ALEXANDRIA, VA—NACS has over a dozen updated backgrounders that explain various elements related to fueling that may help convenience retailers explain current market conditions to customers and reporters.

These backgrounders have been helpful in explaining economic conditions to reporters, just as the recent stories “The Economics of a Gas Station” and “Gas Stations, Low Supply Not to Blame for Rising Prices.”

“NACS launched its Fuels Resource Center more than 20 years ago to define issues related to fueling from the retailers’ perspective, using the most credible and latest data available that can explain market conditions,” said Jeff Lenard, NACS vice president of strategic industry initiatives. “The backgrounders—and the NACS blog posts—can help start conversations about elements of market dynamics, whether shared with reporters or on social media.”

Some of the more popular backgrounders right now are:

• Why Gas Prices Vary Station to Station
• Convenience Stores Sell the Most Gas
• Factors that Affect Gas Prices
• Seasonal Gas Prices Explained

“If there is one number that explains market conditions, it’s that the weekly fuel margin right now is 18.7 cents per gallon, according to OPIS. After factoring in expenses, especially credit card fees, it clearly shows that retailers are not responsible for higher prices,” said Lenard.

For those who want to dive deeper into numbers related to supply, demand and retailing, NACS also developed the in-depth backgrounder, Key Facts About Fueling.

Several NACS blog posts also explain market dynamics:

• When Were Gas Prices Low?
• Who Makes Money Selling Gas?
• Why Gas Prices Are Rising When They Should Be Falling
• Does the President Control Gas Prices?