Portable c-stores can offer EV customers more options while they charge. JUXTA, a global technology and micro convenience retail store provider, has announced its fully autonomous and pre-assembled portable c-store model, JUXTA Nomad, to supplement EV charging stations and help traditional fueling stations transition. “Our mission is to support station operators transitioning from traditional hydrocarbon fuel stations to EV charging points and collaborate with established retail brands to extend their presence beyond fuel pumps by adding value to the charging station experience and driving top-line growth,” said Om Shankar, JUXTA co-founder and CEO in a company press release. JUXTA Nomad partners with retailers looking to elevate their convenience or to bring options to customers in hard-to-reach places, like a music festival. Colorado-based retailer, Choice Market, has partnered with JUXTA Nomad to bring convenience to customers attending a four-day music festival in Colorado this month before permanently operating out of Denver.…

It’s common knowledge that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables boosts health and longevity. Unfortunately, intake often falls short of recommended daily portions. Instead of just telling people to fill up their plates with plants, 7-Eleven now shows them whether they’re eating well. In numerous stores in Japan, the retailer recently introduced Vege-Check — a device that uses reflection spectroscopy to measure carotenoid levels in a person’s skin. Carotenoids include lycopene, which colors tomatoes red, and beta-carotene, which makes carrots orange, and they’re decent biomarkers for estimating the amount of fruit and veg someone has eaten. How it works? At participating 7-Eleven stores, customers simply place their palm on a scanner, and within 30 seconds, they’re provided with a readout. Their vegetable intake level is displayed on a scale from 1 to 12, with 7 to 8 corresponding to approximately 350 g of daily fruit and veg intake. While the method isn’t as…

The Asda Food Hub will be trialled in the retailer’s Leicester and Dagenham stores initially and will see a brand-new concession at the front of store serving barista style coffees alongside premium grab and go options like sandwiches and cakes that are freshly prepared in store. The food on offer will change throughout the day, providing tasty breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack solutions and there will be a host of exciting meal deals on offer. Shoppers can get their hands on a breakfast sandwich and any regular hot drink for £3 to kick start their day, or if they’re after something to switch up their lunch break, shoppers can enjoy a freshly made baguette and any regular hot drink for just £4.50. The Food Hub will also provide a modern and welcoming new look and feel as shoppers enter the store, and shoppers can place their orders using touch screen…

Petrol retailer announces partnership with OneH2 to expand use of the alternative fuel, and expects early adoption by heavier vehicle fleets Australia is expected to get more hydrogen service stations after the country’s largest petrol retailer teamed up with a US firm specialising in the alternative fuel. Ampol announced its partnership with OneH2 on Monday, revealing the companies would work together to speed up the use of hydrogen in the Australian market and help to cut emissions from heavy transport. The news comes weeks after rival BP opened the first hydrogen refuelling facility at an Australian service station and after a CSIRO report warned the industry needed to ramp up hydrogen investments or risk falling behind progress overseas. Ampol international and its new business executive general manager, Brent Merrick, said the company’s partnership was an important step in expanding greener transport options in Australia and giving companies the confidence to…

Tesla, Australia’s best-selling EV brand, has opened up nearly half of its 63 Supercharger sites in Australia to non-Tesla owners in a major boost to the travelling plans of electric vehicle owners. The company has made 30 of its 63 sites nationally open to non-Tesla EVs following a trial program that began in January where five pilot sites in NSW were opened to non-Tesla EVs. These included Bathurst, Dubbo, Hollydene, Narooma and Tamworth. The full list of sites available to non-Tesla EVs is detailed at the end of the article, but it excludes some of the heaviest used sites along major highways and within major population centres. The move will be welcomed by the EV community, particularly given that the Tesla network is clearly the most reliable with an uptime of more than 99.5 per cent. The Tesla sites have multiple charging bays, meaning that – outside of peak holiday periods…

Australia is now experiencing high inflation and high interest rates that could curb economic growth in the short-term; however, with Queensland experiencing strong population growth and a rebounding tourism sector, there are many opportunities for small businesses. People have been moving from all over Australia to Queensland over the last few years, with three of the top five local growth areas in the greater Brisbane area. By following Queensland’s growing population and popularity, small businesses can target their efforts to areas of the state where the population is booming View statistics here.