ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Hurricane Harvey is having a devastating impact on communities and businesses throughout the Gulf Coast, and that impact is now being felt across the country. In a special episode of Convenience Matters, “Hurricane Harvey's Effect on the Fuel Market,” cohosts Jeff Lenard, NACS vice president of strategic industry initiatives, and John Eichberger, Fuels Institute executive director, discuss fuel market conditions—and what they mean for the industry.

In the podcast, recorded August 31, Lenard and Eichberger dive into what could be happening in the near future with the fuel supply to provide a current update pertinent to fuel retailers, suppliers and customers.

“With compromised infrastructure and distribution networks, not to mention that the people who work at these refineries, drive the trucks and work the pipelines are unable to get to work, it is going to take some time to get the system back online and normal again,” said Lenard. “For gas stations, the key thing is that if you don’t have gas, it’s really tough to attract customers. They come for the fuel, they also get snacks, drinks, meals, etc. If you have bags on your pumps, they’re going to go shopping somewhere else.”

As for the stores in the storm-ravaged areas in Texas and Louisiana, Eichberger said that “each store is going to have to do a careful assessment of what was destroyed, what can be recovered and what do we have to do, and it’s going to take time.”

A new Convenience Matters podcast is released every week focusing on topics related to convenience stores. This week’s regular episode features Jackie Held with the American Red Cross discussing how retailers can get involved both in times of crisis and every day.