Posts by theo@aacs.org.au

UCB & Rural Aid’s partnership began back in June 2022 with a shared objective to develop and support sustainable rural communities throughout Australia by providing economic and emotional assistance. Rural Aid stands with our farmers when they need it most – That’s why they developed the ‘True Mates’ program. A ‘True Mate’ is always there, celebrating the wins, and unwavering when the going gets tough. Once again, this August UCB teamed up with our Trade Partners to show support for our Mates in the Bush. From August 7th until September 6th, UCB donated 10c* per product sold, throughout the UCB network, from the participating Trade Partners below to Rural Aid. (*Pacific Optics 20c), ASAHI, CCEP, Suntory Oceania, Bega Dairy & Drinks, Peters Ice Cream, Streets Ice Cream, Lactalis, Brownes, Redbull, Level, Remedy, Bundaberg, Repco, Pacific Optics (20c), Liaise, Mars Wrigley, Nestle, Mondelez, Pepsico and Patties Foods. UCB are excited and…

In Q2 2024, 20 of 32 reported countries experienced gains in convenience store value sales versus a year ago, according to the Q2 2024 Global Convenience Store Industry Report from NACS and NIQ. The report measures convenience store value sales across several markets, including the United States, Canada, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe. The 41-page report looks at overall sales by country, unit sales increase, and unit price increases, in addition to a deeper dive singling out five “what’s hot” and five “what’s not” categories. Of the countries delivering growth in Q2, five experienced double- or triple-digit growth—down from seven in the prior quarter. Among the 20 countries registering growth, nine were in Latin America, seven in the Asia-Pacific region, and four in Europe. Only five countries had improved growth in Q2 2024 versus the prior quarter—down from twelve in the previous quarter. Except for the Philippines, most countries with…

Retailers have welcomed a plan by the Federal Government to cut greedy debit card fees set by financial institutions, in a move that will save customers up to an estimated $4 billion in unnecessary surcharges each year. Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) CEO Theo Foukkare said cutting fees would save Australians much needed money and stop retailers from being blamed for a cash grab driven by the banks. Any ban on surcharging would only be supported if the relevant reform to the payments system is implemented to slash card fees levied on retailers. “Retailers have seen their merchant fees explode over the last few years, while the profits of the big banks have continued to balloon. “While major retailers like Coles and Woolworths don’t apply surcharges because they are on strategic rates with the banks, small businesses are often forced to pass on the cost of the electronic payment…

NACS announced a roadmap to transition its leadership to a new leader in 2026. NACS announced a roadmap to transition its leadership from President & CEO Henry Armour to a new leader in 2026. Armour plans to resign from his position as president and CEO at the end of 2025. The transition plan, developed over the past several years, was set in motion following a NACS Executive Committee meeting in September. “Henry Armour has fundamentally changed NACS for the better over the past 20 years,” said 2024 NACS Chairman Victor Paterno. “Transforming NACS into a global organization, the financial position of the association has been dramatically improved, the educational and networking offerings of the association have been significantly increased and NACS advocates for federal policy more effectively than ever. Henry has set the table for the next CEO to build on a proven track record of success.” The NACS Compensation…

Reitan Convenience, a leading convenience retailer in the Nordics and Baltics, is targeting growth in all of its markets. The business, part of Reitan Retail, is also focused on getting closer to customers and delivering sustainable convenience. That’s according to chief executive Mariette Kristenson. “We see convenience as a mega trend and there are opportunities to grow our existing brands in all markets,” she says. “The key is to be adaptable and understand the new market, which is sustainable convenience. Demand is accelerating quite quickly but we think we can give customers what they think is relevant and we are very positive about that,” she says. Following a recent period of restructuring in its convenience portfolio, today Reitan Convenience operates 1,750 stores across seven markets: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. The restructure after Covid removed some of the smaller stores (mostly in Norway and Finland), which would…