Quick Bites / Evolving Customer Behavior and Outlook

Editor’s Memo

For any questions about this issue or suggestions for future issues, please contact me at jlofstock@wtwhmedia.com.

Why NAG Matters for You

Just when we thought things couldn’t get any more diffi cult than a global pandemic, the convenience store industry, like all retail channels, continues to face a host of issues including record gas prices, a severe labor shortage and ongoing supply chain issues. Any one of these issues can lead to some restless nights. All three at once is just downright cruel.

But despite all of the issues affecting convenience store owners, I was proud to still have a strong attendance at the National Advisory Group (NAG) annual conference in California. Driven by our outstanding retailer board, the NAG Conference featured cuttingedge educational sessions and small-group breakout sessions to tackle the many issues c-store operators are facing. Most retail leaders might say their schedule is demanding enough at the moment, and the thought of adding one more activity to their busy calendar is unbearable. So why should they try to cram time into their already-hectic schedules to participate in NAG?

Because membership in an industry association offers numerous benefi ts and will keep business owners on top of important, ever-changing issues, trends and legislation within the industry that will help them grow sales and profi ts. Many professionals, however, believe the greatest benefi t of being a member in an association is the networking and camaraderie that goes on among members.

Membership in NAG not only benefi ts employees of your company, but it also projects a positive image of your chain in the industry. Membership shows initiative and a commitment to staying ahead of current developments in the market. But to benefi t from this, you must participate and be an active member by making an investment of time and effort in NAG activities, none of which is more exciting than the Young Executives Organization (YEO).

As the convenience store and petroleum industry continues to evolve, training the leaders of tomorrow is more important than ever. That’s the driving force behind YEO.

NAG provides young executives a platform to demonstrate their leadership abilities and vision for the future, while gaining valuable feedback from seasoned NAG members. At the conference in March, YEO members had a separate track that focused on emerging payment systems and how to become an effective leader. Here are four takeaways to help young executives enhance their networking efforts by being effi cient, organized and focused. • Build Relationships in Small Increments. Remember, older generations work off of relationships, not casual onetime meetings. Relationships built carefully over time — with mutual interests — can help defi ne your career path. • Be Specifi c in Asking for What You Want. Don’t waste the time of your networking contacts. Be clear about what you are hoping to gain from the meeting. Tell them exactly what you want to do and why you think they can help you. • Face Time is Critical. We’re all too used to communicating by text and email. While that works in many situations, networking calls for much more personal methods. Young leaders need to build relationships. This means personal connections. This takes more time and effort, but conferences like NAG are the perfect environment to interact with your peers in the industry. • Use Your Expertise to Help Others. Today’s young executives are well ahead of the previous generations in technology. You can enhance your networking relationship by sharing something you learned about a new technology or simply sending them links to articles on topics you think are relevant to the business leader’s industry.

It is gratifying to hear stories about how our YEO members share what they are learning with new and existing industry connections. This is how companies improve and how we elevate operations across the entire industry.

This may be tough now, but NAG is a resource you should be using to become a more informed operator. To learn more about the work NAG and YEO are doing, contact me at jlofstock@wtwhmedia.com or visit NAGConvenience.com.

John Lofstock