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1 week ago | 
nacsmagazine.com | Chrissy Blasinsky
Keeping an eye on the competition, marketing to different demographics, providing an assortment of limited time offers and better-for-you options, incorporating online ordering and delivery, navigating fads and trends … these ingredients can advance a successful food program in convenience retail.
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1 week ago | 
nacsmagazine.com | Ben Nussbaum |Chrissy Blasinsky
The annual NACS Leadership Forum was held on Amelia Island, Florida, in February. Industry executives gathered for networking and dynamic sessions on a range of pressing topics for the industry. Henry Armour has led NACS as president and CEO for two decades and was a highly engaged NACS member and an accomplished retailer before that, while Brian Hannasch was president and CEO of Alimentation Couche-Tard before recently becoming a special advisor to the company.
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1 month ago | 
nacsmagazine.com | Ben Nussbaum |Chrissy Blasinsky
This store is safe.
That’s the message operators want to send to their customers and employees—and an important reality they make sure to protect.
But how does safety seamlessly blend with customer experience and brand messaging? If some safety measures make a convenience store less convenient, at what point do they stop being a net positive?
An easy example: Doors. Having multiple points of entry makes it easier for customers—as well as bad actors—to grab and go.
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2 months ago | 
convenience.org | Chrissy Blasinsky
We’re breaking down new data to see what customers think about c-stores as a dinnertime option.
By Chrissy Blasinsky
The c-store industry has been talking about cracking the code on the dinner daypart for at least 15 years.
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Jan 7, 2025 | 
nacsmagazine.com | Chrissy Blasinsky
About 10 years ago I heard a comment that I wholeheartedly disagreed with: Food safety isn’t measurable.
It was a curious statement, considering CDC data reports that 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases each year in the United States.
Perhaps this person wasn’t aware of how a company integrates its food safety plans and processes—the investments, training, resources and controls that are put into place.
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Nov 5, 2024 | 
nacsmagazine.com | Chrissy Blasinsky
The 2024 NACS Show broke an all-time attendance record, which IMHO means this industry is moving at the speed of light. There was so much to see this year—from celebrity sightings to new products—that it was impossible for one person to experience it all.
The one and only time I ran a marathon, the advice I got was “leave nothing in the tank.” I limped across the finish line, and if I had $20 on me, I would’ve hailed a taxicab at mile 19.
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Sep 6, 2024 | 
convenience.org | Chrissy Blasinsky
My first NACS Show was in 2005 in Las Vegas—although it should’ve been in New Orleans. That was the year Hurricane Katrina hit in late August. As Katrina moved through the Gulf Coast states, at least 80% of New Orleans was under floodwater.
Having only been with NACS for six months, I was in awe of how our leadership and staff was able to relocate the NACS Show to Las Vegas on 10 weeks’ notice.
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Aug 29, 2024 | 
nacsmagazine.com | Chrissy Blasinsky
Here’s some great advice for how to navigate the NACS Show—“Start with the end in mind,” said Jeff Miller, CEO of Millers Energy and the 2010-11 NACS chairman.
Miller has been to over two decades worth of NACS Shows, and although his company no longer operates stores, his expertise is a great blueprint for how to divide and conquer four days of networking, education and general sessions, and over 430,000 square feet of Expo.
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Jul 2, 2024 | 
nacsmagazine.com | Chrissy Blasinsky
What do consumers think of food safety practices? Those perceptions affect our image—and our sales.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases each year in the United States. While some foodborne illnesses can take days to show symptoms, it’s common for those who get sick to blame the last place where they ate.
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May 31, 2024 | 
nacsmagazine.com | Chrissy Blasinsky
Labor markets will still be tough. Inflation will be less than it was last year, but at the end of the day it will still be a thing. Try to manage your expenses so you don’t need to dig into the fuel pot for gross profits.” Chris Rapanick, guest editor.
The convenience industry broke records last year, clocking impressive growth and profits across many categories. At the same time, stores grappled with inflationary pressures and cost increases, and not every aspect of the channel thrived.
