ConvenienceRETAILERVolume 3, Number 2 March/Apr i l 2010

By Justyn Dillingham

Think of the NACStech show as a form ofstress relief for convenience store retailers.

“There’s a lot of ‘what-ifs’ that keepretailers up at night,” from having systemsthat don't coordinate to seeing operationsfail altogether, said Jeff Lenard, Vice Pres-ident of Communications at the NationalAssociation of Convenience Stores.“NACStech is a good opportunity to getboth the technology leaders and businessleaders together to mitigate the ‘what-ifs’.”He calls it “making the scary manageable.”

NACStech offers a different experi-ence for attendees than the regular NACSShow, which is “more about products andpossibilities,” according to Lenard.

“This show is about finding solu-tions…having a handle on technology andsolutions to serve customers,” he said.Moving companies forward from the meth-ods of the past to the methods of the

NACSTECH FOCUSES ON MOVING COMPANYCOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY FROM PAST TO FUTURE

Continued on Page 6

By Justyn Dillingham

Those workshops you’re attending at thisyear’s NACStech didn’t materialize out ofthin air. They’re the product of a year ofresearch and planning by major behind-the-scenes players at the show like PCATS.

PCATS is a non-stock, nonprofit, lim-ited liability company that spun off fromNACS in 2004 in order to focus on set-ting standards for the petroleum and con-venience store industries.

“We’re a standards organization,”explained PCATS Executive Director ScottWood. “We define standards for electroniccommerce for our particular industry.”

PCATS, which stands for ThePetroleum Convenience Alliance forTechnology Standards, originated as theNACS Technology Standards Project,started in 1995. The project’s goal,according to PCATS Marketing andStandards Adoption Director SusanHilaski, was to achieve greater efficiency

PCATS, A KEY PLAYER AT NACSTECH, WORKS TO SET STANDARDS FOR CONVENIENCE, PETROLEUM INDUSTRIES

Continued on Page 6

ADD Systems

AirTight Networks Inc.

Dresser Wayne

Excentus Corporation

GasBuddy Retail Systems Inc.

Hughes Network Systems

NKL Cash Handling

Sunshine Electronic Display Corp.

new products

Show Extra@ NACStech 2010

Special Insert:

ConvenienceRetailer

PRETZELS, COOKIES UNITED AT LAST AT NEWLY RECHRISTENED SWEETS AND SNACKS EXPO

JELLY BELLY UPDATES FRUIT SNACKS WITH NATURAL INGREDIENTS

V8 V-FUSION JUICES NOW AVAILABLE IN SINGLE-SERVING CANS

HISTORIC FUN FACTS FOR SNICKERS

Lee M. OserCEO and Editor-in-Chief

Steve CoxSenior Associate Publisher

Kim ForresterMichael HarrisDeb McQueen

Lyle SappKate Seymour

Associate Publishers

Justyn DillinghamAssociate Editor

JoEllen LowrySenior Associate Editor

Valerie WilsonArt Director

Yasmine BrownGraphic Designer

Lorrie BaumannBusiness Affairs Manager

Enrico CecchiEuropean Sales

Convenience Retailer is published byOser Communications Group ©2010.

All rights reserved. BPA Worldwide Membership Applied for September 2008.

Executive and editorial offices at: 1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715

520-721-1300/Fax: 520-721-6300www.oser.com/www.convenienceretailer.net

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Cellini, 11, 50125 Florence, Italy.

ConvenienceRETAILER

news briefs

top news

new products

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contentsmarch/april 10

on the coveriXTM Pay Secure Payment from Dresser Wayne helps protectdispenser transactions. Visit them at NACStech booth 637.

Left: Sunshine Electronic Display Corp., based in St. Joseph,Mo., has a current line of digits ranging from 6 inches to20 inches in height! Visit them at NACStech booth 529.

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ConvenienceRETAILER 5March/April 2010

news briefs

The tastiest fruit snacks you will evereat now feature natural flavors and col-ors derived from natural sources,announced Jelly Belly CandyCompany of Fairfield, Calif. Thenewly formulated fruit snacks are

made with seven fruit juices: apple,cherry, lemon, orange, pear, raspberryand strawberry juices.

The new recipe for Jelly Belly FruitSnacks avoids artificial colors by usingturmeric, grape extract, black carrot and

black currant. Suitable for vegetarians,Jelly Belly Fruit Snacks are also anexcellent source of Vitamin C.

Most fruit snacks are made withgrape juice and artificial flavorings.Jelly Belly Fruit Snacks are infusedwith the fruit juices to create a distinct-ly flavorful treat.

Jelly Belly Fruit Snacks are also fat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and certifiedOU Kosher. They will be available

nationwide this spring in 10 lb. bulkcases and 2.5-oz. bags in 12-ct. cases.

Jelly Belly Candy Company makesmore than 200 confectionery delightsincluding their flagship brand Jelly Bellyjelly beans. Headquartered in Fairfield,Calif., the company is owned and operat-ed by the fourth, fifth and sixth genera-tions of the candy family.

For more information, visitwww.jellybelly.com.

JELLY BELLY UPDATES FRUIT SNACKSWITH NATURAL INGREDIENTS

V8 V-FUSION JUICES NOW AVAILABLEIN SINGLE-SERVING CANS

V8 V-Fusion makes it easier to get vegetable on-the-go.

Campbell Soup Company is now makingits popular V8 V-Fusion® 100% juiceavailable in single-serving, 8-oz. slimcans. The new cans are available in six-packs at supermarkets nationwide as wellas 24-packs of 11.5-oz., multi-serve cansat select club stores.

Available in Pomegranate Blueberryand Strawberry Banana varieties, thecans are ideal for packing in a purse or ina child’s lunchbox. Each 8-ounce canprovides a full serving of vegetables (1/2cup) and a full serving of fruit (1/2 cup),as well as essential antioxidant vitaminsA, C and E and no added sugar.

Currently, seven out of 10Americans don’t get their government-recommended vegetable servings each

day, but research suggests the key tobridging this “vegetable gap” may be tofocus on the factors that are often behindit: convenience and enjoyment. The mak-ers of V8® juice continue to address thesebarriers through innovation.

“Most people know that they don’tget enough vegetables—but it can bechallenging to find great-tasting optionsthroughout the day,” said Dale Clemiss,Vice President, Beverage Marketing, V8Beverages. “That’s why we are constant-ly striving to offer more and more waysto help people get their vegetables anytime, anywhere through new productslike V8 V-Fusion cans.”

Helping Ensure A Healthier Generation The 8-ounce slim cans of V8 V-Fusion juiceare also a part of Campbell’s North America

Foodservice division’s effort to expand itsline of beverages that meet the Alliance fora Healthier Generation’s nutritional require-ments for products served in schools.

The Alliance for a HealthierGeneration is a partnership between theAmerican Heart Association and theWilliam J. Clinton Foundation and sup-porting products are sold in participatingschools nationwide. Other Campbell bev-erages that meet the requirements include5.5-ounce cans of V8 100% vegetablejuice, 5.5-ounce cans of V8 Low SodiumVegetable juice and 5.5-ounce cans of V8Spicy Hot vegetable juice.

New Flavors On Shelves: Cranberry Blackberry And Acai Mixed Berry Light Campbell is also adding two new deli-cious, on-trend varieties of V8 V-Fusion:Cranberry Blackberry and Acai MixedBerry Light which are available in 46-ounce bottles. The addition of these newvarieties brings the V8 V-Fusion juiceportfolio to 12 juices and juice drinks,

including Goji Raspberry, PassionfruitTangerine, Acai Mixed Berry,Pomegranate Blueberry, PomegranateBlueberry Light, Strawberry Banana,Strawberry Banana Light, Peach Mango,Peach Mango Light and Tropical Orange.

V8 V-Fusion juices and juice drinksare available in a variety of sizes at mostgrocery, mass merchandise, convenienceand club stores nationwide. The suggest-ed retail price for a six-pack of 8-ounceslim cans is $4.99, $14.88 for a 24-packof 11.5-ounce cans and $3.99 for a 46-ounce bottle. For more information, visitwww.v8juice.com.

About Campbell Soup Company Campbell Soup Company is a globalmanufacturer and marketer of high-qualityfoods and simple meals, including soup,baked snacks and healthy beverages.Founded in 1869, the company has aportfolio of market-leading brands,including Campbell’s, Pepperidge Farm,Arnott’s and V8. For more information,visit www.campbellsoup.com.

HISTORIC FUN FACTS FOR SNICKERS

The SNICKERS® Bar cost five centswhen it was first introduced to the publicin 1930.

The SNICKERS name came from afavorite horse of the Mars family.

SNICKERS Bar is made of peanutbutter nougat topped with caramel androasted peanuts and covered with milkchocolate. The peanuts are a crisp-textured special grade, which have greatflavor and stay fresh.

From 1933 to 1935, SNICKERS Barwas a two-piece bar and was called“Double SNICKERS.” Then in 1936, thebar returned to a single format. Duringthe next 50 years, the SNICKERS Bar

evolved into various sizes. In 1979, “Fun-Size” SNICKERS

Bars hit candy shelves nationwide. “KingSize” SNICKERS Bars were introducedin 1983 for out-of-home consumptionand became nationally available in 1984.In 1990, the introduction of bite-sizeSNICKERS “Miniatures” became available nationwide.

In 1970, the SNICKERS MUNCHBar was introduced and later became“MUNCH,” which is a wholesome peanutsnack that contains the highest-qualityingredients including a blend of fresh roast-ed peanuts in a real golden butter crunch.

In 1984, SNICKERS Bar became

the Official Snack Food sponsor of the Olympics inLos Angeles.

SNICKERS Brandlaunched its first ice creamproduct, the SNICKERS IceCream Cone, during NationalIce Cream Month in July1994. The SNICKERS IceCream Bar was introducedtwo years later in 1996.

The SNICKERS Brandperformed an unprecedented task in theyear 2000 by affording the Americanpublic the opportunity to determine aSuper Bowl commercial. By votingonline at www.snickers.com, the view-ing public determined the most over-used phrase of 2000 and had “What’s

up?” officially “crunched” to its final demise in theSNICKERS CRUNCHERSuper Bowl Commercial.

In 2010, SNICKERSteamed up with famed actressBetty White to kick off the new“You’re not you when you’rehungry” campaign during theSuper Bowl, which resulted in aNo. 1 ad by many critics,including USA Today.

The SNICKERS Bar is currentlythe number one selling candy bar in theUnited States and is consistently namedas the “Favorite Candy Brand” acrossall age groups in the United States.SNICKERS is sold in more than 70countries around the world.

NEVELLA WITH PROBIOTICS NOMINATED FOR BEST NEW PRODUCT

The world’s first and only probiotic, no-calorie sweetener is creating quite a stir.

Nevella® with Probiotics recently hitthe shelves and has already been named afinalist for the NutrAward Best NewFinished Product. Heartland SweetenersLLC developed Nevella in conjunctionwith Ganeden Biotech. The peer-selectedwinner of the best product was

announced at the Nutracon Supply Expoon March 13.

“It’s an honor to be nominated forthis award,” said Mike Servie, Presidentof Heartland Sweeteners. “As a globalleader in the sugar substitute business,we are constantly looking for ways toaddress our customers’ needs, andresponse to Nevella with Probiotics has

been phenomenal!” Nevella with Probiotics contains

beneficial bacteria that support yourimmune system and promotes digestivehealth. The probiotics in Nevella survivethe digestive process and deliver greaterbenefits than yogurt.

With no calories, Nevella withProbiotics is a healthy alternative tosugar and a great sugar replacement incoffee, tea and baked goods. To find aretailer near you, recipes and money-saving offers, visit www.nevella.com.

About Heartland Sweeteners Based outside of Indianapolis, Heartland

Sweeteners LLC, is a leader in the pro-duction and development of innovativefood products that are great for the wholefamily. Heartland produces and distributesbranded and private label sweeteners forthe food industry. Their branded productsof Nevella and Ideal™ are great for thewhole family, diabetics and people watch-ing their calorie intake. Both Nevella andIdeal are perfect for baking and are dis-tributed throughout North America,Europe, and Central and South America.

For more information, call LindaJackson at 317-631-6400 or visitHeartland at www.idealsweet.com andwww.nevella.com.

top news

future—“from the back rooms toFacebook”—is an essential part of that.

“Technology is about communica-tions,” Lenard said. “It’s about how to bet-ter communicate with a back office. It’sabout how to better communicate withemployees, and better ways you can do it.”

Even NACStech veterans can expectsome surprises at this year’s show, whichwill host about a hundred exhibitors.

“What we’ve done is we’veenhanced the show floor beyond the tra-ditional areas, and we have a couple newones that reflect where technology istoday,” Lenard said, mentioning biomet-rics, wireless, mobile apps, knowledgemanagement and sustainable systems.“That’s just to reflect where we see tech-nology moving beyond where it’s been.”

“We also have a couple CIO eventsworking with other groups,” he said.“We’ve added new elements partnering

NACStech (Con’t. from p. 1) with other groups to bring their technologyevents to our show.”

These changes, he said, were sparkedby attendee feedback.

“Our conferences and the sessions areall based on what retailers want,” Lenardsaid. “We survey, survey, survey…to learnwhat worked, what didn’t, what couldmake it better.”

The show features 25 workshops “byretailers, for retailers,” as well as daily gen-eral sessions that are “designed to promote

and lower costs through the setting ofindustry-wide standards by bringingtogether the people best qualified to doit—the industry’s marketers and retailers.

“NACS in the 1990s decided theindustry really needed a voice in technol-ogy standards,” said Jeff Lenard, VicePresident of Communications at NACS.“So (PCATS) is a child, if you will, ofNACS technology efforts.”

Wishing to turn over responsibilityfor setting standards to another organiza-tion while keeping the role within thescope of petroleum and convenienceretailers, the NACS Board of Directors

ultimately decided to create a separateentity—thus PCATS.

“NACS is primarily an advocacy lob-bying group—they do a lot of lobbying onCapitol Hill,” Wood said. “The technicalaspect of defining standards really wasn’tpart of their core processing.”

PCATS maintains what Wood calls “avery tight relationship” with NACS, work-ing to find new areas of focus for the future.

“We work very closely with NACSthrough their technology advisoryboard,” Wood said. “They help us findprojects that we should be working on.

“One of the biggest items rightnow is data security—there’s a lot oftechnical issues there. NACS helped us

PCATS (Con’t. from p. 1) identify it,” he said. PCATS is the driving force behind

five workshops at NACStech this year: “Data Security Long TermStrategy,” “Data Security StandardsImplementation,” “Looking into theTechnology Crystal Ball: What Is PCATSDoing Next?,” “Why Doesn’t This StuffWork Together? Device Integration WorkBeing Conducted By PCATS” and“Loyalty Standards Implementation.”

“We really don’t get involved in themarketing or planning of the NACStechshow,” Wood said. “We do get involvedin some of the sessions, but in terms ofmarketing…all that is run by NACS.”

NACS plays a role in the workshops

6 ConvenienceRETAILER March/April 2010

KELLOGG COMPANY STEPS UP DURING ECONOMIC DOWNTURN WITHINNOVATION AND GENEROSITY

On March 19, 2010, United Way recog-nized Kellogg Company with its highestnational award in honor of innovativeactions the company and its employeestook to improve lives and local communi-ties. Kellogg Company is the firstMichigan-based company to win Spirit ofAmerica®. General Mills Inc., Procter &Gamble, Dominion Resources Inc., andWells Fargo received Summit awards.

“Kellogg Company and its employeeshave clearly demonstrated their commit-ment to improving lives by going farbeyond just running a campaign. They’vestepped up with increased product dona-tions, volunteerism, social media outreach,cause marketing and even economic revi-talization efforts in their headquarter city,”said Brian Gallagher, President and CEO

of United Way Worldwide. “We are proudto recognize our Global CorporateLeadership partner Kellogg with UnitedWay’s highest national award for theirinnovation, leadership and generosity.”

Kellogg Company’s $5.9 millioncampaign pledge in 2009 was 19 percentover goal. Kellogg also stepped up with anincremental $600,000 grant to United Wayof Greater Battle Creek to addressincreased basic health and income needs inthe company’s headquarters hometown.Among other outcomes, this grant provid-ed 20 pounds of fresh vegetables weekly tonearly 2,000 people. Further, Kelloggemployees across the U.S. held more than45 food drives that collected more than47,000 pounds of food. In fact, Kellogghas donated more than 94 million pounds

of food, or 66 million meals, over the pastfive years.

In 2009, Kellogg was the first to pro-duce food solely for donation, donatingan entire day’s worth of cereal production(3.7 million pounds) to Feeding America,the nation’s largest hunger relief organi-zation. The company’s innovation con-tinued in a celebrity partnership withKatalyst, a social media studio co-founded by Ashton Kutcher. Kelloggteamed up with Katalyst to spotlight theissue through an innovative online videocreated with user-generated content and directed by Demi Moore to raiseawareness that one out of every eightAmericans struggle with hunger.

“I wanted to send the KelloggCompany a note of thanks for your ‘day ofproduction.’ The role modeling Kellogg isplaying within the food industry will havegreat influence and consequence,” saidBill Bolling, Founder and ExecutiveDirector, Atlanta Community Food Bank.“We have talked for years about just sucha program and have hoped and prayed that

a very significant and well-respected com-pany like Kellogg would one day set theexample. Our hope is that it will be emu-lated by others around the world.”

Kellogg went beyond food donations,spearheading a downtown revitalizationeffort in Battle Creek, including theexpansion of its global nutrition researchfacility, as well as committing to movemore employees downtown, donating abuilding for potential use as a math andscience education center, and partneringwith various organizations to bring newbusinesses and jobs to the community.

“There has probably never been amore critical time for companies and theirpeople to invest in their communities,”said David Mackay, President and ChiefExecutive Officer, Kellogg Company.“I’m very proud of the commitment ourcompany, employees and retirees have tomaking our communities stronger, in par-ticular with our United Way partnership.On behalf of our entire organization, I’mhumbled and honored to accept theUnited Way Spirit of America Award.”

PRETZELS, COOKIES UNITED AT LASTAT NEWLY RECHRISTENED SWEETS AND SNACKS EXPO

By Justyn Dillingham

The All Candy Expo is no more. Theannual exposition changed its name thisyear to the Sweets and Snacks Expo tobetter reflect the makeup of its exhibitorsand attendees.

Snack companies were included inthe show for the first time three yearsago. Now, more than 80 percent of the

show’s attendees come in search of beefjerky, pretzels and potato chips as well ascandy, said Jenn Ellek, Director of TradeCommunications and Marketing at theNational Confectioners’ Association,which sponsors the expo, the largest con-fectionery and snack exposition in NorthAmerica. Last year, the expo featuredabout 450 exhibitors and attracted morethan 5,000 attendees.

“We realized our attendees who arebuyers also bought snack products,” Elleksaid. “It was time that our show name moreclosely reflected our community.” Thedecision came after polling both exhibitorsand attendees, as well as making use of anindependent research firm, she said.

The expo has also added aConnections Café, located on the showfloor. It’s designed to allow attendees tocheck their e-mail and charge their lap-tops, cell phones and PDAs—as well asenjoy a cup of coffee, of course. The caféis sponsored this year by Mars ChocolateNorth America.

“We’ve got some really big-namespeakers for this year’s conference,”

Ellek said. Keynote speakers includeSaatchi & Saatchi CEO Kevin Roberts,Food Network’s “Unwrapped” host MarcSummers, and Thom Blischok, Presidentof Global Innovation and Strategy atInformation Resources, Inc.

Awards are another addition to thisyear’s show. Voters will be able to choosetheir favorite new products and merchan-dising concepts after checking them outat the New Product Showcase and Magicof Merchandising Display Gallery, andwill be eligible for prizes.

The 2010 Sweets and Snacks Expois May 25-27, 2010, in Chicago. Formore information, call 202-534-1440 orvisit www.sweetsandsnacksexpo.com.

that PCATS develops, directing themtoward subjects of interest for the industry.

“We work very closely with NACS, sothey kind of give us some direction as well,”Hilaski said. “We try to get within our ownorganization to see what retailers want.”

While PCATS’ membership is com-posed of both retailers and suppliers,there are about twice as many suppliersas retailers in the organization.

“We’d like to expand” the scope ofPCATS’ membership, Hilaski said.“This is a retailer-driven organizationand we really would like to have moreretailer input.”

For more information on PCATS,visit www.pcats.org.

thinking on a broad scale,” according toLenard. The workshops are divided into fivecategories: Business Essentials, Marketing,Operations, Small Operator and Standards.

“You mix that in with some network-ing activities, and we find we have a prettyrobust show,” he said.

And, of course, it’s in New Orleans. “Ithink people are also enthusiastic aboutthat,” Lenard said.

For a calendar of events and moreinformation, visit www.nacsonline.com.

ConvenienceRETAILER 7March/April 2010

Email editor@oser.com with “Convenience Retailer: New Product” in the subject line for a list ofwhat to include and deadlines.

OpenStore™ removes traditional con-venience store boundaries, allowing storeoperators to connect with customers onsocial networks and mobile devices—anywhere and everywhere. Deliver electronic coupons and gather importantcustomer feedback and reviews using theOpenStore turnkey solution.

GasBuddy Retail Systems Inc.www.gasbuddyretail.comBooth 620

new productsnew products

Industry leader Sunshine ElectronicDisplay Corp., St. Joseph, Mo., presentsits super-bright LED fuel price display.The bold, reliable displays are designedto offer high-vis outdoor service in red,green, blue or amber LED digits from10'' to 9' in height.

Compatible with any application(new or retrofit), remotely updateable,and made in the USA. These brilliant displays will lure travelers toyour site.

Sunshine Electronic Display Corp.800-821-9013www.sunshine.us.comBooth 529

HughesNet PCI Wireless ScanningService provides:• Automated PCI and other regulatorycompliance. • Wireless monitoring of cardholder dataenvironment at all frequencies and802.11 standards. • Automatic detection, correlation andblocking of wireless threats. • Range of options from basic compli-ance to integrated compliance and transport services. • Managed service delivery includingnetwork deployment, operations andfault management.

Hughes Network Systems866-251-2795www.enterprise.hughes.com/nacstechBooth 928

ADD eStore™ is a home office/storemanager software solution for the con-venience store industry. Its intuitive data-centric design offers marketersunprecedented visibility into their opera-tions, cost-saving automation as well as adynamic and easy-to-maintain Pricebook. The Atlas Reporting™ BusinessIntelligence platform, part of ADDeStore suite, delivers detailed analysisand reporting and is a must-have for anybusiness that requires efficient access toactionable information in order to makecritical, timely decisions.

ADD Systems800-922-0972www.addsys.comBooth 935

New Autobank CX safes have one-touch capability, e-mail reporting andupgraded security features. Optionaltouchscreen advantages like theSupport Beacon provide direct techni-cal help from the safe with a networkconnection. With 120-tube capacity,vending and validating, the CX safesare some of the most customizable onthe market.

NKL Cash Handling800-528-9900www.nklcashhandling.comBooth 441

Excentus Corporation is the leadingprovider of fuel rewards programs to theconvenience store industry as well as theadministrator of the fuelperks! Rewardsprogram. It is a privately held companywith more than 150 customers. Visitthem at NACSTech in booth 437.

Excentus Corporation972-793-6763marketing@excentus.comwww.excentus.comBooth 437

Launching a new C-Store product?

AirTight Networks’ PCI scanning solu-tion provides automated, 24/7 wirelessvulnerability scanning with comprehen-sive assessment and PCI compliancereports delivered directly to your inbox. • No equipment to buy. • No IT support required. • Subscription pricing.

AirTight satisfies all PCI wireless scan-ning requirements with the least effortand lowest cost.

AirTight Networks Inc. 877-424-7844 www.airtightnetworks.comBooth 636

Dresser Wayne, a global innovator offuel dispensers and technologies,introduces the iX™ Pay SecurePayment solution for new and installeddispensers. This innovative platformeases the upgrade path and features anencrypting keypad, a secure card read-er, user prompt controls and applica-tion software authentication.

Dresser Waynewww.dresserwayne.comBooth 637

Replacement 950 Thermal Printer: DirectReplacement for Verifone™ 950 Printer • Uses your existing Verifone 950 printercable and adapter.• Prints receipts five times faster than theVerifone™ 950 printer. • Much quieter than the Verifone 950 dotmatrix printer. • Spill-Shield™ designed to prevent liquidspills from entering internal mechanism. • Small size and front printing receipt makeprinter ideal for under counter location. • Has a 425 ft. paper capacity, Verifone950 has 150 ft. paper capacity. • Stores journal electronically for daily ormonthly printing (Depends on dailytransaction amount, holds 32MB of infoor approximately eighty, 425 ft. rolls).

Allied Electronics Inc.215-785-6200www.alliedelectronics.comBooth 346

ConvenienceRETAILER

Robert Culbert-son―Sr. VicePresident andCOO, is a grad-uate of TheUniversity of Virginia with a B.S. inApplied Math. He joined ADD Systemsas a programmer in May of 1978 aftergraduation from college and has risen tobecome the overall manager of program-ming development for the company. In2002, Culbertson became the VicePresident of Engineering, overseeing the

New Or leansOser Communicat ions GroupMay 2010

Matt Tormollen,Chief Executive Offi-cer and President of FuelQuest, talksabout the quest forbetter fuel manage-ment solutions thatdrives his company.

FuelQuest is a leading provider of fuelsupply optimization and regulatorycompliance solutions and services forretailers of all sizes. Our fuel management

O p e n S t o r e T M

removes tradi-tional conven-ience storeboundaries, allowing store operators toconnect with customers on social net-works and mobile devices—anywhereand everywhere.

A rapid adoption and fundamentalchange in consumer behavior is occur-ring, where communication and informa-tion channels are moving to the Internetand mobile devices. What were once

By Kendall L.Randolph, Presidentand CEO, SunshineElectric Corp.

Sunshine Electronic Display Corp. is basedin St. Joseph, Mo. We have been in busi-ness for more than 30 years and have man-ufactured many products over the years,but in the late ’80s we began to focus onmaking electronic digits, and by the early’90s electronic digits became our onlyproduct. Our current line of digits range

NKL® Cash Handl-ing, a member ofFireKing® SecurityGroup, has added thenew, technologicallyadvanced AutobankCX line of safes to its extensive productofferings. The CXsafes offer a simplified user interfacewith optional touchscreen advantageslike the Support Beacon in which you candirectly request technical help from the

Retail data theft is agrowing stress pointfor convenience storeowners. Every day,credit and debit cardcrime becomes moresophisticated, bettercoordinated andincreasingly damag-ing. For retailers committed to safe-guarding their operations and their cus-tomers’ card information, the DresserWayne iXTM Pay Secure Payment platform

Dickson Perry,Chairman and CEOand Brandon Logsdon, Executive VicePresident and General Manager ofExcentus Corporation of Dallas, Texas,talk about their company.

CRSE: Tell our readers a little aboutyour company.

DP: Excentus was founded in 1996 withan initial focus on fuel site control andenhanced data capture for the commercial

Mike Tippets, VicePresident of BusinessSolutions at HughesNetwork SystemsLLC (HUGHES),explains how hiscompany can helpconvenience storesattract customers,discourage shoplifting and more.

CRSE: Mike, could you give us anoverview of the problems Hughes

David King,Chairman andCEO, AirTightNetworks Inc.,discusses his company and what theyhave to offer convenience retailers.

CRSE: What’s AirTight Networks’ mainline of business?

DK: AirTight is the leading provider ofwireless security and compliance solu-tions. Our focus is securing both Wi-Fi

Since last year, 22 states and the Districtof Columbia have increased or are con-sidering increases to cigarette taxes.

McLean, Va.–A March article in USAToday detailed how “cash-strappedstates” are raising cigarette taxes to helpaddress budget deficits.

So far in 2010, Utah has voted toincrease cigarette taxes by $1 per packand New Mexico has added an increase of75 cents per pack. At least six other stateshave considered tobacco tax increases,

Mars Retail Group announced on March18, 2010, that it has joined with newlicensee Alchemy3 to develop brandedlottery games. The games will hit partici-pating lottery retailers beginning fall 2010and will incorporate popular Mars brandsincluding M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, SKITTLES®, STARBURST®, 3 MUS-KETEERS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®.

“Branded lottery tickets are an excit-ing, new licensing opportunity for Mars,”said John Capizzi, General Manager ofLicensing for Mars Retail Group.

Ron Chan, Directorof Marketing atPosiflex BusinessMachines, discusseshow POS terminalperformance andreliability impactyour profitability.

CRSE: Introduce us to Posiflex.

RC: Posiflex is a 25-year design andmanufacturer of Point-of-Service (POS)

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OpenStore Opens Up World Of Social Networking For C-Store Operators

Continued on Page 12

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Cigarette Taxes Are ‘Gold Rush’ For States Facing Financial Problems;Several Consider Hikes

Mars Retail Group Partners With Alchemy3To Develop BrandedLottery Games

Posiflex POS TerminalsWill Ensure FastCheckouts And Greater Profitability

Continued on Page 6

AN INDEPENDENTPUBLICATION NOT

AFFILIATED WITHNACSTECH

SHOWEXTRA@ NACSTech

Dresser Wayne iX PaySecure Payment HelpsRetailers Prevent DataTheft, Protect Their Brand

ADD eStore Works To Address ChangingNeeds Of TheC-Store Industry

Excentus Brings Benefits To C-StorePlayers With Fuelperks!Rewards Program

Hughes Network Systems Helps C-StoresMaximize TheirTechnology Investment

Autobank CX Safes By NKL One Of The Most High-Tech Lines On The Market

FuelQuest Expanding Its Growing Reputation For Innovation In FieldOf Fuel Management

Improve Overall Network Security With AirTight Networks’Patented Solutions

Sunshine ElectronicDisplay Corp Lights Up NumbersAround Nation

Convenience Reta i ler Show Extra May 20104

Coca-Cola Smashes £1 Billion Retail Sales Barrier In Great Britain

Lee M. OserCEO and Editor-in-Chief

Steve CoxSenior Associate Publisher

Kim ForresterMichael HarrisDeb McQueen

Lyle SappKate Seymour

Associate Publishers

JoEllen LowrySenior Associate Editor

Justyn DillinghamAssociate Editor

Valerie WilsonArt Director

Yasmine BrownGraphic Designer

Paul HarrisBill Morris

Account Managers

Lorrie BaumannBusiness Affairs Manager

Enrico CecchiEuropean Sales

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sales of the three Coke brands have bro-ken the £1 billion barrier.

Total sales increased 4.7 percent fortotal retail sales of £1.01 billion. The resultssuggest that despite a harsh economy,cash-strapped British consumers will seekout premium brands, the company said.

Despite a harsh economic climate thatbrought about a dip in consumer confi-dence over the past year, Coca-Colapassed £1 billion in cumulative retail salesin Great Britain for Coca-Cola, Diet Cokeand Coke, FoodIngredientsFirst.comreports, the first time that the combined

“We are delighted to have passedthis milestone with an exceptional per-formance in very difficult trading condi-tions,” said Sanjay Guha, president ofCoca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland.“These figures show that when times aretough, quality and trust matter even moreto consumers.”

The Great Britain results come asglobal sales for Coca-Cola have grownsubstantially in several other markets. Inthe last quarter, sales for Coke productsincreased 8 percent in Brazil, 20 percentin India and 29 percent in China.

S.D. Gas Stations Carve OutNeighborhood SuccessAn article in last month’s Rapid CityJournal details the efforts of an inde-pendent gas station in a small SouthDakota town, and its efforts to distin-guish its offer from five competitors.

Bill and Sally Mason bought theBelle Fourche, S.D., station in 1998 andimmediately began supporting thetown’s civic groups and school

fundraising causes. Over time andbecause of its involvement, it hasbecome a meeting place of sorts foreverybody from Boy Scouts to retirees.

The Masons have expanded the store,which now includes a gift shop, two casi-nos, hunting and fishing goods shop and afresh-prepared food program. Indeed, onany given lunch day, a designated cook

could be preparing beef stroganoff, chili,French onion soup, salads and sandwich-es for a hungry lunch crowd.

“We believe in Belle, and you wantto make it a better place for your kids andgrandkids,” said Sally Mason, whoselone regret is that she never wrote a bookabout the funny things that have hap-pened over the years at her store—likethe time a customer paid for a rifle scopewith a bag of squash.

“It’s such a compliment that peoplethink of us this way,” Sally said. “We arestill the hometown convenience store.”

Fein Energy Crystals Create A Stir In The EnergyDrink CategoryThe world’s first flavor-free caffeine crys-tal product, Fein, adds a new twist to the$7.9-billion energy drink category: no sug-ars, no artificial ingredients of any kind, nocarbs and no calories. It tastes the same asyour favorite beverage. Fein is being intro-duced through a modified rollout in selectmarkets with a television infomercial andnational radio endorsements, announcedStephen Diaco, a management partner forFein Innovations LLC.

Revolutionary Fein energy crystals,with the trademark slogan, “Conquer thenight, take on the day™,” can be added

to any favorite beverage, even water, tomake it an energy drink without alteringthe flavor. Fein’s formula is all-naturalcaffeine citrate and a suite of secret, 100percent natural “taste erasers.”

It is the only energy drink productto use caffeine citrate as its primarysource of caffeine, making it an all-natural, soluble power plant for busypeople on the go. Fein delivers 75 mgof caffeine per stick with zero sugar,calories, carbs and artificial ingredientswith no taste or aftertaste.

“Fein is the answer for everyone

seeking an energy boost with all the fla-vor and pleasure of their favorite bever-age, but without added carbs, calories,sugars and sweeteners,“ Diaco said.

Diaco said that with imagination,hard work and scientific ingenuity, FeinInnovations LLC researched 35 genera-tions of product innovation to deliver theenergy equivalent of existing 8.4-ounceenergy drinks, at a best-available price ofless than half a dollar per 0.6-gram serv-ing, about 44 cents. Fein is a non-taxablefood product, not a dietary supplement.

Spark Brand, Tampa, Fla., createdthe two-minute infomercial featuringmillionaire-maker Kevin Harrington,infomercial pioneer and panelist onABC-TV’s “The Shark Tank,” and top-ranked, nationally syndicated radio host,Bubba the Love Sponge®.

Select retail outlets and some

military bases carry Fein cubes contain-ing 30 servings, and others are beingadded. Fein is on Facebook and Twitter(@Fein). Fein is not recommended foranyone under age 18, pregnant women oranyone with hypertension. Users shouldconsume no more than four Fein sticks inany 24-hour period. Because Fein incitesenergy, users should not take within fivehours of sleep.

For more information, call 800-506-FEIN or visit www.getfein.com.

ConvenienceRETAILERSHOWEXTRA@ NACSTech

AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION NOT AFFILIATED WITH NACSTECH

print ads in weekly circulars have nowbecome online hour-by-hour ad place-ments targeting customers at the mostideal time. Consumers continue to

abandon print media at an increasingrate, and communication is almostexclusively happening on their com-puter and smart phone. For the conven-ience store operator, OpenStore provides a solution to seamlessly

GasBuddy (Con’t. from p. 1) connect convenience stores with theircustomers through these new mediachannels. The OpenStore solution is aturnkey social network marketing platform for convenience stores, pro-viding much-needed two-way commu-nication between store operators and their customers.

OpenStore includes individualWeb sites for each of your locations.Each of the Web sites contains cus-tomized information and content relat-ed to that location. On OpenStore, nowyour location with a car wash or hotfood menu will have a customized Website to promote those features that mat-ter to local consumers the most. Thesolution is designed so that whetheryou have one location or 500 locationsit is simple and easy to manage youronline presence. OpenStore is dividedinto various modules that lets you cus-tomize a solution that provides maxi-mum benefit for your brand. Availablemodules include a robust customerfeedback module to help collectreviews and feedback on your brand—it is a mystery shopper program that

happens every day. The electronic couponing module

includes dedicated mobile apps for theiPhone, Android and Blackberry whereyou can send scannable electroniccoupons directly to consumers. Othermodules include social media presencemodules, job posting modules, androbust, map-based station locators.

The entire solution is deliveredthrough cloud-based computing andrequires no on-site hardware.

The OpenStore solution bringsconsumers into your store, boosting in-store sales of merchandise and prepared foods and building yourbrand through targeted electronic promotions and constant consumercontact. Consumers gain brand loyaltyfrom real-time, relevant communica-tions such as customer alerts and digital coupons so that customers areconnected to your brand wherever theyare located.

Visit OpenStore by GasBuddy atNACStech 2010, booth 620, for a livedemo. For more information, visit gasbuddyretail.com.

Convenience Reta i ler Show Extra May 20106

development of Energy, RAVEN andPegasus. In 2004, Culbertson was pro-moted to Chief Operating Officer wherehe currently oversees all aspects of theday-to-day operations of ADD Systems.Here he talks to us about his company.

CRSE: I understand that you haverecently launched two new products. Tellus about them.

RC: ADD eStore, released in December2009, is a consolidated enterprise solu-tion for C-Store marketers, whichincludes Home Office, Back Office,Business Intelligence and InventoryScanning modules. Built from the groundup using the latest Microsoft databasedesign and development tools, ADDSystems is able to deliver a progressive,flexible and scalable software productthat will streamline store businessprocesses, drive up profits and provide astrong foundation for growth.

Detailed analysis and reporting is deliv-ered by our proprietary Atlas ReportingBusiness Intelligence platform, a power-ful Performance Management applica-tion that is a must-have for any businessthat requires efficient access to action-able information. Atlas Reporting BI is

built with the latest technical tools, offerssophisticated data extraction and datewarehouse features, and provides a fullsuite of customizable views and reports.

CRSE: Why did you decide to buildthese products from the ground up?

RC: The C-Store industry has changeddramatically over the past five years andwill continue to change. Older softwareproducts cannot address the new needs ofthe marketplace, primarily data accessand tighter management of merchandise.Technology and tools have improved,Business Intelligence is now a ‘must-have’ feature, and the user experience isparamount. These facts obviate the needto rebuild rather than trying to enhancean older technology which is costly andgenerally ineffective.

CRSE: How is the new eStore productperforming?

RC: The product is already exceedingexpectations. Scott Goodridge, IT ProjectManager for AE Robinson in ME, whorolled the new product out in January,had this to say about ADD eStore:‘Maintenance of virtually everything ineStore is so straightforward and easy. Ithas a ton of possibilities, and I think I’veonly seen the tip of the iceberg with this

ADD Systems (Con’t. from p. 1) system’s capabilities. We are very anx-ious to get into the Atlas ReportingBusiness Intelligence piece so that wecan get a better view of what’s actuallygoing on out there in our stores.’

CRSE: How can these products deliverprofits to your customers?

RC: We see the value of ADD eStore asa combination of cost savings as well asimproved revenue, both of whichincrease profitability. ADD eStore candrive down costs through a ‘manage byexception’ design that can identify trafficpatterns, inventory turns, discrepanciesin vendor costs, etc. Additionally, processautomation reduces time-intensive dataentry. Increased revenue is driven bytimely promotion tracking, margin man-agement, reduce out-of-stocks, and pow-erful inventory control which ensuresthat a retailer has the right product in theright place at the right time.

CRSE: Tell me about the history of yourcompany.

RC: Since 1973, ADD Systems has beena leading provider of technology solu-tions for the home heat, C-Store, whole-sale fuels and lubricant industries. Morespecifically, we have 25 years’ experi-ence in the C-Store market and currently

service over 100 customers representingthousands of store sites across the UnitedStates. Our staff has vast practical knowl-edge of retail fuel and merchandise,many having worked for marketers priorto joining ADD Systems.

CRSE: What other products does yourcompany offer?

RC: Our flagship enterprise solution isADD Energy E3. This robust diversifiedoffering provides the foundation for all ofour ancillary products. In addition toADD eStore and Atas Reporting BI,ADD Energy E3 is the backbone for ourmobile delivery and service solutionsRaven, Raven Wholesale and Pegasus.On the automation side, E3 supportsSmartConnect, a toolkit that enables aWeb site to communicate with the E3database, and eCommerce which allowsfor efficient electronic communicationwith vendors and customers.

CRSE: How can I find out more aboutADD eStore and Atlas Reporting?

RC: To learn more about ADD eStoreand how it can help you drive downcosts and drive up profits, please contact our Sales Department atsales@addsys.com or visit our Website at www.addsys.com.

and industrial touch terminals with morethan 30 patents awarded for innovativedesign to provide 24/7 reliability in theharshest environments. We produce awide range of peripherals and termi-nals, ranging from small footprint elec-tronic cash register replacements, toPOS terminals, to robust back office file servers in our two ISO9001/9002/14001 certified facilities.

CRSE: What makes Posiflex differentfrom other POS manufacturers?

RC: Posiflex offers low total cost ofownership. To some buyers, a POS ter-minal choice is primarily based on CPUand price. However, Posiflex customersrecognize in order to improve the cus-tomer checkout experience and increaseemployee productivity, terminal quality,reliability and support services are perti-nent. A lesser-built terminal is often themost expensive piece of equipment when

downtime, repair and replacement costsare factored in.

CRSE: Can you be more specific regard-ing competitive differences?

RC: Certainly. Here are a few examples.

Regarding Reliability. Posiflex uses adie-cast aluminum chassis rather thanplastic. Aluminum has many times theheat dispersion capability of moldedplastic. Coupling our unique patentedchassis and motherboard design, there isless component overheating, translatinginto equipment longevity.

Also, Posiflex manufactures and designsits own terminals versus other vendorsusing OEM assembly houses. This meanswe have full component reversion con-trol to assure software is always hard-ware-compatible and reliable.

Regarding Services. Every Posiflexterminal comes with a full three-year

Posiflex Business Machines (Con’t. from p. 1) warranty, with an additional optionaltwo-year term. We also offer anAdvance Exchange program, trou-bleshooting support, three ServiceCenters and nationwide on-site instal-lation program to maximize terminaland business uptime.

CRSE: How can Posiflex make animpact to the convenience store’s profitability?

RC: According to the 10th Annual POSBenchmarking Survey by LakeWestGroup, increasing customer speedthrough the checkout is a primary priori-ty for retailers. Posiflex POS terminalsenable speedy checkouts to create anoptimal customer experience for long-term loyalty, leading to more purchasesand profitability.

The mini footprint Posiflex XP is a pur-pose-built convenience store POS termi-nal integrating a magnetic stripe readerand printer. More space savings means

more room for the ultimate showcase forimpulse buying—the highly profitablefront counter. Besides the XP model, wealso have a wide selection of fanned andenergy-saving fanless terminals.

CRSE: What’s your long-term objec-tive of being in the convenience store industry?

RC: To continually innovate to be a pio-neer in POS and touchscreen technology,and strive to be a leader in serving theconvenience store community. As a com-mitment to our customers, we strive tounderstand their business to design andderive a purpose-built terminal.

Your convenience stores operate 24/7. So should your POS terminals.

Not all POS terminals are created equal-ly. For a whitepaper on POS terminalquality and reliability, visit www.posiflexusa.com/whitepapers.php or call888-968-1668.

solutions optimize the replenishmentof more than 15 billion gallons of fuelannually for retail and fleet customers.Our Zytax-branded, excise tax compli-ance and determination solutions areused to calculate and remit more than$65 billion in energy-related taxesannually on behalf of more than 700customers. And, our environmentalcompliance solutions are used for real-time monitoring of more than 3,000retail sites in North America. In all oursolutions, we help our customers capitalize on the opportunities created by volatility―whether it isfuel prices, tax rate changes or environmental regulations.

Our FuelQuest Fuel ManagementSystem (FMS) automates the completefuel management lifecycle from pro-curement, inventory management,demand forecasting, strategic sourcingand financial reconciliation to marginanalysis and environmental compli-ance monitoring. Its modular designallows a retailer to use the entire solu-tion or just address a single area ofneed. And our pricing model does notrequire any upfront investment to getstarted. Larger retailers such as 7-Eleven and smaller ones such asJohn E. Jones Oil all derive cost sav-ings and margin improvement fromFuelQuest’s offerings.

One of the most exciting solutionswe have right now is our newest product,

FuelQuest (Con’t. from p. 1) FuelQuest ForeSite™. ForeSite is adecision support application thatenables convenience stores to imple-ment a Just-In-Time (JIT) fuel invento-ry strategy. ForeSite’s primary value issimple, accurate visibility across a net-work of retail locations. It provides amap-based view of inventory spanningsites and tanks, so that users can deter-mine inventory status at a glance, iden-tify problematic conditions such as animpending runout, and take correctiveaction. Having this sort of visibilityalso enables retailers to weigh invento-ry position against fuel prices in orderto optimize purchase decisions. Best ofall, ForeSite is designed to be up in aday requiring no IT infrastructure purchases or maintenance.

For a limited time, we are offering acomplimentary 60-day trial of ForeSiteto qualified retailers. This is a uniqueopportunity for small- to mid-sizedretailers to leverage technology innova-tion that has traditionally been availablefor use only by larger chains.

FuelQuest is a profitable, privately-held company headquartered inHouston, Texas, with a reputation forinnovation within the industry. In fact,we are investing more in 2010 on technology and infrastructure than inany other year.

For more information and a ForeSite demonstration, stop by booth 954 at NACSTech or visitwww.fuelquest.com/foresite.

Convenience Reta i ler Show Extra May 201010

fuel market. Soon after we began to focus on integrating fuel rewards intoconventional grocery loyalty programswhich later led to providing C-Storeprograms such as Sunoco’s APlus pro-gram. In 2008 we launched ourfuelperks! Rewards Program andacquired Autogas’ patent portfolio relat-ed to fuel discounts and rewards. Today,we focus primarily on creating stand-alone fuel reward programs for C-Storeoperators, creating standalone rewardprograms for grocery operators with C-Store cross-marketing, and providingour fuelperks! Rewards Program to keyplayers in targeted markets.

CRSE: Would you explain how fuelrewards programs work?

BL: Generally, fuel rewards programsoffer gasoline discounts to consumers for purchases of products offered by merchants enrolled in the program. Our experience suggests the most suc-cessful fuel rewards programs offer

cents-per-gallon discounts based on aconsumer’s total spend at a retailer or forpurchasing specific promoted items. Forexample, most of our grocery customersoffer a five or 10 cent per gallon rewardfor every $50 spent in their stores. In theconvenience industry, most customersoffer anywhere from two to 10 cents pergallon rewards on specific items insidethe C-Store, ranging from margin-fundeditems such as coffee and soda fountaindrinks to vendor-funded items such ascandy bars.

CRSE: How would you compare fuelrewards programs to other loyalty pro-grams that offer a variety of ways to earnand redeem rewards?

BL: We have found that fuel rewardsprograms do a better job of generatingbrand loyalty and increased sales thantraditional loyalty programs. The reasonis that buying gasoline is a necessaryevil to most consumers. The price pergallon is posted on every street cornerand the expense is felt every time theypull into the gas station, which is, on

Excentus Corporation (Con’t. from p. 1) average, five times per month. Peopleappreciate it when they are able to savemoney on gas. And nothing reinforcesthat savings like watching the price pergallon roll down by 20 or 30 cents whenyou swipe your loyalty card at thepump. In fact, the 2009 NACSConsumer Fuels Report noted that 51percent of consumers would drive 10miles out of their way to save five centsper gallon on gas. 83 percent woulddrive 10 miles to save 25 cents per gal-lon. That tells you that cents per gallonrewards are effective.

CRSE: Fuel rewards programs seem tohave started in the grocery industry. Are you seeing interest growing in theconvenience sector?

BL: We continue to see strong demand inthe grocery industry, but we are seeinghigher than normal interest from C-Storeoperators. First, barriers of entry thatused to exist around technology have dissipated, and secondly, I think a fewprograms like the Sunoco APlus Rewardsprogram and the Wesco Rewards

program have opened eyes around theindustry with the types of results theyhave generated.

CRSE: You mentioned that Excentusowns several patents related to price roll-down at the pump. How are you usingthose patents?

DP: Yes, we do hold eight U.S. patentsand numerous pending patent applica-tions covering, among other things,cents-per-gallon discounts and priceroll-back at the pump. We use them tocreate differentiation for our fuelperks!Rewards Program and partners. Wealso use them to help guide the appro-priate level of competition betweenfuel rewards programs in marketswhile avoiding program saturationthrough licensing to certain C-Storeand grocery market leaders even whentheir plans do not include usingExcentus technology services.

For more information, e-mail marketing@excentus.com, visit www.excentus.comor stop by booth 437.

including South Carolina and Georgia. Last year, 14 states and the District

of Columbia raised cigarette taxes. It’sonly the 10th time since 1950 that somany states have raised cigarette taxesduring the same time period, according to

the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention (CDC).

The average state cigarette tax is$1.34, with Rhode Island the highest ($3.46per pack) and South Carolina the lowest (7 cents). The federal tax is $1.01 per pack.

Among other states considering cigarette tax increases:

Cigarette taxes (Con’t. from p. 1) • Washington: $1 per pack increase(bringing the total to $3 per pack). • South Carolina: House lawmakersvoted this month to increase the tax by 30cents per pack; the Senate is consideringthe issue. • Georgia: $1 per pack increase (bring-ing the total to $1.37 per pack).

• Kansas: 55 cents per pack increase (upfrom the current 79 cents per pack).

According to Terry Pechacek, asso-ciate director for science at the CDC’sOffice on Smoking and Health, for every10% cigarette tax increase, consumptiondrops by 3% to 4% among adults anddouble that range among youth.

solutions solve for the convenience storeindustry today?

MT: Major players in this industry turnto us to help them communicate dynami-cally to their customers via digital signage, prevent theft with video surveil-lance service and manage their enterpriseand customer security through compre-hensive PCI services, in addition to POSapplications. Hughes serves more than47,000 convenience stores across thecountry, many of which also rely on ournetwork services to provide them withconnectivity including DSL, cable, terrestrial wireless and satellite.

CRSE: What are you hearing from yourcustomers today? What do they wantfrom their investments?

MT: We’re hearing that increasing foottraffic is a top priority. As many of yourreaders know, money is made in thisindustry through in-store purchases, so ifI’m an owner, it’s great if someone

comes by and fills up at the pump, butit’s better if I can bring them into thestore to make a purchase. That’s whereHughes can help. Innovative solutions,like digital signage at the pump, candrive in-store traffic and cost-effectivelyboost sales, and we’re already doing thistoday for a number of players.

CRSE: What new or emerging technolo-gies or applications will become a forcein the industry?

MT: Wi-Fi, either as a fee-based oramenity service, is poised to make a bigimpact and become a must-have technol-ogy in the convenience store market. Weare already seeing how Wi-Fi impacts thequick service restaurant chain―manyowners are now including a quick servicerestaurant in their store and they willneed to offer Wi-Fi to compete. And ifthey offer it for the restaurant, they caneasily extend that out to the forecourt. Ifa potential customer sees that a locationhas Wi-Fi, they will be more likely tostop for gas and synchronize their e-mailor other applications. While they wait for

Hughes Network Systems (Con’t. from p. 1) the fill-up and the sync to happen, theywill be more likely to go into the storeand make additional purchases. UsingWi-Fi to entice customers to choose onelocation over another and, by extension,make a purchase, is a great way toincrease foot traffic.

CRSE: What impact is video having onthe convenience store?

MT: We think video will have a bigimpact on the C-Store. We are seeingvideo used in two primary ways―lossprevention and improved customer serv-ice. With digital video and a network con-nection, C-Stores can easily set up a videosurveillance system to monitor inventoryand reduce shrinkage. Employee trainingcan also be conducted through that sameconnection, enabling video-on-demandservices for a variety of training materi-als. Ultimately, effective employee train-ing leads to a better customer experience.And, of course, there’s digital signageboth at the pump and in the store.

CRSE: What does the ‘convenience

store of the future’ look like?

MT: The C-Store of the future will defi-nitely have multiple brands under oneroof; a combination of your traditionalconvenience store and a quick-servicerestaurant will become commonplace. Asthis model emerges, C-Store owners willhave to think about integrating numeroustechnology requirements. Brands willhave their own POS systems, their ownsecurity requirements, and other technol-ogy components. Hughes is poised tohelp the C-Store owner maximize theirinvestment in technology by sharingcomponents when possible and designingthe best possible solutions. Hughes hasover 30 years of experience as a leader inbroadband networks and services andtoday provides solutions to over 47,000C-Store locations in the United States. Weare the best choice to help owners buildtheir C-Store of the future and maximizecustomer service and financial success.

Visit us at NACStech 2010, booth 928, or visit enterprise.hughes.com/nacstech for more information.

offers industry-leading capabilitiesdesigned to enhance the security of theentire fuel dispenser payment terminal.

The iX Pay Secure Payment solutionis designed to ease the upgrade path bothtoday and tomorrow and help retailers stayup to date with Payment Card Industry(PCI) requirements like the upcoming July2010 deadline. The upgradeable iX Paysolution allows retailers to leverage theirinvestments in Encrypting Pin Pad tech-nologies (EPP) when they move to next-generation security standards, like PCI

Unattended Payment Terminal (UPT).This solution is also compliant with EMVstandards that address global interoper-ability of chip cards with payment systems and it was the first payment prod-uct to be certified to the Version 2.0 stan-dard for PCI Encrypting PIN Pad (EPP)Security Requirements.

The iX Pay Secure Payment plat-form leverages Dresser Wayne’sdecades-long experience in outdoor pay-ment products and reputation as a globalleader in innovative technologies. It features an encrypting keypad, a securecard reader, user prompt controls and

Dresser Wayne (Con’t. from p. 1) application software authentication. The user-friendly interface is based

on an ATM-style display with soft keys.Leveraging the iX Technology Platform’sflexibility, this module seamlessly workswith country-specific and customer-defined payment schemes including PCIsecurity requirements.

Security features include:• Tamper-responsive security modules.• Built-in keypad privacy shields.• Multiple display configurations. • Protected data links

between components.

• Protected mag-stripe and ICC reader.

New Dresser Wayne Ovation and Vistamodel dispensers are available with iXPay Secure Payment. Retailers can alsoupgrade installed dispensers withupgrade kits for Ovation, Vista andTokheim Premier.

The Dresser Wayne iX Pay SecurePayment platform will be on display atNACStech, booth 637. Regional DresserWayne Sales Managers are available anytime to discuss product features, fit and pricing. More information is alsoavailable at www.dresserwayne.com.

Convenience Reta i ler Show Extra May 201012

from 6 inches to 120 inches in height! We are a privately held U.S. com-

pany and we manufacture all of ourown products at our headquarters in St.Joseph. Our company has enjoyedsteady growth over the years and weare proud to say that we provide digitalsignage to 36 state lotteries and to

some of the largest convenience storeand truck stop operators in the UnitedStates and Canada. Our digits are cur-rently in use on thousands of bill-boards, high rise and on premise signsall over the country.

Over the years methods of changingthe signs has changed greatly. The firstgeneration used a walkie-talkie typeradio and then we used wireless pagers.

Sunshine Electronic Displays (Con’t. from p. 1) Now the options are unlimited—we usecellular, satellite, the Internet and overthe last few years interfacing with the sitecontrollers has become very popular.

We are approved partners withmost of the major fuel pump and sitecontroller companies and recently for-malized a relationship with KSS to integrate their pricing data with our control technology. We are developing

additional new control technology thatshould be available by the end of thisyear that will allow customers to inter-act even more directly with their signsand have access to more data.

I hope you stop by booth 529 hereat NACStech in beautiful New Orleansto take a look at some of our technology.And don’t forget to visit us at www.sunshine.us.com.

safe with a network connection. Currently available in four models,

the B.Series, C.Series, Q.Series andM.Series, standard features include athree-level, 300-user capacity, 20,000 linesof audit with reporting, optional Dallaskeys, manual drop and monitored four-door support featuring time locks, delays,24-hour lockout and armor car capability.

All models offer an optional touch-screen upgrade with advantages thatprovide an enhanced user experience,branding capability, programmable

buttons, e-mail reporting to three e-mailaddresses and the Support Beaconoption. Both the e-mail reporting andone-touch tech support feature requirenetwork and e-mail connection.

Measuring at 31H x 21W x 20D, theCX-C.Series is one of the smallest safeson the market and is ideal for the con-venience store industry. The safe has twobulk validators and 120-tube capacity.Additional features include three doors,cash for cash exchange, printed receiptsand reports.

A unique option for the quick-servicerestaurant industry, the CX-Q.Series

NKL Cash Handling (Con’t. from p. 1) safe measures at 32H x 27.5W x 23Dand has the balanced combination of tillstorage along with validated and manualdrop capability. A choice of an 80-character standard display or seven-inchcolor touchscreen is also available, aswell as printed receipts and reporting.

The CX-M.Series comes in a 21.5Hx 13.25W x 18.5D ADA compliant pack-age, with an optional 9H base and a man-ual drop door. Two single-note validatorsand a choice of a standard 80-characterdisplay or seven-inch touchscreen areincluded as well.

“The CX safes is one of few lines on

the market to offer such technologicallyadvanced options combined with thislevel of versatility and security,” statedTerry Densmore, Director of ProductDevelopment. “With four models tochoose from, including the CX-C.Series, one of the smallest safes avail-able, this series suits the security needsof a plethora of business owners.”

The Autobank CX safes will be ondisplay at NACStech, booth 441. For more information concerning the Autobank CX safes, please visit www.nklcashhandling.com or call800-528-9900.

and no Wi-Fi network environmentsfrom wireless vulnerabilities. This is par-ticularly important for retailers in orderto protect card holder data and satisfy thePCI wireless scanning requirements.

CRSE: Why wireless protection whenmany convenience stores have either noWi-Fi or a limited Wi-Fi deployment?

DK: Whether or not wireless is official-ly deployed in the card holder environ-ment, consumer-grade Wi-Fi networkingdevices are easily installed by end users,ultimately compromising a secure net-work. Because these unauthorizeddevices can go unnoticed for long peri-ods of time, these devices can be exploit-ed by hackers, for example the TJXhackers. PCI mandates a quarterly wire-less vulnerability scan of any locationthat collects, processes, transmits orstores card holder data.

CRSE: Why do convenience storescome to you? What challenges are theyfacing meeting PCI at this time?

DK: Unlike traditional wired networkvulnerability scanning, which can be

done remotely, to meet the wireless PCIDSS, retailers must actually scan the air-space at each physical location.Currently, most convenience stores areeither hiring a third party auditor orusing internal IT resources to performquarterly on-site PCI wireless vulnera-bility scans. While this sounds simple,these ‘spot checks’ with a mobile analyz-er are time-consuming and labor-intensive, and when you factor in anyassociated travel costs it’s actually quiteexpensive. By using AirTight’s hostedservice, these organizations can not onlysatisfy the PCI wireless scanningrequirements but also ultimatelyimprove their overall network security.

CRSE: Compare the position of yourproducts and their technology against thecurrent market.

DK: Using mobile analyzers on a quar-terly basis provides no data security—only a report that shows there were nounauthorized Wi-Fi devices during the 30minutes the auditor was on site.AirTight’s hosted PCI wireless scanningservice deploys a wireless security sensorat each location and continuously moni-tors the airspace 24/7 for unauthorizedWi-Fi. Scanning results are consolidated

AirTight Networks Inc (Con’t. from p. 1) from all locations and delivered in asingle PCI report at a customer-definedfrequency. Not only can we satisfycompliance, we can provide security byautomatically detecting, blocking andlocating unauthorized devices. It is likegetting compliance for free and beingsecure at the same time.

CRSE: What would you say makes yoursolution unique?

DK: Ease of use, automation and cost-effectiveness have proven to be our keyvalue propositions. Meeting the wire-less PCI compliance requirements canbe achieved for far less money and con-siderably less effort.

AirTight’s patented detection and auto-classification techniques identify allWi-Fi in the airspace and categorized itas authorized, external [neighbor] orrogue [unauthorized]. Once the devicesare properly categorized, IT no longerspends time chasing after false alarmsand threat prevention can be automat-ed, eliminating travel costs and reduc-ing IT intervention.

CRSE: To what do you attribute yourcompany’s success?

DK: AirTight offers both the industry’sleading wireless intrusion preventionsystem [WIPS] and the world’s first host-ed wireless vulnerability scanning serv-ice. Our solutions work in any networkdeployment regardless of the infrastruc-ture and can integrate with most securityevent management systems. Customershave a choice in how they buy and man-age their wireless security without doingforklift upgrades to their infrastructure.

CRSE: Tell our readers about your tradeshow objectives, products, promotions, etc.

DK: We encourage NACStech attendeesto stop by the AirTight booth, 636, andsee a live demonstration to understandjust how simply the wireless componentof the PCI standard can be met. We areoffering promotions for the conferencethat will provide a free upgrade ofSpectraGuard Online services to the nextlevel of service for customers who buyby June 30. We will also be raffling off afull year’s worth of wireless PCI scan-ning and reporting to one lucky customer.

For more information, visit www.airtightnetworks.com/home/products/spectraguard-online/pci.html#c3504 orstop by booth 636.

“Alchemy3 has a successful trackrecord developing solutions to increasebrand awareness and sales by matchingpopular lottery games with major con-sumer brands. This new partnership willoffer consumers fun and innovative lot-tery games showcasing our iconic Mars

confection brands.” Alchemy3 was founded in Alpharetta,

Ga., in 2007 by lottery industry veteransand quickly has become a leader in lotterybranding. The company’s strategy is to cre-ate “smart matches” between licensed con-sumer brands and lottery games. Alchemy3works with lotteries to capitalize on thepower of consumer brands and lottery

Mars Retail Group (Con’t. from p. 1) games and represents premier brandsincluding The Grammys, CBS ConsumerProducts, Bass Pro Shops, Six Flags, 20thCentury Fox and Royal Caribbean, to namea few. The company has also created A3Rewards®—lottery prize packages thatinstantly award non-cash prizes includingmovie tickets, gasoline, CDs, DVDs, B&Bstays, backyard grilling packages and more.

Potential licensees should contactJohn Capizzi of Mars Retail Group,john.capizzi@effem.com.

About Mars Retail GroupMars Retail Group is a division of MarsIncorporated. A private, family-ownedcompany, Mars Incorporated employsmore than 65,000 associates.

Filling Up The Old-Fashioned Way A full-service gasoline station with all thecourtesies of a bygone era.

Pull into the Vine Street Service Stationin Scranton, Pa., and an attendant willcheck your tire pressure, wash the win-dows and fill your tank all for the price of

the gasoline, the Times-Union reports.“We give the customer the full serv-

ice they deserve,” said owner TomCharles. “It’s rare to find such hands-onand personal service anymore.”

Charles is carrying on the legacy ofGeorge Ebersole, who owned the station

for years before Charles bought it morethan 10 years ago. Ebersole and his fam-ily pumped the gas for customers andprovided additional services gratis, likewashing windows.

“This is a family business. A neighbor-hood business,” he said, adding that heknew of the station long before he bought it.

With its history of service, Charlesplans on keeping the station just the way it

is. “We offer people what they want, whatthey’ve come to expect from us,” he said.

“We have a full-service station withmechanics on duty and someone to checkthe oil, check tires, and other things whilealso pumping the gas. There is no reasonto change that. The people like that and Ilike that, too,” said Charles.

Two states still require full-servicefueling: New Jersey and Oregon.