Thursday March 1, 2007 FEATURES Retailers should check diesel dispensers for labels; EPA says many are missing Diesel dispensers at many retail locations lack proper labeling for ultra-low-sulfur diesel, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. "A nationwide survey shows that more than half of retail stations selling diesel fuel currently have pumps without any sulfur label or the pumps are labeled as dispensing low sulfur diesel," EPA said in a letter issued in January. (Full Story) As Congress aims to limit Big Tobacco, merits of a bill are debated It's called the "Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act," and if it becomes law, it would regulate tobacco merchandising and sales by convenience-store operators and other retailers. The bill was introduced Feb. 15 by a bipartisan group of lawmakers. It would give the Food and Drug Administration the same authority over cigarettes and other tobacco products that it already has over many other consumer products. (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 Blackmer says its pumps serve growing role in transloading of biodiesel Moving biodiesel from Point A to Point B and beyond has become one of the new challenges in fuel-delivery operations, according to Blackmer, a company in Grand Rapids, Mich. (Full Story) In Georgia: Christian coalition releases poll on Sunday booze sales The Georgia Christian Coalition turned up the lobbying heat Feb. 27 on the first group of state senators to decide whether voters will get the chance to approve Sunday sales of beer, wine and liquor, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. (Full Story) Anheuser-Busch launches 180 Red, an energy drink Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. is introducing a new energy drink, 180 Red, with Goji, Jacksonville Business Journal reported Feb. 27. Goji (pronounced go-gee) is a small, red berry found in Tibet. (Full Story) Pepsi-Cola to launch diet energy soda Pepsi-Cola North America will introduce a new zero-calorie soft drink this summer called Diet Pepsi MAX which will have ginseng and extra caffeine, the company said Feb. 22. (Full Story) Report: Tesco is laying ground work for entry to Colorado Public documents reveal that Tesco - which plans to open hundreds of small grocery stores on the West Coast and in Arizona beginning this year - has its eye on the Colorado market as well, Fortune magazine reported in a Feb. 27 online article. (Full Story) In Canada, gas shortage spreads; some Petro-Canada stations go dry A gasoline shortage at Esso stations in Ontario spilled over to competitors on the weekend, leaving some of them with dry tanks, CBC News reported Feb. 26. (Full Story) Shell cuts off supply to 16 Oregon stations Shell Oil Co. on Feb. 22 cut the flow of gasoline to 16 Oregon stations, including 11 in the Eugene area - because the stations' operator is behind in its payments, a Shell spokeswoman said, according to The Register-Guard. (Full Story) Tesco hires Deutsch for advertising in U.S. Tesco named Interpublic Group's Deutsch/LA to handle the U.S. introduction of the company's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market stores, AdWeek reported Feb. 23. (Full Story) OPW Fuel Management Systems partners with FuelBay OPW Fuel Management Systems announced Feb. 20 that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with FuelBay, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah, to provide a variety of combined equipment and software services for its various tank gauging and fleet management products, beginning with its new SiteSentinel iSite automatic tank gauging system. (Full Story) NACS 2007 Yates Scholarship Program: applications available The application deadline for the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) 2007 Yates Scholarship Program is May 4, 2007. (Full Story) Gasoline price rises to $2.35 a gallon, Lundberg says The retail price of gasoline rose 13 cents in the past two weeks to an average $2.35 a gallon after disruptions at a number of North American refineries, Bloomberg News reported Feb. 25, citing Trilby Lundberg's survey of 7,000 filling stations nationwide. (Full Story) Court revokes beer sales at Sheetz store; retailer hopes ruling is temporary At the Sheetz flagship store in Altoona, Pa., a sign hanging on the beer cooler blocks shoppers' view of bottles of Coors Light and Miller Genuine Draft. (Full Story) City of Charlotte, N.C., aims to buy seven stores and tear them down The city of Charlotte, N.C., wants to purchase seven convenience stores and level them. (Full Story) In California: Refinery is down, fuel prices are up In Humboldt County, California, gas prices are on the rise. In Eureka, prices jumped by as much as 10 cents overnight, averaging $2.97 per gallon by the morning of Feb. 23, according to The Times-Standard. (Full Story) In Ontario, Canada, there are gas stations with no gas In the York region of Ontario, Canada, pumps have run dry at some Esso and Canadian Tire gas stations, YorkRegion.com reported Feb. 24. (Full Story) Couche-Tard begins makeover of stations in central Indiana A closed station at the corner of 116th Street and Allisonville Road in Fishers, Ind., was knocked down recently, and is now occupied by a mud pit and construction equipment. (Full Story) L.A. Times: BP's 'green' gas station meets with mixed reaction BP plans to open Feb. 23 what it calls "a little better gas station" — albeit one that will sell the same hydrocarbon-based fuels blamed for worsening air pollution and climate change, The Los Angeles Times reported. (Full Story) Report: Energy drink pulled from most 7-Eleven stores in Colorado A new energy drink, Spike Shooter, was pulled from at least 224 7-Eleven stores in Colorado, more than half the retailers in the state that sell Spike, The Colorado Springs Gazette reported Feb. 23. (Full Story) EIA: Retail gasoline and diesel prices up again Gasoline prices were up for the third consecutive week, rising 5.5 cents to 229.6 cents per gallon for the week of February 19, according to "This Week in Petroleum," published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). (Full Story) GAO puts price tag for UST cleanup at $12 billion Cleaning up contamination from tens of thousands of underground storage tanks that are leaking gasoline will cost at least $12 billion, congressional auditors said, according to the Associated Press. (Full Story) Spartan prototype supermarket includes gas station, convenience store Spartan Stores Inc. is set to begin construction on a new Family Fare Supermarket that will be the prototype for future stores. (Full Story) In Massachusetts: bill targets retailers for costs to fix data thefts Citing the high-tech theft of credit card numbers from Stop & Shop Supermarket Cos., Massachusetts bankers on Feb. 19 urged state legislators to force retailers and others who fail to keep card data protected to pay all costs for fixing security breaches, The Boston Globe reported. (Full Story) In Ohio: Oil companies get less under proposed budget Petroleum companies would see a smaller-than-expected state subsidy for gas that evaporates while sitting at the pump under the $7.7 billion transportation budget proposed by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, the Associated Press reported Feb. 21. (Full Story) Heavy snow on canopies prompts BP to idle 7 gas stations On Feb. 20 a snow-laden canopy at a BP station in Cleveland, Ohio, collapsed, according to WKYC-TV. (Full Story) OOIDA: California takes step toward temperature compensation A state regulatory agency has certified temperature compensation equipment for fuel pumps in California, Land Line reported Feb. 21. (Full Story) PRODUCT OF THE WEEK OPW Fuel Management Systems introduces new SiteSentinel "iSite" OPW Fuel Management Systems recently debuted its new SiteSentinel iSite automatic tank gauging system, which provides users with a revolutionary new solution that is easy to use, install and provides complete inventory, delivery, automatic reconciliation, and environmental compliance information for as many as 256 USTs and/or ASTs, 1,000 external sensing devices, or a combination of both, through a single console. The new iSite combines several "Best in Class" features that, to date, have not been offered to petroleum retailers such as a console that can be located at the point of use on a desktop or anywhere else at the fueling site where access to data is required, or wall-mounted (like traditional ATG consoles). The iSite console features a 15-inch color LCD touch screen display, delivering best in class readability and clarity. All critical information such as fuel inventory, deliveries, compliance and station status is presented in a single, easy-to-read cockpit view, that can be viewed on the 15-inch color LCD console, or remotely via the Internet from anywhere in the world. The iSite console leverages best in class connectivity methods by providing communications through many available ports including 2 x Ethernet, 2 x 485, 4 x 232, 2 x USB, 2 x internal USB, multiple modems, wireless interfaces, and the latest server platform technology, enabling browser-based configuration and management tools. The console can be connected to a standard desktop printer through its USB interface or a networked printer, to provide best in class letter format reports on plain paper. An optional internal thermal printer is also available. OPW Fuel Management Systems www.opwfms.com CALENDAR OF EVENTS NASM Convention & Exposition World Golf Village and Renaissance Resort St. Augustine, Fla. March 5-8 (703) 922-9784 www.nasmonline.com The Southeast Petro-Food Marketing Exposition Myrtle Beach Convention Center Myrtle Beach, S.C. March 7-8 (919) 782-4411 www.sepetro.org   Midwest Petroleum & Convenience Tradeshow Indiana Convention Center Indianapolis March 13-15 (614) 792-5212 www.m-pact.org NACS Human Resources Forum Sheraton Hotel New Orleans March 13-15 (703) 684-3600 www.nacsonline.com   Winning Fuel Buying Strategies Hotel Monaco Seattle March 14-16 (866) 620-5940 opisnet.com/fuelbuying/ Liberty U.S.A./PPMCSA C-Store Trade Show Pittsburgh ExpoMart Monroeville, Pa. March 15 (412) 461-2700 www.libertyusa.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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