Draws to Austin

National Advisory Group (NAG) Conference attendees gather at the JW Marriott in Austin for burning issue sessions, information exchanges and ample networking opportunities.

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Lofstock announced that while this was his 12th NAG Conference as executive director and his 16th as an attendee, it would also be his last as executive director. “It has been my distinct honor to lead this organization and CStore Decisions for nearly 18 years,” he said.

NAG Chairman Vernon Young, president of Young Oil, also welcomed attendees to the conference. “We have a great agenda on board. NAG is a great, helpful group. One of the things I really enjoy about it is any question you’ve got, you’ll probably get a good answer. If you have a burning issue you need an answer on, someone here will be glad to help you with that.”

In a burning issue session on “Developing and Refining Your Corporate Culture,” speakers Greg Ehrlich, president, Beck Suppliers; Kevin Smartt, CEO, TXB Stores; and Stephanie Stuckey, CEO, Stuckey’s, discussed how they have been successful in defining and developing the culture at their companies and their advice for how other chains can start the process.

In a session on “Understanding Foodservice Customers: Forecasting Future Demand,” speakers Ernie Harker, brand therapist, Ernburn Brands; Brian Scantland, vice president fresh food and proprietary beverages, BP; Derek Thurston, director of food service operations, Cliff’s Local Market; and moderator Jessica Williams, founder and CEO, Food Forward Thinking, shared insights on foodservice innovation.

“In order for us to survive with the electric vehicle (EV) model, we have to turn our model upside down. What if our model now is we need to spend 30 minutes with each customer to charge? And why would they come to a c-store vs. a mall or nail salon, etc., where they already spend 45 minutes to an hour?” Harker said. “We have to come up with other reasons to get people to our stores, and that means food. … C-stores have an opportunity to have products our quick-service restaurant (QSR) competitors don’t have.”

Following the educational sessions, retailers participated in information exchanges — which are considered the heart and soul of NAG — to share ideas and gain advice on important issues from noncompeting retailers.

In the afternoon, attendees boarded buses and embarked on store tours around the Austin area, including TXB, Buc-ee’s and SparkCognition HyperWerx. In the evening, attendees had free time to explore Austin.

The educational sessions continued on Tuesday, March 28, with a presentation on some exclusive research from “The Convenience Experience Report.” NAG partnered with Bluedot to learn what Americans think about c-stores and QSRs. Some 3,300 customers across the U.S. responded to the survey.

Judy Chan, vice president of marketing for Bluedot, and Nate Brazier, president and chief operating officer for Stinker Stores, discussed the findings of the study and how it applies to retailers. Chan pointed out that Americans view c-stores on par with fastfood restaurants. Driving customers into the store from the pump is a key challenge. The study found that seven in 10 customers enter the c-store when pumping gas, but only two enter every time. Bluedot looked at what c-stores can do differently to convince the other five to enter the store.

In a session titled “Developing Your Long-Term Fuel Strategy,” speakers Daillard Paris, director of petroleum supply and trading, Sheetz; Peter Rasmussen, founder and CEO, Convenience Energy Advisors; and Sridhar Sudarsan, chief technology officer, SparkCognition, shared insights on how the future of c-stores is being reshaped by the integration of EVs and alternative fuels.

Following the educational sessions, retailers picked a breakout session to attend, selecting from a range of topics from human resources to tobacco to foodservice and more.

In the afternoon, speakers Abigail Cerra, senior innovation and brand marketing for Refuel Operating Co.; Denise Jenkins, vice president of marketing, insights and loyalty for United Dairy Farmers; Aaron McLean, chief marketing officer for Stuzo; and Lorraine Spadaro, chief information officer for Global Partners, participated in a panel discussion on “Connecting Next-Generation Loyalty, Payments and POS Systems.”

The sessions concluded with a YEO Breakout Session on how retailers can build their political relation- ships, which discussed how young leaders can develop their own relationships in the world of politics.

Amongst the speakers were Kyle May, director of external relations for R.J Reynolds; Liz Bradford, founder and president of Bradford Public Relations; and Kalen Frese, director of merchandising and foodservice for Warrenton Oil Co.

Lifetime Award

On the evening of March 28, retailers enjoyed dinner at Cooper’s BBQ, where Peter Tamburro received the 2023 NAG Lifetime Award for Convenience Retailing. Tamburro, general manager of Clifford Fuel in Utica, N.Y., operator of 20 Cliff’s Local Markets, has been active in NAG for almost 30 years.

Jeff Carpenter, director of education and training, Cliff’s, presented Tamburro with the award.

“Peter’s passion, vision and humble leadership has created years upon years of success for many companies within our industry,” said Carpenter.

He noted that Tamburro understands building a successful business is about creating a positive impact on the people who work for you and the customers you serve.

“Peter Tamburro is a true industry leader. Without question he’s made a significant impact on the convenience industry as a whole,” said Carpenter.

Nag Wrap Up

On the final day of the conference, retailers attended a working breakfast session, where speakers Abbey Karel, vice president of business development, convenience retailing for Bounteous; Jerome Hunsinger, fresh food marketing brand manager at Wawa Inc.; Warrenton Oil’s Frese; and NAG’s Lofstock explored how consumers are using digital platforms to engage with c-stores and how retailers are maintaining their foodservice base with technology.

In the last general session of the 2023 NAG

Conference, moderated by Erin Del Conte, editor-inchief of CStore Decisions, panelists Nick Triantafellou, director of marketing and merchandising at Weigel’s Inc.; Rachel Puepke, vice president of marketing at CEFCO; and Alan Adato, senior merchandising and procurement manager for Yesway/Allsup’s convenience stores, discussed why they are continuing to develop and expand private-label products.

The NAG Conference concluded with an ideas boot camp conducted by Brian Unrue, director of operations at Clark’s Pump-n-Shop and Lofstock. During the boot camp, topics, including company culture, wages, employee incentives and labor, were discussed with members of the audience. It also touched on how retailers are implementing self-checkout kiosks in their stores.

The next NAG Conference will take place from March 10-13, 2024, in Tampa Bay, Fla.

Thank you to NAG’s sponsors: