NPN Marketpulse - Green consumers come in many shades

A number of convenience store operators are venturing into the green arena with convenience stores that are designed for low-impact operations, environmentally speaking. Will this help them draw consumers attuned to "green" priorities? Just what are such consumers looking for, anyway? Market research firm TNS looked into that question and found that such consumers come in many shades of green. View Article

NPN Marketpulse - Representatives call for regulation of menthol in cigarettes

A bill that would give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory powers over the tobacco industry should include regulation of menthol levels in cigarettes, contend two representatives in the House. View Article

NPN Marketpulse - Investigators: cracked pipe led to fire at Valero refinery

A massive fire that injured four workers and caused the total shutdown and evacuation of the Valero McKee Refinery in Sunray, Texas, in February, 2007, likely occurred after water leaked through a valve, froze, and cracked an out-of-service section of piping, causing a release of high-pressure liquid propane, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) said in a final investigation report. View Article

NPN Marketpulse - Update: ‘green’ convenience stores aim to save energy

There might not be many ‘green’ convenience stores around, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) hope to see more, so they are busily promoting energy-saving design and building principles. View Article

NPN Marketpulse - Cardtronics comments on ATM security after hackers’ attack

News accounts have mentioned Cardtronics in the context of a reported attack by hackers on ATM systems that is currently the subject of a criminal prosecution in the United States District Court in New York, Cardtronics said in a prepared statement. View Article

NPN Marketpulse - EIA: Average for regular to stay above $4 through much of 2009

The U.S. average regular grade gasoline price, about $4.10 per gallon on June 30, is projected to remain over $4 per gallon until the fourth quarter of 2009, according to the Short-Term Energy Outlook issued July 8 by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). View Article

NPN Marketpulse - NPRA opposes ‘Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act’

The National Petrochemical & Refiners Association (NPRA) has written to individual members of Congress to oppose H.R. 6346, the “Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act.” View Article

NPN Marketpulse - What’s in store for 2012?

Convenience store sales through 2012 will increase at a rate of 5.3 percent annually for convenience-store retailers with gasoline and 2.1 percent for convenience operators without gasoline, according to a recent report by Willard Bishop, a research and consulting firm. View Article

NPN Marketpulse - Sheetz rolls out ‘Pump First’ – a card and a policy for cash payments

Sheetz this week introduced its new Pump First card in Hagerstown and Fredrick, Md., and in Martinsburg, W. Va., for customers who want to pay by cash or check for gasoline. The card enables them to pump before they pay, while providing the convenience chain, based in Altoona, Pa., a means to limit the potential for drive-offs. View Article

NPN Marketpulse - Research: ‘fast-casual’ chains still outperform other restaurants

The top 100 fast-casual chains continued to be the growth vehicle for the limited-service restaurant industry in 2007, and outperformed the restaurant industry as a whole, according to foodservice consultant Technomic. View Article