Trending Topics
There are myriad issues that convenience stores face every day, whether inside the store, on the forecourt, in the back office or in the boardroom. Here are some of the many topics that NACS can help you discuss and develop strategies around to enhance your business.
Convenience Store Food
Our industry specializes in all things food and beverage related, from safe food handling and fresh produce to the cold vault and the pizza oven.
Foodservice is an industry differentiator and a double-digit contributor to inside sales for convenience stores.
NACS Magazine captures what’s hot in convenience stores to satisfy hangry, hunger and thirst cravings.
Resources from NACS, allied industry groups and associations, and the federal government can help you enhance your safe food-handling practices and reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
Gain new ideas for increasing sales and meeting consumer demand for healthy food and beverage choices.
Energy Provider: Fuels and Electrification
C-stores are America’s primary source for fuel, selling nearly 80% of the gasoline purchased in the country. As more fuels and vehicle energy choices come to market, c-stores can meet the fill-up and EV recharging needs for nearly 40 million drivers each day.
Plan for an EV future by exploring opportunities to offer charging services to your customers and determining how to enable EV charging when the time is right.
Our resources provide an insider’s view of how fuel is produced, refined and ultimately sold at c-stores across the United States. And, we look at some of the issues that could affect an otherwise easy and convenient fill up.
Merchandise Inside the C-Store
Inside sales hit a record $255.6 billion in 2020 as customers frequented their local convenience store to fulfill their daily shopping needs. Managing products, prices, placement and promotions can help you deliver excitement, build bigger baskets and increase trips.
Effective category management helps drive sales, reduce out-of-stocks and deliver new and exciting products to the millions of shoppers who stop by a c-store each day.
What you need to know now about the legality of selling CBD products and getting ready for cannabis.
Growing Your Workforce
Convenience stores provide 2.34 million jobs in the United States, offering career opportunities and job development in a fast-paced and energetic environment. Here are tools and resources to help you recruit, train and retain your best employees.
Attracting and keeping top talent can feel like pushing a boulder uphill. Fortunately, NACS has benchmarking metrics, resources and events that can help.
The latest data, trends and best practices on compensation, benefits, recruitment and turnover as reported by 85 retail companies, representing more than 15,000 stores of all sizes and over 262,000 employees.
The Good Jobs Strategy, which is a combination of investment in people and smart operating choices, increases employee productivity, motivation and contribution and promotes operational excellence.
Supporting Our Communities
Convenience stores strengthen the communities they serve. Each year our industry contributes more than $1 billion to charitable and community groups. C-stores are champions for their communities in the fight against human trafficking, hunger, helping youth in peril and supporting local causes and nonprofits.
Companies and their employees work hard to support those in need, whether it’s through food donations, roundup campaigns for local nonprofits and charities, or helping communities recover from disasters and other emergencies.
To fight hunger in your community, these four steps can help you create a food donation program.
With close ties to the community, convenience retailers are positioned to share important messages that employees and customers can use to raise awareness against trafficking and help victims.
Crisis and Disaster Management
C-stores face multiple challenges that could disrupt operations. Here are resources that can help you define the best course of action to keep your employees and customers safe.
In March 2020, NACS began compiling resources to help the industry navigate the COVID-19 crisis, including information about how to educate employees about the vaccines and other vaccine-related human resources advice.
As good neighbors in the community, your teams can provide much-needed food and fuel to first responders and residents before, during and after an emergency or disaster.
Convenience retailers want their employees and customers to feel safe. That means prioritizing security practices and implementing safety programs in their stores and paying attention to crime deterrence potential like store layout, design, technology and forecourt lighting.
Future-Proofing Your Business
Through successful and strategic sustainability programs and practices, you can position your business for future growth while enhancing your sustainability goals.
As more businesses incorporate sustainability goals into KPIs, NACS resources and partnerships provide access to information to enhance your strategies.
Technology Innovations
From the forecourt to the back office, convenience stores invest in new and data-driven technologies to create operational efficiencies and enhance the customer experience.
Learn why you should adopt technology standards to improve business processes, reduce costs and increase productivity for your c-store operations.
Enable faster, simpler and more secure digital ID verification with TruAge.
EMV technology is an important security tool, but it only protects against one kind of fraud: the misuse of stolen card information. Much more needs to be done to enhance card security.
Retailers can protect customers from criminals who use skimming devices to steal credit or debit card information.