The Convenience Leaders Vision Group’s (CLVG) latest Vision Report, " Industry Leaders on Academic Collaboration, 24/7 Operations, EVs, Labor, Tariffs and AI," examines how convenience retailers are exploring university partnerships as well as navigating other key industry issues.

The report highlights members shared insights on topics such as leveraging university partnerships for innovation and talent development while addressing critical operational endeavors including 24-hour operations, EV charging adoption, workforce management, tariff impacts and AI implementation.

Highlights from the report include:

• VGN Academic Partnerships: Robert Hampton, VGN director of strategic growth and initiatives, presented how universities can serve as engines of innovation and talent while creating structured collaboration opportunities through capstone projects and hackathons. Joe Sheetz, executive vice chairman for Sheetz Inc, supports collaborating with students through an involved approach.
• The 24-Hour Store Format: The consensus was clear that while safety remains a factor, the 24-hour store continues to serve both operational needs and customer expectations. “We have a large number of guests that come to us around 5 a.m. and then that’s the start of the breakfast. And if you’re not open 24 hours and you open late, even 10 minutes, and you’re not ready for the guests, you’re going to lose them because they’re not going to be able to count on you for being open,” said Mark Samuels, EVP of convenience retailing, Dash In/The Wills Group.
• Labor and Workforce: Companies are experiencing improved candidate quality and retention while adapting to AI’s impact on administrative roles and remote work preferences. Jonathan Polonsky, CEO of Plaid Pantry, reported marked improvement, with turnover rates stabilizing and more experienced managers available longer sharing: “Over the last six months, the quality of candidate is much improved, and the number of applicants has increased.”
• Tariff Implications: Members noted the greatest impact from tariffs was felt on construction and equipment costs, with ongoing supply chain challenges affecting various products.
• AI Implementation: Companies are gradually incorporating AI into operations with creative solutions including multilingual customer-support bots and predictive ordering tools, while recognizing the growing importance of prompt engineering.

The full report can be found here.