The annual NACS State of the Industry report, Fact Book CD-ROM and compensation survey are a few of the research-related products that the NACS Research and Technology team is known for, but our focus really is the future, and developing tools to help our members stay ahead of the issues affecting our industry. Specifically, we look to three specific areas:
1. Industry Metrics – Developing critical benchmarking tools that also define the scope of our industry to Capitol Hill and the media, such as the annual State of the Industry report, as well as the information disseminated at the NACS State of the Industry Summit in partnership with CSP.
2. Research – Defining the problem of credit card interchange and chargebacks so that we can reduce these outrageous fees, developing and disseminating validated security practices, creating standardized category management definitions and practices to deliver cost efficiencies to both retailers and suppliers.
3. Technology – Working with PCATS to implement standards that benefit our channel of trade and developing alliances with technology-focused groups to share leading-edge technologies supporting the convenience and petroleum retailing industry
We have plenty of opportunities for you to be involved in our efforts -- give us a call at (800) 966-6227 to learn more.
The NACS Research and Technology team wishes each and everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday season.
The following are a few stories from NACS Daily over the past few months that we thought might be worth spotlighting one more time.
Survey Reveals Consumers Plan to Use More Cash, Less Credit This Holiday Season
November 2: A new Deloitte & Touche USA LLP survey on retail spending and trends reveals that consumers are "bullish" about the economy, saying they plan to use cash more instead of credit cards and purchase gift cards this holiday shopping season, notes a press release announcing the study.
IRI Report Reveals Shopper Missions
November 6: A new Information Resources Inc. (IRI) report suggests how U.S. consumers shop today versus five years ago, and according to the findings, the results are creating "big concern" for both retailers and manufactures.
Latest FBI Crime Report Reveals 'Mixed' Findings
October 18: The estimated volume of property crime in the United States decreased 1.5 percent in 2005, but the estimated volume of violent crime in the country increased 2.3 percent, when compared with 2004 data, according to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) 2005 edition of Crime in the United States, a statistical compilation of offense and arrest data reported by law enforcement agencies nationwide.
NPD Group Report Suggest Convenience Trumps Health
October 25: A new NPD Group report suggests that convenience trumps health when consumers decide what to eat and when.
WiFi Access Attracts New Customers
September 12: A project to bring wireless Internet access to the downtown Courthouse Square area of Warren, Ohio, could indirectly help boost retail sales and in-store traffic, reports the Tribune Chronicle.
Consumers Catch On to Cost of Interchange
August 1: With the swipe of his Visa card, a teacher filling up at an Ellicott City, Maryland, Mobil station "never imagined 8.7 cents of every $3.19" he paid per gallon of gasoline was going toward credit card fees. "Every nickel and dime that they deduct from your credit card when you use it counts up," he told Gannet News Service, adding, "We should be informed about that."
Wallis Companies Launches Biometrics Payment Option
August 14: Consumers can leave their credit cards at home when frequenting a Cuba, Missouri-based Wallis Companies convenience store.
Visa Announces Release of Operating Rules
July 17: On July 13, Visa USA announced that it will make its operating regulations public to select merchants and third-party agents on September 1 under a non-disclosure agreement, reports CardLine.
Pepsi Turns to Technology Innovation to Reduce Out-of-Stocks
June 7: When retailers and some employees brought problems associated with product shortages to executives at the Pepsi Bottling Group Inc., the company set out to modernize its ordering and delivery system.
Study Suggest to Go Online to Get Teen Customers in Stores
May 17: A Forrester Research study suggests that if retail marketers want to capture the loyalty of teen shoppers, they better start getting more hip to what's going on in cyberspace, reports E-Commerce Times.
Chargebacks: the 'Other' Card Fee
May 23: Most retailers are well aware of the issues surrounding credit card interchange fees. But what about the costs associated with card chargebacks?
PCATS, BP Plc. Pursue New Standard for Managing Card Transaction Processing
April 4: The Petroleum Convenience Alliance for Technology Standards (PCATS) has announced that it will develop and adopt a U.S. domestic standard for managing card payment processing through the use of an electronic payment server (EPS), based on the International Forecourt Standards Forum (IFSF) standard.
Latest U.S. Convenience Store Count Increases to 140,655 Stores
February 21: The number of convenience stores in the United States now stands at 140,655, according to the new NACS/TDLinx Official Industry Store Count that tallied all U.S. convenience stores as of December 31, 2005.
Younger Shoppers Prefer Plastic Over Paper Payment Methods
January 16: Consumers known as "Generation Plastic," a term coined by Visa USA, are more likely to use credit and debit for their purchases rather than cash, representing 50.4 percent of all spending among 18- to 24-year-olds in the United States, reports Inside Bay Area.