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…

Valora Group, the Swiss-based retail and foodservice company, is flexing its convenience retail and foodservice credentials with its new avec branded store at Freiestrasse in Zurich.The 159sq m store is a strong contender in The Best Foodvenience Store in the World contest, and it’s not difficult to see why. The store is all about foodvenience and fulfils avec’s aim to put the consumer at the centre of its decision making, states Roger Vogt CEO Retail at Valora Group. With a 25-year career in the industry, Vogt has an expert view on convenience and food retail. He started out as an apprentice butcher where “you are very close to the customer all day – you have to speak to customers and serve them, which is key in this business”; before moving to Coop, one of Switzerland’s largest retailer for 20 years. There he had responsibility for 350 supermarket stores in the…

AI saves time and increases efficiency, said speakers at the NACS Show.  For a mid-size operator like Cubby’s, which operates 42 retail locations in Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota, sorting through vast amounts of data to leverage insights is time-consuming and daunting. “I see all these great products [that collect data] out there, but I’m always asking myself, ‘Who in my organization has the time to go through all of this information and then take action based on it?’” said De Lone Wilson, president of Cubby’s Inc., during “Use Cases for AI Inside of the Store” at the NACS Show on Monday. “But with AI, the technology does that for you—pulls out all the insights and presents it right to you so you don’t have to go digging for it,” he continued. Saving time and increasing efficiency were two of the major benefits of implementing AI for both day-to-day in-store…