Wednesday December 6, 2006 FEATURES Could gift cards be the gift that keeps on giving - to the wrong person? News reports this week have described how thieves write down the numbers on gift cards on display in stores. The thieves then go online and try to use the gift cards to buy goods, according to the news reports. If a particular card hasn't been activated, they keep trying until it is, according to the news reports. But the National Retail Federation, Washington, D.C., said Dec. 4 that such theft is rare and difficult to accomplish. (Full Story) EIA: Energy market shifting towards nuclear, biofuels, coal-to-liquids The "Annual Energy Outlook 2007," released Dec. 5 by the Energy Information Administration, reflects the evolution of energy markets in an era of high prices, the administration said. The Annual Energy Outlook, projects growth in nuclear capacity and generation, more biofuels (both ethanol and biodiesel) consumption, growth in coal-to-liquids capacity and production, growing demand for unconventional transportation technologies, and accelerated improvements in energy efficiency throughout the economy in 2007. (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 Tesco targets 300 sites for grocery stores in Southern California, Las Vegas, Phoenix Tesco aims to open some 300 small grocery stores in Southern California, Las Vegas and Phoenix and is prepared to spend as much as $2 billion over five years on the effort, reported The Los Angeles Times. (Full Story) Pinnacle announces partnership with InComm The Pinnacle Corporation, Arlington, Texas, announced Dec. 5 a partnership with InComm, Atlanta, a provider of third-party gift cards and other prepaid products. (Full Story) Consumer groups question claims for energy drinks, power bars; ask FDA to step in Consumer advocacy groups at a public Food and Drug Administration meeting criticized food industry marketing of so-called "functional foods," reported The Associated Press. Functional foods can include calcium-enhanced orange juice, and energy drinks containing herbs like ginseng, ginkgo and guarana. (Full Story) In New York: jury awards state costs in Sunoco spill cleanup A Nassau County, N.Y., jury awarded the New York Environmental Protection and Spill Compensation Fund (commonly called the Oil Spill Fund) full cleanup costs and interest and $6.325 million in penalties for a petroleum spill at a gas station in the Inwood section of Manhattan. (Full Story) In Baltimore: Committee passes amusement devices bill A Baltimore City Council committee approved a bill Dec. 4 that could double the number of video poker games in local bars and restaurants, and expand the types of establishments that can have the games to include convenience stores that offer Keno, a game sponsored by the state lottery, The Baltimore Sun reported. (Full Story) Marsh accuses former president of misspending company money Marsh Supermarkets accused the company's former president of spending approximately $500,000 of company money for personal use, including family trips to New Zealand and Africa, The Associated Press reported Dec. 2. (Full Story) Anheuser-Busch to import beer brands in U.S. Belgium-based brewer InBev said Dec. 1 that Anheuser-Busch (BUD) will become the exclusive U.S. importer of a number of InBev's premium European import brands, including Stella Artois, Beck's, Bass Pale Ale, Hoegaarden, Leffe and other select InBev brands, MarketWatch reported. (Full Story) Supreme Court refuses to hear R.J. Reynolds appeal in Tuazon case The Supreme Court on Dec. 4 refused to consider an appeal by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which sought to dismiss a lawsuit on jurisdictional grounds, The Associated Press reported. (Full Story) In Springfield, Mo.: Police offer robbery prevention tips to retailers Convenience store operators in Springfield, Mo., were among those invited by the city's police department to a Dec. 4 discussion of robbery prevention techniques. (Full Story) Convenience stores can be source of last-minute holiday gifts For shoppers who need to find a last-minute stocking stuffer, convenience stores can be a saving grace, The Times Daily of Florence, Ala., reported Dec. 5. (Full Story) Private label products make gains with public Private-label grocery products are winning greater acceptance among shoppers as stores take new steps to bolster their own brands, according to an industry study, The Washington Times reported. (Full Story) Veeder-Root introduces Maintenance Tracker and History Tool Veeder-Root recently introduced its new Maintenance Tracker and History Tool, designed to provide improved ATG access control and easier compliance reporting, announced Cal Tanck, Global Platform Manager for ATG (Automatic Tank Gauge) Products for Veeder-Root. (Full Story) Circle K Stores selects DemandTec price and promotion software DemandTec, Inc., San Carlos, Calif., a provider of consumer-centric merchandising, sales, and marketing software for retailers and consumer products firms, announced Dec. 4 that its DemandTec Price and DemandTec Promotion software solutions have been chosen by Circle K, an Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. company. (Full Story) Without liquor license, operator's stores lose money Two gasoline station/convenience stores in Chittenango, N.Y., controlled by the Oneida Indian Nation lost more than $400,000 last year, a federal report says, according to The Post-Standard. (Full Story) Judge: Sheetz cannot have state documents relating to salmonella probe Sheetz Inc. can not have Pennsylvania Health Department documents relating to salmonella-tainted tomatoes sold at its convenience stores two years ago, a judge ruled. (Full Story) Valero ventures further into Michigan market, opening in Flint A Valero Energy Corp. gas station in the Flint, Mich., area is part of a concentrated Midwest push by the San Antonio-based company, The Flint Journal reported Nov. 30. (Full Story) Wawa signs on with Catalyst for inventory management system Wawa, Inc., a convenience store retailer with more than 550 store locations in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, has recently partnered with Catalyst International, a certified SAP services partner and global provider of supply chain execution (SCE) solutions, to implement a complete wireless data collection solution, utilizing SAPConsole, Catalyst announced. (Full Story) Report: BP could be fined more than $380,000 for safety violations BP PLC could face more than $384,000 in fines over workplace safety violations at its refinery along Lake Michigan even as the company says it is making "solid progress" to correct those problems, The Associated Press reported Nov. 30. (Full Story) ConocoPhillips preparing to adapt Montana refinery for crude from Canada ConocoPhillips is preparing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to adapt its Billings, Mont., refinery to handle Canadian crude from the oil sands of Alberta, The Billings Gazette reported Nov. 30. (Full Story) Le-Nature's future murky; bottled water company going down the drain Le-Nature's court-appointed guardian on Nov. 29 recommended selling the bankrupt beverage maker's plant in Latrobe, Pa., saying no one's willing to finance the millions of dollars it would take to resuscitate the idled operation, reported The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. (Full Story) EIA: Gasoline, diesel prices continue to rise this week The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline rose 0.7 cent to 224.6 cents per gallon as of November 27, 9.2 cents per gallon higher than at this time last year, according to the Nov. 30 edition of "This Week in Petroleum," published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). (Full Story) Healthier choices on convenience store shelves Consumers are seeing more fresh fruits and vegetables in convenience store cases right next to the traditional munchies like preservative-packed desserts and bags of salty snacks, The Baltimore Sun reported Nov. 30. (Full Story) R.J. Reynolds names new president R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., a unit of Reynolds American Inc., said on Nov. 30 that its president, Lynn Beasley, plans to retire in 2007, Reuters reported. (Full Story) As cold weather comes, 7-Eleven coffee sales heat up 7-Eleven's Donald Driver, hot beverage category manager, said Nov. 29 that 7-Eleven is focusing more on local tastes, preferences and new items as part of the company's Retailer Initiative strategy to better serve the ever-changing needs of customers and give them what they want, when and where they want it. (Full Story) PRODUCT OF THE WEEK Kärcher introduces innovative, safe dry ice blaster for in-place cleaning Kärcher Industrial Products, a division of the world's largest manufacturer of high-pressure cleaning equipment of the same name, has introduced a dry ice blaster-a highly effective and mess-free method for in-place cleaning that eliminates the need to disassemble machinery before it is cleaned. The new IB 15/80 Dry Ice Blaster uses compressed air to propel tiny dry ice pellets at supersonic speeds so they flash freeze and then lift grime, paint, rust, reins, mold, asphalt and other contaminants from off a broad range of surfaces. Moreover, the pellets quickly dissipate into the air so there's no messy wastewater, solvents, sand or other media to dispose of, only the soiled contaminant that is easily swept up or vacuumed. Dry ice blasting is extremely environmentally friendly. The CO2 pellets are non-toxic and non-hazardous making them safe for the environment, equipment, the workplace and, especially, employees. The IB 15/80 operates on 120V electricity (5 amps) and uses a blasting pressure of 44 to 230 PSI. Compressed air requirements range from 150 to 300 CFM. Dry ice pellets are 3mm-the standard industry size-with consumption between 66 and 220 pounds per hour. The unit weighs only 198 pounds and is made of stainless steel. It is ETL certified to accepted safety standards. Kärcher Industrial Products, a division of C-Tech Industries www.c-techindustries.com CALENDAR OF EVENTS NACS Introduction to Category Management Seminar: Turning Plans into Action The Westin Indianapolis Indianapolis January 16-17 (703) 684-3600 www.nacsonline.com 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 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 |  © 2006 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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