ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-NM-02) got a chance to check out life behind the counter at Yesway’s new Allsup’s location in Carlsbad, New Mexico, earlier this week.
Her visit was a part of the NACS In Store program, which invites members of Congress into their local convenience stores to meet constituents, employees and customers and learn more about the dynamics of operating a convenience store. Participants even get the opportunity to be behind the counter serving and checking out customers.
During her visit, Herrell learned about the hidden costs for each credit card transaction that customers may not be aware of—swipe fees. Swipe fees continue to remain convenience store operators’ second highest operating cost after labor, according to NACS State of the Industry data.
Convenience store swipe fees were $14 billion in 2021, a 26% increase over the year prior and were about 33% higher than that over the first half of 2022. Since credit card swipe fees are set as a percentage of total transaction cost, they serve as an inflation multiplier as prices go up.
“We were excited to share with Rep. Herrell how Allsup’s stores serve the public in her home state,” said Brian Ashburn, senior vice president of retail operations, Yesway/Allsup’s. “I hope that she left with an even more intimate understanding not only of convenience stores’ challenges but also of our many contributions to our community here in New Mexico.”
Since the In Store program’s inception in 2015, NACS has coordinated over 120 In Store visits in 34 states across the U.S. The program’s ultimate goal is for legislators to take what they’ve learned at the pump and behind the counter and bring it back to Capitol Hill.
In April, NACS In Store hosted Congressman John Rose (Tenn.-6) at Weigel’s in Crossville, Tennessee.
“I’ve had the privilege of serving friends and neighbors across Middle Tennessee as their representative for three years, but this was my first chance to serve them from behind the counter of a Weigel’s,” Rose said. “Convenience stores serve a lot of critical functions, especially in rural communities.”
In August, Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) visited a Kansas QuikTrip location where he worked behind the counter.
“It just amazes me, a convenience store like this one, is that they're paying more for swipe fees than they are for utilities,” said Marshall during his visit.
If you are interested in hosting a member of Congress in one of your stores, reach out to Margaret Hardin, NACS grassroots manager, at mhardin@convenience.org for more information.