Thursday January 4, 2007 FEATURES Competition for breakfast business expected to heat up The fast-food industry is aiming to grow its breakfast business, a development that bodes increased competition for convenience-store operators, many of whom also target that trade. McDonald's Egg McMuffin has been around for decades, but now other quick-serve restaurants are trying to get similar items into consumers' hands and stomachs. (Full Story) Expert says technological advances could increase oil production Oil demand will continue to grow, and meeting that demand will depend in part on development of technologies for improving recovery processes, an expert said in an interview this week with NPN MarketPulse "There exist huge amounts of remaining reserves that are either undeveloped" or, in most cases in North America, that are sitting idle after having been tapped for the oil that is most accessible, said John Warren, vice president of operations and business development for Wavefront Energy & Environmental Services, Edmonton, Alberta. (Full Story) Sign up for a FREE subscription to NPN, the magazine that has been reporting news and trends in the petroleum and convenience store industry since 1909. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Get The Data That Drives The Petroleum & Convenience Industry Today! To order your print copy or CD version of the 2006 NPN MarketFacts edition, please click here NEWS ITEMS Home Depot CEO quits with $210 million package Home Depot Inc. Chief Executive Officer Robert Nardelli resigned, Bloomberg News reported Jan. 3. (Full Story) Convenience stores are path to growth for marketers of prepaid wireless According to Airlink Mobile, while some mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) are struggling due to a lack of distribution, the prepaid wireless market, which targets the youth market, low-income and credit-challenged consumers, and anyone who wants full control of their wireless expenses, is seeing record growth and has become one of the fastest- growing industries in the United States. (Full Story) EZ Energy Ltd. to acquire 15 convenience stores in the U.S. EZ Energy Ltd., a privately-owned holding company in Israel, has signed agreements to purchase 15 convenience stores on the East Coast of the United States for $15 million, according to Globes Online. Annuals sales by the properties are $55 million, according to Globes Online. (Full Story) Willis Group acquires Carter Insurance Group Willis Group Holdings Ltd., a U.K.-based insurance brokerage, said Jan. 2 that it bought Carter Insurance Group Inc., Tampa, Fla., which sells property and casualty insurance to car and truck dealers, auto parts retailers, convenience stores with gas stations, and service centers, reported The Associated Press. (Full Story) 7-Eleven promotes healthy food choices in its stores 7-Eleven said Jan. 2 that its stores are offering an expanding selection of "better-for-you" foods. (Full Story) Market research: Breakfast business to reach $83 billion by 2015 The business of breakfast is booming, according to "The Revolution in Dayparts: Breakfast in the Foodservice Market," a report recently issued by Packaged Facts, a research firm. (Full Story) In Arizona: AG says tobacco tax's reach on reservation is limited Two voter-approved state taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products don't apply to on-reservation sales by American Indian tribes and their members to non-Indians, Attorney General Terry Goddard said Dec. 29, according to The Associated Press. (Full Story) Vermont's new sales tax on beer takes effect, but stirs only mild protest A new sales tax on beer -- 6 percent statewide and 7 percent in Burlington -- was greeted in Burlington, Vt., on New Year's Day with a large lack of apparent concern, The Burlington Free Press reported Jan. 2. (Full Story) In Colorado: Deep snows stall homeward bound motorists after holidays Vehicles and semitrailers lined streets of Pueblo, Colo., packed into convenience stores, motels, RV parks - anywhere close to Interstate 25, The Pueblo Chieftain reported Jan. 1. (Full Story) Sheetz cuts prices on best-selling menu items Sheetz, Altoona, Pa., said Dec. 28 that it recently revamped its Made-To-Order menu and significantly lowered prices on over 20 items to offer customers a better value. The new menu still includes a wide selection of choices, but now customers only pay for the toppings they want, the company said. (Full Story) In Nova Scotia: Gas price regulation is a knotty issue Spikes and fluctuations in gasoline prices had many Nova Scotia drivers fuming in 2006, but the provincial government's decision last summer to begin regulating prices unleashed its own storm of controversy, The Chronicle Herald reported Dec. 27. (Full Story) In Alabama: The Pantry sues Costco over gas prices Costco is facing a lawsuit from The Pantry, Inc. alleging that in Alabama the warehouse club is selling gasoline at unlawful prices. (Full Story) In Florida: Groovin Noovin stores sold to Couche-Tard Couche-Tard Inc. is acquiring 13 Groovin Noovin stores in Florida. (Full Story) Wawa sues over rejected expansion of store in New Jersey Wawa Inc. has filed a lawsuit against the township of Voorhees, N.J. and the planning board in state Superior Court in Camden, N.J. (Full Story) PRODUCT OF THE WEEK TransAct creates POWEROLL™ brand to market specialized paper Wallingford, Conn.-headquartered TransAct Technologies, Inc., a global leader in market-specific printers for transaction-based industries, recently announced its partnership with Merley Paper Converters Ltd., the United Kingdom's largest independent manufacturer of receipt paper rolls. This partnership entails exclusive distribution in the United States of thermal paper that will have true full color images printed on the front or back. This specialized thermal paper will be delivered to end-users in rolls that are pre-printed with the user's logo, product or other branded marketing material. Use of this paper allows users to leverage the receipt for branding and marketing purposes, while also helping to reduce copied receipt fraud. TransAct will market the paper under its newly created POWEROLL™ brand. TransAct Technologies, Inc. www.transact-tech.com CALENDAR OF EVENTS NACS Introduction to Category Management Seminar: Turning Plans into Action The Westin Indianapolis Indianapolis January 16-17 (703) 684-3600 www.nacsonline.com SIGMA 2007 Executive Leadership Conference Silvertree Hotel Aspen/Snowmass, Colo. February 11-14 (703 )709-7000 www.sigma.org   PACE - Petroleum and Convenience-Store Exposition of Mid-America Overland Park Convention Center Overland Park, Ks. February 16-17 (573) 635-7117 www.mpca.org WPMA Convention & Convenience Store Expo The Mirage Convention Center Las Vegas February 20-22 (801) 263-9762 www.wpma.com   AWMA REAL DEAL EXPO Las Vegas Hilton Las Vegas February 21-23 (703) 208-3358 www.realdealexpo.com NASM Convention & Exposition World Golf Village and Renaissance Resort St. Augustine, Fla. March 5-8 (703) 922-9784 www.nasmonline.com   For a complete list of industry events, go to NPN's calendar web page.  Published By NPN Group |  © 2007 NPN Group | All Rights Reserved For more information on NPN MarketPulse, contact: Gary Bevers, group publisher M2MEDIA360 Retail Distribution Group Ph: 832-444-7675 Fax: 800-430-3446 Chris Traczek, editor-in-chief M2MEDIA360 NPN Group Ph: 630-739-0280 Fax: 630-739-0321 This newsletter is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, re-disseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of M2MEDIA360.

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