NACS Publishes Primer on Community Impact

ALEXANDRIA, VA – NACS has published a new primer defining 10 key areas of the convenience store business. "How Convenience Stores Operate and Their Contributions to Communities" provides a starting point for retailers who seek to define their businesses before communities groups and addresses issues including jobs, property values, overnight hours, traffic and community engagement.

 

"During zoning hearings, opposition to convenience store permitting — whether for ground-up stores or remodels — often centers on general misperceptions about the value convenience stores deliver to the communities that they serve. This primer addresses these common concerns and helps retailers tell their stories about their commitment to their communities," said NACS Vice President of Strategic Industry Initiatives Jeff Lenard.

 

The primer is the latest deliverable from the NACS reFresh initiative that addresses ongoing industry perceptions by providing convenience retailers with tools to evolve their in-store offer and elevate their image. The reFresh initiative currently focuses on three distinct elements:

• Creating tools that address NIMBY (not in my backyard) issues by educating the public about the contributions convenience stores make to their communities;
• Sharing facts and data that demonstrates the evolution of the industry and corrects an outdated reputation; and
• Forming partnerships/relationships with credible nutrition- and community-focused groups.

The 18-page "How Convenience Stores Work and Their Contributions to Communities" can be downloaded here. Additional topics and updated metrics will be added throughout the year.

The primer is the third in a series of tools developed to help retailers tell the industry’s positive story. Last week, "Building the Business Case for Produce Sales at Convenience Stores" was released by NACS and United Fresh, providing analysis of industry and consumer trends with practical ideas to develop an enhanced produce offering in stores.

In late 2014, NACS also posted more than 100 Ideas 2 Go video segments that showcase exceptional convenience retailing.

NACS will publish two additional toolkits in the coming weeks. 

 

Article provided by:

Jeff Lenard

Vice President, Strategic Industry Initiatives

NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores)

1600 Duke Street

Alexandria, VA  22314

703/518-4272; jlenard@nacsonline.com

 

Founded in 1961 as the National Association of Convenience Stores, NACS (nacsonline.com) is the international association for convenience and fuel retailing. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 152,000 stores across the country, posted $696 billion in total sales in 2013, of which $491 billion were motor fuels sales. NACS has 2,100 retail and 1,600 supplier member companies, which do business in nearly 50 countries.