Industry News

On Wednesday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it is ordering nine major airlines, ride-sharing companies and food-delivery firms to provide detailed information that will allow the agency to study the use of personal data to set prices and compensation. The inquiry is a demonstration of federal regulators’ increasing interest in digital pricing technologies and their direct impacts on consumers and prices for a range of goods and services. “We expect that digital pricing is going to be an issue at the federal level for retailers in the coming months and years,” said Doug Kantor, NACS’ senior vice president of government relations and general counsel. “We have already seen some states enact new laws related to digital pricing technologies, and we expect proposals for additional such laws to surface during the state legislative sessions that will begin in early 2027.” In FTC’s announcement, Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson outlined the…

The shortlist for Best Foodvenience Store in the World 2026 is live and the industry vote is open. We asked our judges what this year’s 24 entries told them about convenience retail, and where it goes next. Their answers, from across the world, agree on one point above all: food is no longer something convenience stores add on. Increasingly, it is the reason customers visit. Dan Munford, CEO of Insight Research & Global Convenience, says the competition’s value lies in its openness. Every entrant answers the same questions, often with real trading figures, creating “a shared evidence base that no single operator could assemble alone.” Harry Milloff, CEO of knowledge partner The Moseley Group, sees the timing as significant. “The c-store industry is evolving in real time as foodservice moves from an adjacent offering to a central part of the guest experience and business model,” he says. “This competition captures…

Australia’s first robot food delivery service will begin on the Gold Coast on Thursday. Serve Robotics will launch the service at the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct in Southport, as its pilot program ahead of expansion to the rest of the city and beyond. Robots had been spotted being tested on the streets of Surfers Paradise in recent months, with Serve signing partnerships with Griffith University and delivery company DoorDash. Serve Robotics chief executive Ali Kashani said the Gold Coast was the first location it would operate in outside the US. “This is the first time we’ve taken Serve beyond the United States, and the Gold Coast is the right place to start (because) it has the walkable neighbourhoods this technology is built for and a city that has shown it welcomes innovation,” he said. Serve Robotics will begin operating food deliver robots on the Gold Coast from October…

NSW retailers could gain new powers to ban violent and abusive customers from their stores under proposed laws targeting repeat offenders. The Minns government’s proposed legislation would allow businesses to seek court-issued Workplace Protection Orders (WPOs) against people who threaten, intimidate or assault staff. The orders could prevent offenders from entering stores or contacting workers, with breaches carrying penalties of up to two years in prison, a $5,500 fine, or both. The Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) has welcomed the proposal, citing rising levels of abuse, aggression and violence against frontline retail workers. CEO Theo Foukkare told SmartCompany convenience stores employ around 80,000 frontline workers nationally, including 25,000 in NSW. “There’s a small bunch of high-harm repeat offenders who systematically target retailers to cause chaos,” Foukkare said. He said some offenders were involved in organised retail crime, stealing goods for resale, while also subjecting staff to aggression, weapons and…

The 2026 ANZ Retail Crime Study from the Profit Protection Future Forum (PPFF) is out. It’s the fourth biennial study and gives one of the clearest pictures yet of retail crime across Australia and New Zealand. The study confirms what our members deal with every day. Retail crime isn’t just a stock loss issue. It’s a worker safety, operational and reputational issue, and fixing it needs retailers, police, government and the community working together. 📊 Key findings🇦🇺 Australia: crime-related merchandise losses estimated at AUD $7.6 billion, or 1.304% of retail revenue🇳🇿 New Zealand: losses estimated at NZD $1.1 billion, or 1.120% of retail revenue Those figures don’t include the full social and economic costs, like security, prevention, technology, and the toll that aggression and violence take on frontline workers. 👮 Police-recorded trendsAustralia (2024 to 2025), retail locations: other theft down 7.9%, robbery down 7.8%, sexual assault down 6.9%New Zealand (year…

APCO Service Stations is celebrating an exciting new chapter for its Bendigo customers, with the freshly renovated APCO Strathdale store ready to celebrate with the community and the highly anticipated APCO Kangaroo Flat store re-opening its doors next week. The APCO Strathdale store has undergone a fresh new renovation, enhancing the customer experience while continuing to trade throughout the entire process. APCO would like to thank its loyal Strathdale customers for their patience and support while the renovations were underway. Now, the team is excited to showcase the refreshed store and invite the local community to celebrate. Customers are invited to join the fun at APCO Strathdale on Thursday, 5th November, from 3pm to 5pm, with an afternoon packed with activities for the whole family. The celebration will feature Spin and Win, food tastings, family fun, giveaways and prizes, giving customers plenty of reasons to stop by, explore the refreshed…