Posts by theo@aacs.org.au

States are instructed not to incur new financial obligations until updated guidance is issued. WASHINGTON, D.C. — The future of federally funded electric vehicle (EV) charging is in question after the Trump Administration moved to halt the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, instructing states not to spend their previously allocated funding. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) sent a Feb. 6 letter to state transportation directors stating it was suspending approval of annual implementation plans that states previously submitted for fiscal years 2022-2025, reported Politico. “Effective immediately, no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program until the updated final NEVI Formula Program Guidance is issued and new state plans are submitted and approved,” wrote Emily Biondi, FHWA’s associate administrator for planning, environment and realty. The letter added that states will be able to receive reimbursements for existing obligations to design and build charging stations. FHWA stated it…

Card fees hit record levels, but industry says they are driving costs down. Official data on the average cost of merchant fees on debit and credit card transactions just went through the roof, directly contradicting recent industry claims that card fees are getting cheaper for small businesses. In fact, the new Reserve Bank of Australia data for debit card fees shows eftpos fees jumped 33.3% on last quarter. Visa and Mastercard jumped too. Visa was up 6.1% and Mastercard was up 7.7%. The new data is based on expanded coverage to directly include larger payment facilitators and additional acquirers most likely to be international players and fintechs, many of whom have recently increased market share and often charge high blended rates that combine debit and credit card fees. The fee surge comes in the midst of the RBA’s Review of Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging, which is considering “whether regulatory…

Delivery platform DoorDash has secured a new partnership with Costco, which allows Australians to purchase goods without requiring a membership to the bulk-goods company. Customers simply need to search for Costco on DoorDash, where they will find a range of groceries including fruit, vegetables, meat, and other household essentials such as toilet paper. Same-day delivery is available in metropolitan areas in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane. “We are thrilled to partner with Costco to expand DoorDash’s affordable options for Australian families,” says DoorDash Vice President APAC Simon Rossi. “Through this partnership, we’re making it easier for families and small businesses to get what they need at Costco’s low prices, delivered directly to their doorstep.” “This partnership allows members improved access to the range of quality and value Costco offers, because we know that many people live busy lives and are always looking for ways to make the weekly shop…

A market research and analytics firm released new data featuring grocery stores those living in the U.S. love most. Here’s what it found. We’ve covered it here a few times, but groceries are quite the hot topic these days. Be it for increasing grocery store prices, helping you find the best deals on groceries across the United States, or for the recalls that have made headlines in the last few months. But there is a little bit of fun news in here, too, that you can debate about with your friends: Which grocery store, exactly, is America’s favorite? You don’t need to wonder too hard, as YouGov, a market research and analytics firm, recently released new data showcasing which grocery store those living in the U.S. love most. To come to its conclusion, the researchers interviewed 1,220 people in the U.S. over the months of October, November, and December of 2024…

Here’s a rundown of what should be top of mind for convenience store operators this year. NATIONAL REPORT — Many of the consumer trends that have been going strong over the past couple of years are expected to continue through 2025, with some new ones added into the mix. Freshly made, high-quality food is important to consumers today and with many convenience store operators stepping up their foodservice offerings, c-stores are becoming more on par with quick-service restaurants (QSRs), according to Sarah Becket, director of marketing at Intouch Insight, a provider of customer experience solutions for multilocation businesses. In a third-party delivery survey that compared 300 made-to-order food orders from restaurants and 300 made-to-order food orders from c-stores, Intouch Insight found that convenience stores are very much equal to their restaurant counterparts — but there is still work to be done.  “C-stores are still playing catchup with delivery because they have…

Retailers face long-term costs when it comes to employee morale and engagement. According to a recently released report from Perceptyx, 53% of all workers who deal directly with the public have encountered customers who are verbally abusive, threatening or unruly in the past six months. The consulting firm surveyed 21,000 frontline employees about their experiences at work, including employees in healthcare, foodservice, education, retail, transportation and more. The results showed that of the customer-facing workforce, retail workers “are the most likely to encounter unruly customers, with 61% of them having dealt with a recent incident, followed by those in information and then finance and insurance. More than a third have been required to stay in a situation with a customer where they felt physically unsafe. As a result, 81% feel burned out and 40% say their manager rarely or never checks in on their stress or emotional health,” said Perceptyx. The study…