Wednesday January 31, 2007 FEATURES Tesco prepares to debut in U.S.; other retailers get ready As Tesco forges ahead with preparations for its debut in the United States later this year, retailers already in the market are marshalling their own forces in response. "It's going to be a problem if they start opening stores all around us," Dave Rann, vice president of Super A Foods, a family-owned chain that has 12 outlets in the Los Angeles area, told Bloomberg News. "We're sprucing up our stores." (Full Story) Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 names big players in petroleum/convenience channel BP's ampm convenience store was ranked 51st in Entrepreneur magazine's 28th annual Franchise 500. ampm is the only c-store owned by an oil and gas company to make the list, although 7-Eleven, Inc., Dallas, was No. 1, and the list also included many quick-serve restaurants and foodservice companies that are established players in the petroleum/convenience channel, as NPN MarketPulse discovered in scrolling through the list. Here is the complete top 10: (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 In Pennsylvania: Gas stations go un-inspected One of every five gas stations under the state's jurisdiction hasn't been inspected in the past year, as state law requires, according to a report released Jan. 30 by the Pennsylvania state Auditor General's office. (Full Story) In Canada: a debate about ATM fees According the NDP's Jack Layton, Canadians are tired of being charged for withdrawing money out of their own bank accounts through automated teller machines, CTV.ca reported Jan. 30. (Full Story) OPW: Reader option is designed for added fuel security Advanced security is now available for unattended fueling operations with Petro Vend's proximity reader option, according to OPW Fuel Management Systems. When installed in a Petro Vend C/OPT or K800 Fuel Island Terminal, fueling access is either granted or denied a cardholder when the proximity card or key (containing an internal antenna) is waved within a few inches of the reader. (Full Story) In New York State: Vendors rely on lottery to bring in customers If the New York lottery vanished tomorrow, many store owners, who rely on a 6 percent commission on lottery sales, say their businesses would suffer. (Full Story) In Utah: Walkers sell convenience stores to Tetco Ivan and Colleen Walker and their family have sold their Walker's convenience stores and other assets to San Antonio, Texas-based Tetco, The Salt Lake Tribune reported Jan. 29. (Full Story) Tesoro buying refinery and filling stations in Western states Tesoro Corp., said Jan. 29 that it is buying a refinery near Los Angeles, along with 250 filling stations, from Royal Dutch Shell for $1.63 billion. (Full Story) In New York State: outgoing governor's order to boost ethanol use After gas stations in the Northeast switched from the additive MTBE to a 10 percent ethanol blend, New Yorkers used about 500 million gallons of ethanol in 2006, according to The Democrat and Chronicle. (Full Story) EZ Energy to acquire 26 gas stations in the United States A subsidiary of EZ Energy LTD, an Israeli holding company controlled by Eli Zahavi, said it expects to acquire 26 gas stations and convenience stores for $26 million and an extra figure to cover the current inventory in the stores, Ynetnews reported Jan. 29. (Full Story) Georgia governor says he was kidding about veto threat on Sunday sales Gov. Sonny Perdue said Jan. 25 that he was just "having fun" - not threatening a veto - when he told an Atlanta radio station that a bill which would pave the way for Sunday sales of beer and wine would have a tough time getting his signature. (Full Story) ampm stores recognized in Entrepreneur Franchise 500 Ranking BP's ampm convenience store has been ranked 51st in Entrepreneur magazine's 28th annual Franchise 500, according to a Jan. 29 announcement by BP. (Full Story) Tesco update: Aim is to provide shoppers with fresh food, fast Tesco's plans in the United States are based on research showing that consumers want neighborhood markets that offer fresh foods, fast. (Full Story) In Delaware: fuel tax, car registration increases proposed Delaware motorists could be hit with several fee, tax and toll increases that Gov. Ruth Ann Minner proposed Jan. 25 in her fiscal 2008 capital budget to offset a $1.5 billion shortfall in the state's Transportation Trust Fund, according to Newszap.com. (Full Story) News report: Saudis indicate effort to keep oil prices from soaring Saudi Arabia has sent signals that it is committed to keeping oil at about $50 a barrel, The International Herald Tribune reported Jan. 29. That price is about one-third less than the peak, last summer. (Full Story) Detroit renews ban on new gas stations The City of Detroit extended its ban on new gas stations to September 2008, The Detroit News reported Jan. 29. (Full Story) Groceries, groceries everywhere: Trade channels battle for food shoppers Retailers in a wide range of trade channels are using food to win customers and grab a share of the nearly $6,000 a year U.S. households spend on groceries, the Associated Press noted in a Jan. 29 article scrutinizing the retail trend. (Full Story) Rennie Petroleum files for bankruptcy; chain to reorganize Rennie Petroleum Co., Richmond, Va., a convenience-store chain, has filed for reorganization under federal bankruptcy law, The Times-Dispatch reported Jan. 25. (Full Story) Pantry's first-quarter profit down; fuel margins are cited as cause The Pantry on Jan. 25 said profits plunged in the first quarter due in large part to what CEO Peter Sodini called "unusually low gasoline margins," Triangle Business Journal reported. (Full Story) In Texas: Thieves drive stolen vehicles into stores; ATMs are targets A search was continuing for three men who crashed a stolen pickup truck into a Dallas grocery store on Jan. 24, reported CBS 11 News. (Full Story) Analyst: New drugstores are 'mini Wal-Marts'; is gas next? CVS, Eckerd and Walgreens are pharmacies - and much, much more. (Full Story) PDQ appoints distributor to serve Idaho and Utah PDQ Manufacturing, Inc., De Pere, Wis., a manufacturer of vehicle-wash systems, said Jan. 24 that it has appointed Premier Car Wash Systems as a non-exclusive distributor serving Idaho and Utah. (Full Story) EPA issues grant guidelines for state UST programs The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued two final grant guidelines for states, which will implement key provisions of the underground storage tank amendments of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. (Full Story) PRODUCT OF THE WEEK KIC Products revolutionizes removal of electrostatic discharge NCR, in cooperation with the engineers at Waffletechnology, have created a product to protect magnetic stripe readers from electrostatic discharge (ESD) that can cause MSR failures and system lockups. ESD issues are more common in low-humidity environments when customers use the new debit/credit cards with holographic images. A two-step process was developed to clean the readers then treat the magnetic heads with a solution to prevent ESD discharge. This process should be performed on all readers at least once per month. ESD is a significant factor in the premature failure of electronic equipment. ESD has become a common cause of circuit failure with many devices now sensitive to less than 30 volts. KIC Products www.kicproducts.com CALENDAR OF EVENTS 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   PetrolWorld Africa Middle East Business Forum 2007 Malelane Resort, Kruger Park, South Africa February 24-27 www.petrolworld.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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