NACS Welcomes Congress to Go ‘In Store’ This Week

NACS In Store experience is an ‘eye opener’ for congressmen to see c-store operations first-hand.

April 10, 2015

WEST RUTLAND, Vt. And PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – The NACS In Store program is back and in full swing for 2015, kicking off the program’s second year on Wednesday, with members of Congress stepping into their local stores in Vermont and New Hampshire for a full in-store experience.

On Wednesday morning, Vermont Congressman Peter Welch (D-VT-AL) visited his local Jiffy Mart, a Champlain Oil store, in West Rutland. Dwight Lafountain, general manager at Champlain Oil, and Heather Butler, the Jiffy Mart store manager, greeted Congressman Welch and his staff when they arrived. Welch complimented the store’s open design and their vast selection of local products – from honey and maple syrup to craft beer. During the store tour, he was particularly impressed by the intensive food prep, which gave the NACS government relations staff an opportunity to discuss new menu labeling standards and compliance issues and the negative influence they have on c-store operations.

At the cash register, Welch – a supporter of the Durbin amendment and debit card reform – noted the high cost of credit and debit transactions and the burden on the retailer. Champlain Oil’s Lafountain shared that swipe fees are Jiffy Mart’s second highest cost behind labor, which is typical in the industry. He also noted that Jiffy Mart has already upgraded its fuel pumps to be EMV-compliant, well ahead of the 2017 deadline for outside compliance. Welch was astounded by the cost of switching to EMV, and noted that it has to be especially tough for single-store operators. 

Often, the highlight of the NACS In Store experience is time behind the counter, and Welch was no exception, excited to get behind the counter and start working. While shadowing Jiffy Mart employee Heather, he rang up several customers who couldn’t believe it was their congressman serving them. Heather and her fellow Jiffy Mart employees were struck by how easy it was to interact with Welch — he even signed up for a Jiffy Mart rewards card, which he used to fill up his gas tank before leaving the store.

After the experience, Jiffy Mart district leader Joni Goss commented, “It was nice to see the congressman run the register and to get to talk to him. It’s good to know people in his position who are just like we are.”

The second event of the day saw Cumberland Farms host New Hampshire Congressman Frank Guinta (R-NH-1) at their Portsmouth store. During his visit, Guinta met with Cumberland CEO Ari Haseotes, vice president Jeff Cutting, store manager Cheryl Collins and other store employees, as well as NACS and Cumberland government relations staff. While at the store, Guinta noted that he was a regular Cumberland Farms customer at their location near his home, and already had the company’s SmartPay mobile app on his phone, which he later used to purchase a cup of coffee.

As Guinta toured the newly built store, he learned first-hand how recent congressional actions and regulatory decisions influence the convenience store industry. Ultimately, he spent time behind the counter learning how retail employees are trained in things such as age-verification and SNAP compliance, and even helped check out a few customers with the assistance of Cumberland Farms staff. 

At the end of the tour, he noted how the experience had opened his eyes to the true impact that some actions in Washington can have on businesses like convenience stores and that his time today would help him consider future actions back on Capitol Hill.

Wednesday was the first of many NACS In Store events planned for 2015. Watch for updates as members of Congress visit their local stores over upcoming congressional recesses.

To see photos from Rep. Welch and Rep. Guinta’s NACS In Store visits, check out our Facebook album here, or follow us on Twitter.

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