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High gasoline prices put stations in the spotlight
"Getting ripped off at the pump" was the headline for NBC consumer reporter Janice Lieberman's segment, aired recently on iVillage and on the Today Show.
Lieberman's opening line: "Okay, how much do you hate filling up your tank these days?" She went on to advise viewers how to check that dispensers were operating properly, and instructed them to notify the local Weights and Measures department if they were not. (Full Story)
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Kum & Go, honored by Iowa for ethanol marketing, opposes a state senator
Kum & Go, recently honored by the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture for its ethanol marketing, reportedly takes a dim view of a state senator's proposal to remove ethanol identification stickers from fuel dispensers at stations through the state.
Sen. Jack Kibbie of the Iowa Senate said he believed if ethanol identification stickers were removed from dispensers, motorists would buy more of the corn-based fuel, according to a Feb. 15 article by Perry Beeman and Molly Hottle in The Des Moines Register. (Full Story)
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Special Announcement
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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
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News Items
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Old scam, new twist: gas stations targeted in fuel thefts
Gas stations in Palestine, Texas, are being targeted by one or more con artists with a new twist on an old scam, police said, according to a Feb. 20 article by Beth Foley in The Palestine Herald. (Full Story)
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In Des Moines: convenience store chains say city proposal is unfair
Officials representing some of Iowa's biggest convenience store chains say efforts to bring more public scrutiny to their construction projects are unfair and could jeopardize the industry's future in Des Moines, according to a Feb. 21 article by Jason Pulliam in The Des Moines Register. (Full Story)
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In North Carolina: new state regulations affect stations new and old
A new Trade Wilco Hess station is nearing completion in Rocky Mount, N.C., according to a Feb. 21 article by Tom Murphy in the Rocky Mount Telegram. (Full Story)
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Oil briefly hits $101 a barrel, closes at record high; gas prices rise
Oil futures rallied again Feb. 20, pushing briefly past $101 a barrel after the Federal Reserve lowered its forecast for economic growth this year, and convincing energy investors that the central bank will slash interest rates further, according to an article by John Wilen, a business writer for the Associated Press. (Full Story)
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Franchisees in Ohio, Kentucky, trying to keep AmeriStop stores
Owners of 59 regional AmeriStop franchises have placed nearly $7 million on the table in an attempt to keep control of their convenience stores, according to an article by Lisa Bernard-Kuhn in The Cincinnati Enquirer. (Full Story)
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Independent gas stations in Daytona Beach fuel market for unusual 'stuff'
Rap music and videos, and the highly capitalistic, show-off culture they glorify, have fueled an underground fashion movement that is catered to by independently-owned gas stations in Dayton Beach, Fla., according to a Feb. 20 article by William Covert in the Daytona Beach News-Journal. (Full Story)
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Alon USA provides information on explosion at Big Spring refinery
Alon USA Energy, Inc. said that all but one of the four workers injured in a Feb. 18 explosion were released from the hospital later the same day. (Full Story)
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GPM Investments to implement KSS fuel price management system
KSS, Florham Park, N.J., announced Feb. 19 that GPM Investments, which does business under the trade names Fas Mart and Shore Stop, a Virginia based company with over 200 convenience stores, has selected PriceNet, a fuel price management and optimization system, for a company-wide implementation. (Full Story)
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In Georgia: authorities close two truck stops during investigation
Authorities have closed two south Georgia truck stops, saying customers may have been shorted by a quart for every five gallons of gasoline purchased, according to an Associated Press report carried by The Ledger-Enquirer, a newspaper in the state. (Full Story)
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Upscale convenience stores to open in Nashville market
A nightclub and market in Murfreesboro, Tenn., are scheduled to be demolished and replaced by a new upscale convenience store, according to an article by Erin Edgemon, business editor of The Murfreesboro Post. (Full Story)
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In Vermont: merchants want lawmakers to regulate credit-card fees
Legislation under consideration in Montpelier, Vt., stems from an effort by a national special-interest group working to draw attention to fees credit cards charge merchants, Dan McLean reported Feb. 17 in The Burlington Free Press. (Full Story)
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In Oklahoma City: Chesapeake Energy buys gas station for $3 million
Chesapeake Energy is buying a Shell service station near its headquarters in Oklahoma City for $3 million, according to a Feb. 15 Associated Press report cited by KWSO.com. (Full Story)
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Shop 'n Save, a supermarket chain, opens gas stations
The Shop 'n Save grocery store chain has opened gas stations at two St. Louis area grocery stores and is considering opening more, according to a Feb. 16 article by Will Buss in The News-Democrat. (Full Story)
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digiMedical Solutions in partnership with Hess to expand customer base
digiMedical Solutions, Inc. announced on Feb. 14 a partnership with Hess Corp. Through the partnership, patients bringing new prescriptions to the Harrington Pharmacy chain in the Naples and Fort Myers, Florida, markets will receive $10 Hess fuel gift cards. (Full Story)
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Dinner by Design offers new convenience services and prototype location
Dinner by Design, a meal assembly company, said Feb. 13 that it has a new package of convenience services designed to ease meal preparation and planning for time-pressed families. (Full Story)
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Missouri high court hears arguments in tobacco case
The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments Feb. 13 in a wrongful-death case involving the Brown & Williamson tobacco company and a Jackson County family who won a $20 million verdict, Jason Noble reported for the Kansas City Star. (Full Story)
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In Colorado: panel rejects bill to let c-stores sell wine and beer
Hundreds of liquor-store owners flooded Colorado's Capitol in Denver on Feb. 13 and defeated a bill that would have expanded shoppers' access to beer and wine and recast the fortunes of thousands of Colorado businesses, according to an article by Jessica Fender in The Denver Post. (Full Story)
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Product of the Week
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NCR Enters Entertainment Market with Launch of Multichannel Digital Media Solution
NCR Corporation has extended its self-service portfolio into the digital media market with NCR Xpress Entertainment,a next-generation multichannel entertainment kiosk solution. The solution includes a high-capacity kiosk that enables rentals, sales of shrink-wrapped media or a combination - with a capacity of nearly twice that of competing units on the market today. In addition to transactions at the kiosk, consumers are able to interact with NCR Xpress Entertainment via the Internet or their mobile devices. The solution provides revenue-generating opportunities for businesses as well as greater convenience for consumers to access movies, video games or other digital media.
A turnkey solution available with a full suite of managed services, NCR Xpress Entertainment is backed by NCR's years of experience and deep expertise in providing self-service technology designed for consumer ease of use and maximum return on investment. The solution can be deployed in virtually any venue, including retail stores, convenience stores, supermarkets, quick-serve restaurants, shopping malls, airports and more.
NCR
www.ncr.com
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Calendar of Events
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ASD/AMD Trade Shows Las Vegas
Mar. 2-5
Sands Expo Center, Mandalay Bay Convention Center,
Mirage Events Center & Grand Ballroom
Las Vegas, NV
(310) 481-7325
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Southeast Petro-Food Marketing Expo
Mar. 5-6
Myrtle Beach Convention Center
Myrtle Beach, SC
(803) 419-0804
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Liberty U.S.A./PPMCSA C-Store Trade Show
Mar. 13, 2008
Pittsburgh ExpoMart
Monroeville, PA
www.libertyusa.com
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4th Annual OPIS Ethanol & Biodiesel Supply Summit
March 16-18
The Renaissance Hotel
Washington, DC
(866) 620-5940
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Michigan Petroleum Association/Michigan Association of Convenience Stores
Spring Convention and Trade Show
April 1-3
Grand Rapids, Michigan
(517) 622-3530
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Atlantic Regional Energy Expo - AREE08
April 22-24
The Atlantic City Convention Center
Atlantic City, N.J.
(973) 467-1400
E-mail: info@areetradeshow.com
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For a complete list of industry events, go to NPN's calendar web page.
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Published By NPN Group | © 2008 NPN Group | All Rights Reserved
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For more information on NPN MarketPulse, contact:
Gary Bevers, group publisher
M2MEDIA360
Retail Distribution Group
Ph: 832-444-7675
Fax: 800-430-3446
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Keith Reid, editor-in-chief
M2MEDIA360
NPN Group
Ph: 630-739-0280
Fax: 630-739-0321 |
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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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