LAS VEGAS – Change will always usher in winners and losers, and retailers who want to be on the winning side of change should prepare to stay ahead of the curve. During Tuesday’s general session at the NACS Show, NACS President and CEO Henry Armour used his love of surfing to encourage retailers to “catch the wave” of change.

Change fosters competition and new ways to compete, Armour told attendees. 

“It’s all about paddling as hard as you can before the wave gets to you and catching it,” Armour said. “If you don’t, you’re going to get crushed by the wave.”

In an era of disruptive change, Armour alerted retailers to the “enormous number of waves” heading their way. This includes electric vehicles (EVs), self-driving vehicles, on-demand fueling, new fuels to power these vehicles, the ever-increasing focus on healthier lifestyles and foods, the legalization of marijuana and sports betting, and more. 

If only we could see the future to know which waves to catch and which ones to avoid. Open your eyes, Armour said, the future is here. The most important areas of the future for retailers are friction in the customer journey (including the technological opportunities to reduce it), the impact of EVs on our industry and changing the definition of convenience.

The impact of EVs may vary by geography. The trend may not catch on as quickly in the wide-open spaces of Wyoming as it would in urban areas. Friction is fluid, Amour said. The world is watching Amazon Go and Starbucks, and convenience stores can learn from these and other rising companies. However, our industry differs in certain ways, such as the sale of age-restricted products.  

“We should be very aware of what’s happening in other retail formats, because that’s where the future may be,” Armour said. 

The changing definition of convenience is of great importance, he told the crowd. Retailers are battling a mindset and a lifestyle when operating off the notion that convenience is a store. CVS, Walgreens or Dollar General can be just as convenient. 

“We have to be paddling to a future in which our stores deliver a compelling shopping experience with products that fuel and excite the immediate consumption demands of our customers in a frictionless ordering and payment environment,” Armour said.

Armour’s closing remarks were the perfect lead-in to NACS’ Ideas 2 Go video showcasing retailers who have discovered innovative ways to compete.