Thursday December 14, 2006 FEATURES Are energy drinks over-energized? At various times this year consumer activists, researchers and elected officials have challenged the soft drink industry, blaming it, at least in part, for an obesity epidemic among children in the U.S. (See "Report: Beverage market volume grew by 3.2 percent in 2005," in the April 20, 2006 NPN MarketPulse.) Now a different beverage segment, energy drinks, is coming under the scrutiny of health experts, who say that the beverages contain ingredients in amounts that could have detrimental effects if consumed in quantity. (Full Story) Analyst: PM USA to act on prices, roll out Marlboro Smooth Philip Morris USA is likely to announce a price increase/off-invoice reduction in the near future, according to a Dec. 8 note by tobacco industry analyst Bonnie Herzog, managing director of Citigroup Investment Research, New York. PM USA can also be expected to introduce Marlboro Smooth, a menthol brand that will be positioned to directly compete with Newport, according to the note. (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. EXPERT CORNER Ethanol carries renewable fuels torch into the future Mary S. Tangen, Product Manager - Biofuels, DTN Things sure have changed back home on the farm. When I was growing up on a farm in northwest Iowa, I would have never dreamed of all the job opportunities and economic growth that is now happening in a rural farm community. (Full Story) NEWS ITEMS BP to sell branded locations as franchises in Indianapolis market The sale of 29 BP-branded convenience stores and gas stations in the Indianapolis market is being handled by NRC Realty Advisors, NRC said Dec. 11. (Full Story) Health experts raise questions about energy drinks Cocaine is a recent entry in the booming market for energy drinks, which include ingredients in amounts that some health experts say could cause a kind of energy overload. (Full Story) The Pantry to acquire 24 Sun Stop locations from Southwest Georgia Oil The Pantry, Sanford, N.C., said it will acquire 24 Sun Stop convenience stores in Florida, Georgia and Alabama from Southwest Georgia Oil, The News & Observer reported Dec. 13. (Full Story) For two weeks, Sheetz offers free coffee with any gas purchase Sheetz, Inc. is giving away its new premium coffee with any purchase of Sheetz gasoline, the company announced Dec. 12. (Full Story) Oil prices dip below $62 a barrel as OPEC meeting nears Oil prices dropped Dec. 11 as OPEC officials sent conflicting signals about the possibility of production cuts when the organization meets next week, reported The Associated Press. (Full Story) Taco Bell says its food is safe, E. coli source remains a mystery Taco Bell Corp., a unit of Yum Brands Inc., repeated Dec. 11 that its food is safe and that it has changed its produce supplier for New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware as a precautionary measure after an outbreak of E. coli bacteria was tied to its restaurants in those states, Reuters reported. (Full Story) Hurricane victims have till Jan. 4 to rejoin lawsuit against Murphy Oil Residents of St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, who opted out of a class-action lawsuit over damages from an oil spill at a Murphy Oil Corp. refinery following Hurricane Katrina have been given until Jan. 4 to rejoin a proposed $330 million settlement, according to The Associated Press. (Full Story) Turks turn to teamwork to compete against Big Oil Fenerbahce Salim Görür has organized more than 50 fellow Turkish gas station owners from New York and New Jersey - representing more than 200 stations among them - to form a buying consortium, reported The Herald News, a newspaper in New Jersey. (Full Story) Shares of Casey's General Stores are downgraded by analyst HSBC analysts on Dec. 8 downgraded Casey's General Stores Inc., a convenience-store operator, due to weak margins in its gas business, The Associated Press reported. (Full Story) In Ohio: Turnpike gas stations switching to Valero brand Fourteen Sunoco filling stations on the Ohio Turnpike will be changing to the Valero brand starting Jan. 1, the Ohio Turnpike Commission announced Dec. 7, according to The Blade, a newspaper in Toledo, Ohio. (Full Story) Critics boil over venture between PBS and a coffee company The nonprofit public television company PBS and the publicly traded Green Mountain Coffee Company announced Dec. 7 that a new "PBS Blend" organic coffee will be sold to raise funds for PBS programming and educational services, The Boston Herald reported. (Full Story) In Nevada: Smoking ban blocked pending a court hearing A judge issued a 15-day restraining order to block a ban on smoking at some bars and around slot machines at supermarkets, gas stations and convenience stores in southern Nevada, The Associated Press reported Dec. 10. (Full Story) National Association of Shell Marketers hires new executive director The National Association of Shell Marketers (NASM) on Dec. 5 announced the appointment of Darrell K. Smith as executive director. The trade association, based in Springfield, Va., represents wholesale distributors of Shell petroleum products throughout the United States. (Full Story) Veeder-Root releases latest version of tank monitoring software Veeder-Root, Simsbury, Conn., announced the release of version 4.0 of its Inform software, designed to provide enhanced monitoring features for automatic tank gauges (ATGs) of all brands, said Cal Tanck, global platform manager for ATG products for Veeder-Root. (Full Story) ConocoPhillips expects to reduce capital spending, sell 830 retail outlets ConocoPhillips said Dec. 7 that its 2007 capital spending would likely drop approximately 25 percent compared to 2006. The company said it plans to scale back on certain investments due to rising costs, and to finish buying a stake in Russia's LUKOIL, Reuters reported. (Full Story) 7-Eleven to buy 10 McKee Oil Co. stores in Salt Lake City market 7-Eleven Inc., Dallas, Texas, has agreed to buy 10 McKee Oil Co. stores in the greater Salt Lake City, Utah, area, The Dallas Business Journal reported Dec. 7. (Full Story) Tighter margins mean lesser profits for Casey's General Stores Second quarter profits for Casey's General Stores, Ankeny, Iowa, fell 23 percent to $17.2 million, reported The Des Moines Register. Sales for the period increased 5 percent to exceed $1 billion, the company said Dec. 6, The Register reported. (Full Story) Chevron to increase investment in drilling and refining in 2007 Chevron Corp., San Ramon, Calif., expects to spend $19.6 billion in 2007 drilling new oil and natural gas wells, building offshore platforms and upgrading gasoline refineries, reported The San Francisco Chronicle. The spending plan represents a 22.5 percent increase over the company's capital expenses in 2006. (Full Story) Experts: New York City's trans fat ban is good for consumers' health The New York City Board of Health's unanimous decision to phase trans fats off restaurant menus could help save many people from heart disease, medical and nutrition experts said, according to ABC News. (Full Story) EIA: Gasoline price rises for fourth consecutive week The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline rose 5.1 cents to 229.7 cents per gallon as of Dec. 4, 15.0 cents per gallon higher than at this time last year, according to the Dec. 6 edition of "This Week in Petroleum," published by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). (Full Story) In North Carolina: Town to vote on beer sales in stores Voters in Wilders Township, N.C., will decide Feb. 6 whether to allow beer sales in stores. (Full Story) Rutter's introduces own-brand gift card Rutter's Farm Stores, York, Pa., has introduced a Rutter's-branded gift card, which can be purchased in any amount from $10 to $100. (Full Story) PRODUCT OF THE WEEK OPW Fuel Management Systems offers automated training The Registered Bankcard Option, available for the Petro Vend System2™ and ART™ Fuel Control Systems, allows customers the convenience of 24-hour fueling with their own bankcards in areas where unattended public fueling is generally restricted. To further assist station owners in training bankcard users on safe refueling procedures, OPW Fuel Management Systems now offers automated training using the C/OPT™ and ART™ Fuel Island Terminal's built-in LCD screens. At the end of the training, the user receives an authorization PIN, which may be used at any of the station owners' locations. If a site is attended during the day, PIN requirement may be removed, allowing anyone to fuel with a bankcard. Automated training for the System2™ and ART™ Fuel Control Systems is convenient for both bankcard customers and station owners because a station employee is not required to issue authorized PIN numbers. Station owners will also like the increased business traffic that comes with the addition of a 24-hour unattended fueling system at their site. OPW Fuel Management Systems www.opwfms.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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