Founded August 14, 1961, as the National Association of Convenience Stores, NACS is an international trade association representing the convenience and petroleum retailing industry, with more than 2,200 retail and 1,800 supplier company members. NACS retail member companies do business in nearly 40 countries around the world, with the majority of members based in the United States. The U.S. convenience and petroleum retailing industry, with 146,294 stores across the U.S., posted $569.4 billion in total sales for 2006, with $405 billion in motor fuels sales.
What is a convenience store?
NACS' definition of a convenience store is a retail business with a primary emphasis placed on providing the public with a convenient location to quickly purchase from a wide array of consumable products (predominantly food or food and gasoline) and services. Convenience stores have the following characteristics:
- Building size may vary significantly; typically the size will be less than 5,000 square feet
- Off-street parking and/or convenient pedestrian access
- Extended hours of operation with many open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- Stock of at least 500 SKUs (stock-keeping units)
- Product mix includes grocery-type items and also includes items from the following groups: beverages, snacks (including confectionery) and tobacco
Convenience retailing -- a story of change
Two fundamental consumer needs gave birth to the U.S. convenience store and petroleum marketing industry-convenience and quick service. It was 1927 when the Southland Ice Company, already open 16 hours a day, seven days a week, realized consumers still needed staple items like bread, milk and eggs after the local grocery store had closed.
Over 80 years later, technology and mobility have borne this industry from the early dairy stores and "motorterias" to a half-trillion-dollar-plus retail channel comprised of many small entrepreneurs, as well as multi-state and nationwide chains. Today, the industry's 1.5 million employees serve an estimated 137 million of customers a day in over 146,000 convenience stores and petroleum retailing outlets, found in every state and in every congressional district.
NACS - the industry's voice
As the industry's voice, NACS, the association for convenience and petroleum retailing, has been integral to the industry's success story, assisting retailers and marketers in successfully navigating the ever-changing retail landscape through research and development, educational opportunities, information, government affairs, media relations, public relations and education meetings.
Capitalizing on change
When the world's gas pedal accelerates, trade associations like NACS become even more important. They aggregate data and knowledge and news, and package it for their members in ways that help members determine future directions for their companies so they can capitalize on change.
In Internet terms, NACS is the convenience store industry's portal to industry knowledge and connections. Through NACS, industry participants access information about our industry, the competition, trends and more. Through NACS, industry participants also access resources, products, services and suppliers that help them operate their businesses more profitability.