
Wawa??s Lisa Wollen, head of consumer insights and brand strategy, wowed the crowd with a description of the retail chain??s recent "seismic reinvention" of their coffee business.
In the afternoon, Bendapudi refocused attendees on the future of fuels, with help from John Eichberger, NACS vice president of government relations. Eichberger warned of changing regulations that could have dramatic influence on how retailers sell fuel ?" and what they sell.
Alternative fuels deployment, electric and hybrid technologies, and retail marketing techniques were topics tackled by Julie Becker, vice president of environmental affairs at the Alliance of Auto Manufacturers; Gary Heminger, president of Marathon Petroleum Company; and Coleman Jones, biofuel implementation manager at General Motors.
The Leadership Forum ends Friday with keynote presentations focusing on the importance of people in any vision of the future.