Chris Rapanick is the managing director of research at NACS. Chris’ team produces, the NACS State of the Industry Report, The State of the Industry Summit, SOI Compensation Report, Convenience Voices Shopper Insights Program, the CSX Benchmarking Database and thought leadership whitepapers published by NACS.

Chris came to NACS from Coca-Cola Enterprises with a love of data and the convenience channel. In his 14-year career with NACS, he has dedicated himself to helping retailers make better decisions by using data analysis and suppliers “speak the retailers’ language” by understanding the details of their business model.  

Chris started his career in retail managing grocery stores for a prominent retailer in the southeast. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA.

Jayme Gough is the Director of Research and Development at NACS, where she oversees consumer research and insights for the convenience channel. Her work includes managing an annual national shopper study as well as custom research projects that explore consumer behavior, industry trends, and business challenges affecting convenience and fuel retailers.

Since joining NACS in 2017, Jayme has supported research initiatives spanning compensation and workforce benchmarks, State of the Industry data, and other industry studies. These efforts provide data and insights used by retailers, suppliers, and other stakeholders to better understand the evolving convenience retail landscape.

Jayme is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with experience in research design, project management, and data analysis. She has a passion for translating research findings into practical information that supports business planning and decision-making.

Jayme earned a degree in Biochemistry from Bates College and worked in laboratory sciences prior to her work at NACS. Her background in scientific research and analytics informs her approach to industry and consumer insights.