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Friday July 13, 2007

	FEATURES

	EIA's projected average for regular this summer: $3.02 per gallon The summer-season retail price of regular gasoline is projected to average $3.02 per gallon, up 18 cents per gallon from last summer, according to the Short-Term Energy Outlook released July 10 by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Here are selected highlights from the Outlook: (Full Story)

	NATO battles proposed federal tax hike A federal tax hike on tobacco is the wrong way to fund states' health insurance programs for children, Thomas A. Briant, executive director of the National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO), told NPN MarketPulse in an interview. "NATO is very concerned about the impact of a large federal cigarette and tobacco tax increase on its members, including retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers," Briant said. (Full Story)

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NEWS ITEMS

Illicit devices left at gas stations capture banking data; police investigate
A police review of video surveillance at several banks in Orange County, Calif., has revealed three people who police suspect carried out a credit card fraud scheme connected to devices left at local gas stations to collect customers' banking information, according to a July 12 article by Ryan Hammill in The Orange County Register. (Full Story)

Irving Oil's Highway 20 Travel Plaza is largest east of Montreal The largest travel plaza east of Montreal opened its doors July 12 in St. Liboire, Quebec. Centrally located between Montreal and Quebec City, the St. Liboire Big Stop is located on Highway 20 at Exit 145. (Full Story)

Kum & Go promotes alternative fuel; gives away flex-fuel Chevy Impala
Marie Subbert of Paton, Iowa, selected a new, flex-fuel Chevrolet Impala on July 10 at a special presentation event at the Kum & Go store in Johnston, Iowa. Subbert was the June winner in the Kum & Go "Fuel Good" summer sweepstakes, a promotion that educated the public on E85 as an alternative fuel while cumulatively building on prizes each month through August of this year, according to a July 11 press release issued by the company. (Full Story)

Via One Technologies signs distribution agreement with nFinanSe nFinanSe Inc. and Via One Technologies announced July 11 that they have signed an agreement to provide nFinanSe Discover Network Prepaid Cards to Via One Corporation, a global point of sale processor of electronic prepaid products and services. (Full Story)

Weights and Measures experts reject proposal on 'hot fuel' guidelines A nationwide group of measurement experts rejected a proposal that consumer groups said would address unfair retail dispensing of so-called "hot fuel," Elizabeth Douglass reported in a July 12 article in The Los Angeles Times. (Full Story)

In Pittsburgh: C-store owners form cooperative buying arrangement
Motivated by rising fuel costs, Brian C. Weiss, owner of four convenience stores in Pittsburgh, Pa., has taken the lead in forming a cooperative for convenience store owners that could enable members to collectively negotiate lower prices on merchandise, according to a July 11 article by Elwin Green in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. (Full Story)

Proposed: $100 fine on store clerks who sell tobacco to minors Store owners, health officials and city councilors in Springfield, Mass., fashioned a compromise July 10 on a plan to toughen penalties on businesses caught selling cigarettes and other tobacco products to minors, according to an article by Mike Plaisance in The Republican. (Full Story)

New York panel considers class-action status of light cigarettes case A federal appeals court gave a rough reception July 10 to arguments that tobacco companies owe up to $200 billion to tens of millions of smokers for suggesting that light cigarettes might be less harmful than regular cigarettes, according to an Associated Press report by Larry Neumeister. (Full Story)

Proposed: 430-mile pipeline from Utah to Las Vegas A new pipeline that by late next year could begin carrying gasoline from refineries in the Salt Lake City area to Las Vegas promises to transform the market for motor fuel throughout Utah, according to a July 9 article by Steven Oberbeck in The Salt Lake Tribune. (Full Story)

Study: Petro/convenience clerks are most likely to sell tobacco to minors Clerks who work in convenience stores that sell gasoline are the most likely to sell tobacco to minors, a new study finds. Most states require buyers of tobacco products to be 18 years old. (Full Story)

Sunoco's Maness to step down as executive VP to be strategic advisor Sunoco, Inc. announced that effective July 9, Joel H. Maness stepped down as executive vice president, refining and supply. (Full Story)

In Massachusetts: Pride acquires three gas stations Pride Stations and Stores purchased three self-service gasoline stations owned by Inland Gasoline Stations Inc. on July 9 for an undisclosed price, according to an article by Marcia Blomberg in The Republican. (Full Story)

Shell-Branded U.S. operators honored for customer service Shell Oil Products US and Motiva Enterprises LLC, recently recognized their highest performing wholesalers in the United States for consistently providing exceptional experiences at their Shell-branded stations, the companies announced July 9, according to a press release. (Full Story)

Gilbarco certifies PWM Price Signs for use with Passport Version 6 Gilbarco Inc. announced July 9 that it has certified a standard, direct interface from the Passport point of sale system to PWM Electronic Price Signs. (Full Story)

In Quebec: independent stations say they can't compete against majors Many independent Quebec gas stations are struggling to compete with major retailers and are threatened with closure, the president of an association of independent gas station owners says, according to a July 8 Canadian Press article. (Full Story)

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK

Gateway Dial and Serial to IP Converters

Save money and improve performance by converting your POS and other terminals in your store to IP. Available in multiple port configurations, the Abierto Gateway is a flexible network device that allows you to connect your modem and serial electronics to IP networks. The Abierto Gateway is delivered pre-configured for fast, turnkey installation, and requires no expensive hardware upgrades to operate. The Abierto Gateway is PCI compliant and approved by most major transaction processors and POS equipment vendors.

Abierto Networks, Exeter, N.H.
www.ab-net.us

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Pennsylvania Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association Summer Conference
Golden Arrow Hotel
Lake Placid, NY
July 15-17
(717) 902-0210
www.ppmcsa.org

Oregon Petroleum Association (OPA) Annual Sunriver Conference
Sunriver, Ore.
July 15-18

(503) 670-1777

www.opma.net

Florida Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association 2007 Convention & Trade Show
Gaylord Palms Resort
Kissimmee, Fla.
July 21-25
(850) 877-5178
www.fpma.org

North Carolina Association of Convenience Stores 2007 Annual Convention
Kingston Plantation
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
July 22-25
(919) 834-5933
www.nccstore.com

2007 Hispanic Retail 360 Summit
Westin Park Central Hotel

Dallas, Texas

August 1-3

www.nacsonline.com

Mississippi Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association 2007 Convention and Trade Expo
Ross Bridge Resort
Birmingham, Ala.
August 1-4
(601)353-1624
www.mspetroleum.com


	For a complete list of industry events, go to NPN's calendar web page.

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