The NACS Convenience Retail Awards recognize and promote convenience retailing excellence and provides retailers with the opportunity to showcase their innovation and creativity to the global retailing community.

Convenience and fuel retailers from the award regions may submit entries. Supplier partners and advertising, design and PR agencies are welcome to submit entries on behalf of their retail partners, but they must have the approval of the retailer for which they provide services.

NACS will offer Convenience Retail Awards in Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East & Africa..

• Latin America includes retailers from Mexico, Central America, Caribbean and South America.
• Asia-Pacific includes the continent and islands of Asia, including India, New Zealand and Australia.
• Europe includes the entire European continent, from Iberia to the Caucasus and Scandinavia to Malta.
• Middle East & Africa includes the African continent, the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant and the Northern Tier

Convenience and fuel retailers can showcase their innovation and leadership in four prestigious award categories:

• Convenience Store of the Year
  Our global recognition honors the most innovative and successful convenience and petroleum retail store of the year. The winner earns the accolade of “the best convenience store in their region” This award honors flagship stores that break new ground and set new innovative standards for the industry. All-sized businesses can enter, and entries can refer to broader initiatives or format roll-outs in a wider business. Successful entries will focus on one particular store as the central showpiece.
• Convenience Industry Leader of the Year
  Industry progress is not only driven by innovative companies, but by the energies, determination and inspiration of the individuals who lead them. This award recognizes and honors the contribution of the most successful and influential convenience industry leader of past year.
• Convenience Cares Award
  This award recognizes companies that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to doing good for people—whether customers, employees, communities, or the environment. This award honors meaningful initiatives that reflect compassion, social responsibility, and a genuine dedication to improving communities while creating positive, lasting impact.
• Convenience Innovation Award
  This recognizes a company, product, or idea that transforms the convenience retail experience. This award celebrates creativity, fresh thinking, and real impact—honoring innovations that make convenience stores more efficient, engaging, and future-ready.

There are no fees to enter the NACS Convenience Retail Awards.

Each year, a grand jury panel of industry experts consisting of former retail executives, consultants, subject-matter-experts, and NACS representatives judge the award winners based on criteria specified for each award.

Convenience retailers, their suppliers or their customers are invited to nominate convenience retailers that are pursuing noteworthy and meaningful business initiatives. In each confidential submission, the advocating organization should share a proven business case. The judges use a rubric consisting of the criterion below to evaluate all submissions and select an award winner from each award category.

Technology & Sustainability Awards will be scored on:

• Leadership and management of the initiative
• Customer engagement with the solution
• Impact of the initiative on organizational performance, financial performance or the customer experience
• Degree of creativity, uniqueness and innovation exemplified by the initiative

Retailer of the Year will be scored on demonstrated excellence in:

• Format Innovation
• Technology/loyalty/payments
• Product Range
• People Development (HR)
• Customer Service Initiatives
• Results/Performance
• General Impression & Relevance

Industry Leader of the Year will be determined by:

• Impact the individual has had on organizational performance, financial profitability, and the customer experience
• Influence the individual has had on improving the convenience retailing industry overall
• Demonstrated commitment to their community

Convenience retailers, their suppliers or their customers are invited to nominate convenience retailers that are pursuing noteworthy and meaningful business initiatives. In each confidential submission, the advocating organization should share a proven business case. The submission must include supporting justification as to:

• Why the convenience retailer deserves to be recognised
• What makes the initiative truly innovative and differentiated
• How leadership and management of the initiative is conducted
• How the retailer has demonstrated a company-wide commitment to the initiative
• What the impact of the initiative has been to organizational performance, financial profitability or the customer experience
• How customers have interacted with the solution

While fun, the submission development process can take time to complete. So, begin early. You will need to collect and provide photos and evidence that will make your submission stand out from the competition. Keep in mind that only complete submissions will be judged.

The NACS Convenience Retail Awards program is recognised by your peers and partners across the globe for its prominence and selectiveness. An award win heightens your credibility as an industry leader and elevates your brand’s profile as an innovative trailblazer.

Whether you win or are one of our esteemed participants, you will receive unparalleled global exposure and visibility through trade, national and international media coverage. Winners will receive:

• Recognition in NACS and Insight Research social, print and digital publications, which collectively reach an audience of 50,000+ global retailers, and various industry trade publications to extend the news even further.
• International press release announcing all award winners.
• Recognition at the NACS Show.
• And most importantly, celebrating your victory with global retailers, suppliers and colleagues at the Awards Reception!