Thursday January 17, 2008 FEATURES Companies compete to offer retail fuel price information Gasoline prices are up - and so is the value of gasoline price information. Given that fact, two companies, Tinbu and TomTom, aim to make money by offering drivers up-to-date information on prices at gas stations. Both companies announced the launch of their services in the first week of the New Year. (Full Story) How to avoid selling alcohol to underage consumers Over the recent holidays, police in some communities made an extra effort to enforce laws against underage drinking, an endeavor that often includes the targeting of retailers, including convenience stores. For example, the Sheriff's Department in Lyon County, Nevada, in conjunction with the Enforcing Under Age Drinking Laws (EUDL) project, completed alcohol stings in Dayton, Nev., on Dec. 19, according to the Dayton Courier. (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! Order your copy of the 2007 NPN MarketFacts today for the introductory price of only $195 (plus shipping and handling). To order your print copy and/or CD version of the 2007 NPN MarketFacts edition, please click here NEWS ITEMS EIA: retail gasoline and diesel prices retreat The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline retreated from the highest recorded January price, dropping 4.1 cents to 306.8 cents per gallon as of Jan. 14, according to the Jan. 16 edition of "This Week in Petroleum," published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). That price is 83.9 cents above a year ago, according to "This Week." (Full Story) OPW Fuel Management sets training seminars in Pittsburgh, and online OPW Fuel Management Systems, Hodgkins, Ill., part of OPW Fueling Components, has scheduled its next onsite product-training seminar for Feb. 19-22 in Pittsburgh, Pa. (Full Story) Hike in federal gas tax would total 40 cents A federal commission created by Congress called Jan. 16 for big increases to the federal gas tax as part of a sweeping overhaul of how the United States builds and pays for highways, bridges and transit systems, Michael A. Lindenberger reported in The Dallas Morning News. (Full Story) In Oregon: gas stations required to sell ethanol fuel Since Jan. 15, gas stations in nine counties in Northwest Oregon have been required to sell a blended fuel that is 10 percent ethanol, the Associated Press reported. The rest of the state will join them over the next nine months, in a phased-in implementation of the state's new renewable fuel standards, according to the AP. (Full Story) GM invests in ethanol research firm General Motors Corp. announced that it has taken a stake in a biofuels research firm that aims to widely market $1-a-gallon ethanol as soon as 2011, according to an article by David Shepardson in The Detroit News. (Full Story) Minit Mart to build up restaurant business in its convenience stores Beginning this month, Earnhart + Friends is the agency of record for all advertising, public relations and marketing needs for Minit Mart, Bowling Green, Ky., reported Ameerah Cetawayo in the Jan. 15 online edition of The Bowling Green Daily News. (Full Story) 7-Eleven taps SAP, extending agreement to use management software SAP AG announced Jan. 14 that 7-Eleven, Inc. has extended its agreement for demand management solutions from SAP, according to a press release. The announcement was made at the National Retail Federation (NRF) 97th Annual Convention and Expo, being held in New York, N.Y., January 13-16. (Full Story) OPW names Brandon Grote product manager for Dispensing Products OPW Fueling Components, Cincinnati, Ohio, announced Jan. 14 that it has named Brandon Grote product manager of its OPW Dispensing Products division. (Full Story) Retalix, IBM to offer joint product to retailers IBM and Retalix announced Jan. 14 that they will cooperate to deliver a new, highly-integrated system management solution for grocery and convenience store retailers, according to Reuters. (Full Story) In Colorado: a fight over liquor sales brewing A fight over who can sell alcohol and when is brewing in Colorado, according to a Jan. 15 Associated Press article by Colleen Slevin. Supermarkets want a bill allowing them to sell regular beer and wine at all their locations while some liquor stores are asking lawmakers to allow them to remain open on Sundays, according to the article. (Full Story) Thieves target ATMs at convenience stores in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State police said Jan. 14 they haven't been able to determine whether a series of ATM crimes in Somerset in the past month are connected, reported Kirk Swauger for The Tribune-Democrat. (Full Story) Cody's Convenience Stores buys six Express Lane stores Cody's Convenience Stores acquired six bankrupt Express Lane stores last month, making Cody's the second-largest owner of convenience stores in southwest Missouri, according to a Jan. 11 article by Cory Smith in the Springfield Business Journal. (Full Story) SIGMA offers $28,000 in 'Pay It Forward' scholarships; apply online The Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA) is offering a scholarship program designed to assist in the education of marketers' employees, their children and dependents of employees. (Full Story) In Washington State: AG kicks off 'Gas Gauge' tour In Bellingham, Wash., on Jan. 9 for the first of three stops on their "Gas Gauge" tour, the state's attorney general, Rob McKenna, and economist Keith Leffler gathered public comments and discussed results from the first phase of the state's ongoing investigation into gas prices. (Full Story) PRODUCT OF THE WEEK Universal Valve Sump Retrofit Cover Universal Valve Sump Retrofit Cover Universal Valve's newest innovation is the Sump Retrofit Cover, which eliminates leaking polyethylene and fiberglass sump covers without breaking concrete. The double seal design keeps the sump completely dry from the elements and installs easily in minutes. Universal's Sump Retrofit Cover is designed to save time and money while making the job of regulators and operators faster and easier. Universal Valve www.universalvalve.com CALENDAR OF EVENTS SIGMA Winter Committee Meetings Salt Lake City, UT February 7-8 (703) 709-7000 www.sigma.org SIGMA Executive Leadership Conference Snowbird, UT The Cliff Lodge February 10-13 (703) 709-7000 www.sigma.org   WPMA Convention The Mirage Las Vegas, NV February 19-21 (801) 263-9762 www.wpma.com The Work Truck Show 2008 Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, GA Convention: Feb 25-28, 2008 Trade Show: Feb 26-28, 2008 (800) 441-6832 in the U.S. (248) 489-7090 in Canada www.ntea.com   ASD/AMD Trade Shows Las Vegas Sands Expo Center, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Mirage Events Center & Grand Ballroom Las Vegas, NV March 2-5 Melissa Younkin (310) 481-7325 Southeast Petro-Food Marketing Expo Myrtle Beach Convention Center Myrtle Beach, SC March 5-6 (803) 419-0804   For a complete list of industry events, go to NPN's calendar web page.  Published By NPN Group |  © 2008 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 Keith Reid, 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.

Unsubscribe or update your email address.
M2MEDIA360 | 760 Market Street, Suite 432 | San Francisco, CA 94102