Thursday April 12, 2007 FEATURES Study: Law against price-gouging would backfire Legislation backed by 86 members of the U.S. House of Representatives would establish a federal law against price gouging - and it wouldn't work, according to a study commissioned by The American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF), a business advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. According to the report, "Experience indicates that price controls can lead to the following consequences: (Full Story) EPA rolls out program for renewable fuels The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on April 10 publicized details of the nation's first comprehensive Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) program. At a press conference, EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson, joined by Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman and National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Nicole Nason, discussed the RFS program, increasing the use of alternative fuels and modernizing CAFÉ standards for cars. (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 Ohio awards grants to 12 alternative fuel retailers, two biodiesel blenders Ohio Lieutenant Governor Lee Fisher on April 4 announced the initial grant awards from the Alternative Fuel Transportation Grant Program in the amount of $595,000 to 12 alternative fuel retailers and two biodiesel blending facilities. (Full Story) New York Association of Convenience Stores names three to Hall of Fame Fran LaForge of XtraMart Convenience Stores, Jim Curley of McLane Company, and Bob Ray of Crowley Foods/HP Hood have been elected to the New York Convenience Store Hall of Fame, the New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS) announced. (Full Story) MPSI Systems changes corporate name to Market Planning Solutions Inc. MPSI Systems Inc., Tulsa, Okla., announced April 3 that it changed its corporate name to Market Planning Solutions Inc. (Full Story) OPW Fuel Management Systems training seminar in Ft. Lauderdale OPW Fuel Management Systems, Hodgkins, Ill., part of OPW Fueling Components, announced April 10 that it has scheduled its next onsite product-training seminar for May 15-18 in the Ft. Lauderdale, FL, area. (Full Story) 7-Eleven deploys Retalix software in convenience stores in Norway, Sweden Retalix Ltd., a provider of enterprise-wide software solutions for food retailers and distributors, announced April 10 that 7-Eleven Norway and Sweden, a part of the Reitan Servicehandel group, has deployed Retalix software solutions to improve operations and management of its 185 convenience stores in Norway and Sweden. (Full Story) NPD reports consumers want breakfast foods at lunch and dinner As Americans move further away from the traditional nine-to-five workday, they are reaching for breakfast beyond the traditional hours for the morning meal, according to research from The NPD Group, Port Washington, N.Y., a provider of consumer and retail information. (Full Story) The Pantry completes Petro Express acquisition The Pantry, Inc., Sanford, N.C., an independently operated convenience store chain in the southeastern U.S., announced April 5 that it has completed the acquisition of 66 Petro Express convenience stores in North and South Carolina from Petro Express, Inc. (Full Story) PRODUCT OF THE WEEK nFinanSe Discover Network Gift Cards launched nFinanSe Inc. recently launched its new "People's Choice" line of instant issue nFinanSe™ Discover® Network Gift Cards. The "People's Choice" line of products will be sold nationwide and carry the Discover® Network acceptance mark. The nFinanSe™ Gift Cards have the following features and benefits: instantly issued gift cards for immediate use; English or Spanish packaging; stylish and trendsetting card designs; "Free...of course!" Customer Service available 24/7; English or Spanish speaking customer service agents; and for use everywhere Discover® Network cards are accepted. nFinanSe Inc. www.nfinansedms.com CALENDAR OF EVENTS Fuel Management University Loews Ventana Canyon Resort Tucson, Ariz. April 24-26 (866) 620-5940 www.opisnet.com/fmu SIGMA 2007 Spring Convention Loews Ventana Canyon Resort Tucson, AZ April 26-29, 2007 (703) 709-7000 www.sigma.org   2007 AOCA Convention and Fast Lube Expo Dallas Convention Center Dallas April 28-May 1 (800) 331-0329 www.aoca.org NACStech 2007 Gaylord Opryland Hotel & Convention Center Nashville, Tenn. April 30-May 2 (703) 684-3600 www.nacsonline.com   NYACS Trade Show and Convention The Oncenter Syracuse, N.Y. May 15-16 (518) 432-1400 www.nyacs.org Focus on Finance hosted by Meridian Associates, Inc. Renaissance Worthington Hotel Fort Worth, Texas May 16-18 (800) 728-9005 www.askmeridian.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 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.

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