WAWA, Pa. — Wawa Inc. and Citi Retail Services have announced a multi-year agreement to launch a private-label consumer credit card program for the convenience -store chain’s customers.

Wawa owns and operates more than 700 convenience stores (with approximately 450 offering gasoline) in five Mid-Atlantic states and Florida. Citi Retail Services, a unit of Citi, is one of the country’s largest private-label credit card issuers. The companies will launch the card program on Sept 30, 2015. Citi will manage and service the portfolio of accounts.

“Wawa customers will soon have a credit card to call their own,” said Craig Vallorano, managing director for business development and strategy at Citi Retail Services, Atlanta. “Wawa has a differentiated and growing business with a strong retail brand and loyal customer base. This card program will give Wawa customers a convenient payment option with an enhanced value proposition on fuel purchases.”

“At Wawa part our commitment to fulfilling lives every day means continually providing the community with value. We do this with quality products, priced competitively, no-surcharge ATMs, and now with our new private-label card–the Wawa Credit Card,” said Cathy Pulos, chief people and chief financial officer for Wawa. “This new credit card was specifically designed to enhance the customer experience by adding value and simplicity to our customers’ transactions, specifically around the purchase of fuel. We look forward to launching this venture, making fueling up and checking out better than ever before.”

Wawa Inc., is a privately held company with headquarters in Wawa, Pa. Its convenience stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as built-to-order hoagies, freshly-brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, built-to-order specialty beverages and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks.

CAMARILLO, Calif. — Retail margin fell eight cents per gallon in the past two weeks but is still historically attractive on average, according to the most recent Lundberg Survey of approximately 2,500 U.S. gas stations. Refiners are cranking out product with zeal while commencing the seasonal change to lower-cost, higher-vapor-pressure winter gasoline. As expected two weeks ago, the national pump price has slipped the better part of a dime.

The weighted average national retail price of regular grade gasoline is now $2.3484 per gallon, down 9.35 cents in two weeks, the lowest since mid-February. It has tumbled nearly 36 cents over five weeks. Versus one year ago, the price is at an eye-popping discount of $1.03 per gallon.

Since late August, crude oil prices have been rising moderately, so producers can’t be thanked for all this gasoline price cutting. In fact, it was downstreamers–first mostly U.S. refiners during the prior three-week period and then mostly U.S. retailers during the latest two weeks–handing over big chunks of their gasoline margins to customers.

Both downstream margins had been briefly extra wide, and they have now forfeited that bounty as they slash prices to chase strong motorist demand.

A little of the latest nine-cent drop came from refiner shift to winter-grade product.

Even though refiner and retailer margins on gasoline have been cut deeply, historically they aren’t hurting. Retail margin exceeds 22 cents on regular. For now at least, downstream margins are not squeezed so as engender upward price pressure.

Contrary to anti-industry myth, downstreamers from refineries to gas station operators are enamored of price-cutting and frequently do it ’til it hurts. Motorists seem to be cheering, with 2015 gasoline demand on track to break the all-time record high with 2.6% growth over 2014 demand. Where and when they can, to the degree margins allow them to, refiners and retailers are minimizing price for sake of sales.

Although rack prices may now have bottomed, they may instead just be paused. From here, barring a roaring crude oil price recovery, fabulously flush gasoline supply is likely to push prices lower. Stocks and output are high. Despite some refineries already commencing seasonal maintenance projects, the national capacity use rate is nearly 92%.

And as more areas of the country switch to winter grade, shrinking production cost some and also allowing for a bit more supply, prices will be pushed a little lower than they otherwise would be. This price crash environment, wherein margins are buoyantly good and demand is rising victoriously, is rewarding everybody below the wellhead.

Camarillo, Calif.-based Lundberg Survey Inc. is an independent market research company specializing in the U.S. petroleum marketing and related industries.

Click here for previous Lundberg Survey reports in CSP Daily News.

BOSTON — Samuel Adams will launch a new line of beers in early 2016 using nitrogen in the carbonation process vs. standard CO2. Using nitrogen, most closely associated with stout beers, produces a “captivating cascade and smooth creaminess,” according to brewer Boston Beer Co.

The Nitro Series will include three beer styles, White Ale, IPA and Coffee Stout, to be introduced in January and February 2016. All three beers will be issued for the first time and be one of the inaugural offerings of the Samuel Adams Nitro Series.

Here’s a breakdown on each of the new beers:

Samuel Adams Nitro White Ale

• White-capped and lively, the billowing white head of this nitro brew softly cascades into bright gold, according to the company. The first sip reveals a smooth velvety taste with light wheat character and hints of orange, while an undercurrent of peppery spices from the Grains of Paradise adds a bright finish.
• Nitro adds creaminess to the White Ale’s wheat character, while the spice and citrus keep it vibrant. There are hints of orange and pepper in the aroma of this medium-bodied brew.
• Pricing & Availability: Samuel Adams Nitro White Ale will be available nationwide beginning in January 2016 on draft and February in four-packs of 16-ounce cans for a suggested retail price of $8.99 to $10.99.

Samuel Adams Nitro IPA

• Boldly bitter, yet smooth, Nitro IPA has an initial cap of creaminess that reveals a brawny hop intensity beneath it. The hop character leads with notes of resinous pine and citrus for a flavorful, lingering finish. This 7.5% ABV, medium-bodied brew is deep amber in color.
• The hop varieties used in Nitro IPA impart unique flavors and aromas to the brew, including orange, grapefruit and notes of tangerine from Amarillo hops; medium citrus floral from Centennial hops; citrusy, spicy and herbal with hints of green fruit and red berries from Galaxy hops; intense floral, fruity, subtle mint from Polaris hops; strong pine character from Simcoe hops; and earthy and spicy with soft hints of citrus from Zeus hops.
• Pricing & Availability: Samuel Adams Nitro IPA will be available nationwide beginning in February 2016, in four-packs of 16-ounce cans for a suggested retail price of $8.99 to $10.99.

 Samuel Adams Nitro Coffee Stout Style

• Smooth, velvety cream cascades into a jet black, darkly enticing brew, revealing a rich, robust character. The dark roasted malts create notes of bittersweet chocolate with hints of dark fruit, while Sumatran Mandheling and Indian Monsoon Malabar coffee adds a deep roast dimension.
• Pricing & Availability: Samuel Adams Nitro Coffee Stout will be available nationwide beginning in February 2016, in four-packs of 16-ounce cans for a suggested retail price of $8.99 to $10.99.

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. — This edition of New Convenience-Store Roundup features new convenience-store openings, sales, acquisitions and store closings with listings for the month of August 2015.

The unscientifically gathered roundup is by no means complete, but serves as a monthly competitive snapshot of newly opened or closed U.S. convenience stores, gas stations, truckstops and travel centers not previously reported in CSP Daily News.

Many of the stores are owned by independent operators, while others belong to major chains, some part of CSP’s Convenience Top 101. Some of them may be your new competitors.

The list has been arranged by state. Click through each item for more details on each store.

Your store not listed? Please send your new-store announcements to Greg Lindenberg at glindenberg@cspnet.com.

Connecticut

A Wheels convenience store held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening on August 28 in Newtown, Conn.

Florida

Wawa opened a convenience store in Clermont, Fla., on August 27.

CBRE arranged the sale of a Chevron service station and car wash in Miami Beach, Fla. Saber 1800 Alton LLC acquired the 3,953-square-foot asset situated on a 0.55-acre site from Larry’s Service Center Inc. for $7.3 million in late August. The new owners plan to develop the site into a retail development and parking garage.

Pat’s Kwik Stop in Gainesville, Fla., closed in August after 36 years.

A new Circle K convenience store opened at in Tampa, Fla., on August 18. This location offers lottery, propane and is co-branded with CITGO fuel. A second Circle K c-store opened in Tampa on August 19. This location offers diesel, propane, and is co-branded with Mobil fuel.

Georgia

Parker’s opened the company’s 38th convenience store and second drive-through location in Vidalia, Ga., on August 20. It will be open 24/7, will sell Parker’s gas (including non-ethanol and diesel fuel) at 16 fueling locations, the company’s signature Chewy Ice, fountain drinks, fresh-brewed tea and lemonade, gourmet coffee, locally grown fresh-cut fruit, salads, 28-degree beer, vape products, cell phone accessories and more.

Illinois

A Circle K convenience store opened in Orland Park, Ill., on August 21. This location offers diesel, propane, and is co-branded with Mobil fuel.

Iowa

After nine years, a Swift Stop convenience store in Ames, Iowa, owned by Thompson Oil Co., closed its doors August 19 with a new business lined up to move in. The company will still own the building, but it will be leased to an independent c-store owner. “We were at the end of the life expectancy of the tanks and the gasoline installation,” vice president Rick Thompson said. “So we decided to pull the tanks, and at that point, we decided to close the store.”

Kwik Trip opened a convenience store in Davenport, Iowa, on August 13 and one in Bettendorf, Iowa, on August 14.

Kansas

After losing his contracted gas supplier, T&E Oil, Hutchinson, Kansas, gas station owner Tony Karam decided to make a go at an independent label, changing from Shamrock/Valero to KGO. He is now contracting with Brigman Oil.

Kentucky

FiveStar Food Mart opened a convenience store in Elkton, Ky., in August at the site of a former Gate Petroleum location.

Maryland

Dash In Food Stores celebrated the grand opening of its Urbana, Md., convenience store on August 8. A “hub for convenient living,” the 3,200-square-foot store offers a chef-driven menu of sandwiches, snacks and drinks, Shell Nitrogen-enriched fuel and a Splash In Eco Car Wash. Inside, wood fixtures, granite countertops and wood grain floor tiles accentuate the more modern and contemporary feel. A filmstrip of images of Maryland history stretches across the walls. Dash In has included self-serve kiosks and digital monitors throughout the store that highlight the day’s menu options and monthly promotions. The store features Dash In’s new line of Craveable salads and sandwiches, including breakfast sandwiches and wraps such as Cali Morning Bagel made from eggs, tomatoes and guacamole; the Ol’Sicily, made with Sicilian-braised meatballs in a marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, red onions and basil pesto; and the El Cubano, made with pulled pork, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, caramelized onions and mojo aioli.

Michigan

A CITGO gas station in Venice Township, Mich., closed in early August or late July.

Minnesota

Kwik Trip opened a convenience store in Plainview, Minn., on August 29.

Missouri

An Eagle Stop replaced Bair’s Grocery, a 3,000-square-foot convenience store and gas station in Springfield, Mo., in late August. Previously, it was a Kum & Go location.

QuikTrip opened the 75th convenience store in its St. Louis division, its 724th in all, on August 21.

New Jersey

QuickChek opened a new 5,700-square-foot convenience store in Mount Arlington, N.J., on August 10; a nearby existing store closed when the new store opened. Located off Interstate 80, the new store is open 24 hours a day and features a Q Café, which offers nearly 40 varieties of hot and iced cold coffees, iced caramel macchiato, fresh-brewed cappuccinos, lattes and espressos, blended-to-order fruit smoothies and frozen treats; no-fee ATMs; indoor seating for 13 people and outdoor seating for eight; five fueling stations and 46 parking spaces.

New Mexico

The Pump N Save owned by Roberts Oil in Moriarty, N.M., became a 7-Eleven convenience store in mid-August, owned and operated by Southwest Convenience Stores LLC.

Ohio

Englefield Oil Co. Inc. opened a new Duchess convenience store in Pataskala, Ohio, on August 27.

Pennsylvania

A Sunoco gas station in Canonsburg, Pa., switched hands from Councilman Rich Russo to L&M Oil Inc. for $200,000. The new operators of Canonsburg Sunoco said they have been managing the station since August 1. It will stay full service, honor Shop ’n Save fuel perk discounts and operate more as a “grocer than a regular convenience store,” said L&M partner Paul Lathia.

HMSHost reopened the Valley Forge Service Plaza in Wayne,, Pa., in late August, marking the completion of the turnpike’s 17-plaza redevelopment initiative. It features HMSHost’s first ever Starbucks drive-thru. The site’s renewal includes upgraded fueling facilities, realignment and resurfacing of parking areas, new landscaping and new lighting. Renovations were made possible by a 30-year, public-private redevelopment initiative with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, HMSHost and Sunoco Inc. HMSHost committed to revitalizing the plazas with new, larger buildings that would offer updated food and merchandise. Sunoco also invested in redeveloping the gas stations and convenience stores.

Texas

CST Brands’ Corner Store opened a convenience store in in Floresville, Texas, on August 12.

Stripes opened its first convenience store in Rosenberg, Texas, on August 4. It opened a c-store in Snyder, Texas, on August 6.

Vermont

The Sandri Cos. opened a Sandri Convenience Store in Williston, Vt., in late August. It includes a Dunkin’ Donuts, Acilio’s Deli (ah-chilly-o’s), pizza, panini, subs and more.

Virginia

The Southern Food Store and gas station in Smithfield, Va., was converted to a 7-Eleven convenience store and opened on August 4.

Sheetz Inc. opened a new convenience store in Stuarts Draft, Va., on August 27. The new location will also feature a drive-thru option.

Wisconsin

Kwik Trip opened a convenience store in Pleasant Prairie, Wis., on August 16.

KILCHBERG, Switzerland — Haribo’s long-running legal battle to stop Lindt selling chocolate teddy bears has ended after a federal court ruled the Swiss chocolatier’s product was not a copy of its rival’s gummy bears, reported The Guardian.

The decision ended a dispute between the companies that started in 2012 when Germany-based Haribo accused Switzerland-based Lindt & Sprüngli of copying its Gold Bear trademark by launching a foil-wrapped teddy.

Haribo, which invented gummy bears in the 1920s, said shoppers would confuse the two products, even though Lindt’s bears are made of chocolate and gummy bears are a jelly sweets.

Lindt argued that its bears were a variation on its Easter rabbit chocolates. Both are wrapped in gold foil with a red ribbon. Haribo’s gummy bear mascot is a yellow cartoon bear with a red ribbon around its neck.

Haribo won the first round of the battle when a German regional court banned future sales of Lindt’s bears in December 2012, but an appeal court rejected that ruling and said the two products could not be confused with each other. The dispute was brought to a close by the federal court, which upheld the appeal court’s ruling.

“Lindt’s sale of bear-shaped chocolates wrapped in a golden foil with a red ribbon is neither a violation of Haribo’s Gold Bear trademark nor an illegal imitation of the fruit-gum products,” the federal court said.

Lindt said it welcomed the ruling and that both sides had agreed not to make substantive comment.

Haribo may have the option of appealing to the European court of justice, depending on the detail of the federal court’s ruling. Haribo said it would examine the ruling before deciding on its next steps.

According to the report, a spokesperson for Haribo said: “We regret the verdict of the federal supreme court and consider that its content is not correct. In our opinion Lindt is using our brand awareness and our investment in the Goldbären brand in order to strengthen the perception of its own product among consumers. The brand name Goldbären is the property of Haribo.”

Click here to view the full Guardian report.

LAVAL, Quebec — Rebranding of the current global Couche-Tard convenience-store and gas-station network begins in January 2016, with The Pantry’s Kangaroo Express stores, as well as existing Circle K locations, in the Southeast, then moving westward across the continent in a modern version of commercial manifest destiny.

Couche-Tard is consolidating its Circle K, Kangaroo Express, Mac’s and Statoil retail brands under one refreshed banner worldwide, creating a new convenience brand, Circle K. Following the start of U.S. conversions–the company said it expects them to take about three years to complete–customers will see it on gas stations in Europe starting in May 2016, while Canadian customers outside Québec will see the new Circle K brand starting in May or June 2017.

But this focus on rebranding existing stores does not mean Couche-Tard is still not making acquisitions. As president and CEO Brian Hannasch announced the rebranding initiative at a meeting and conference call on September 22, the company was closing a deal to acquire 13 Fast Max convenience stores in Indiana from Kocolene Marketing LLC, Seymour, Ind.

“We do acquisitions all the time,” Darrell Davis, senior vice president of operations, Couche Tard, told CSP Daily News. “Any new-to-industry (NTI) stores will get the new Circle K brand image as soon as it’s available.”

He said that the Fast Max stores “are being considered NTI.” The chain would not rebrand these stores to the current Circle K identity now only to replace it in January with the new Circle K branding. “But as soon as it is available, they will get the new Circle K image.”

Davis is taking the lead for the Kangaroo Express transformation, which the company will complete within six to nine months.

Davis provided some insights into the rebranding decision.

“The executive team met for over a year and a half. We ‘arm wrestled’ all of our different brand, and we asked, ‘Do we continue to have all these different brands, or do we unite under one brand?’. What are the advantages and disadvantages of both? We all agreed on the advantages of one global brand. The second question was ‘What’s the right brand?’ Circle K is a global brand now. … We decided Circle K had more brand awareness than the other brands. … The advantages of a global brand just make sense—from advertising, to procurement, to synergies, to recognition, to similar products.”

He said the main disadvantage, of course, is loyalty to the old brands.

“You’ve got the heritage brands that have value in the markets that they are in,” he said. “Do we want to risk that? But we came to the conclusion that we’re all about good people. So we’re not changing any of the people in any of the markets or any of the stores; therefore, being united under one brand, we think that what our people do day in and day out would give us confidence that we can overcome that disadvantage.”

According to Hannasch, market research suggested that consumers would favor the rebranding.

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Continued from previous page.

“We looked at preferences in both U.S., throughout Canada and in five or six countries in Europe on how this [new] brand compared to the existing brand in terms of customer acceptance, warmness and other factors, and it scored very well,” he said. “Our heritage brands scored well in most of our geographies, but the new brand scored even higher. The closest was Couche-Tard and the new logo, where they scored almost evenly.”

The company described the thinking behind the new logo on its website: “Our new Circle K logo has been created to be clean, fresh and relevant, and to incorporate the many great assets of our existing brands. It includes circles in both the symbol and the wordmark or text-based element, illustrating wholeness, unity and teams. Ensuring our circle is open and not exclusive, one leg of the K intersects the circle, welcoming our customers and communities.

“The capital letters in the wordmark denote solidity, stability and competence, while flat, clean forms ensure the logo will remain fresh and current.

“The strong red color in the logo harks back to the Couche-Tard, Mac’s and Kangaroo Express logos. Red has long been recognized as a color associated with convenience retail. The orange color in the logo comes from the Statoil brand. It accents, underlines and brings distinctiveness to lift our color scheme above the ordinary. The warm colors in the scheme merge and become reminiscent of the sunrise—inspiring, every day.”

Fountain Showdown?

Perhaps one of the biggest decisions for U.S. consumers is the branding on fountain drinks. Kangaroo Express’ Roo Cup has a strong following. In its fifth year, the Roo Cup is a $6.99 collectible cup refillable with any fountain and frozen beverage for 25 cents. Circle K’s Polar Pop, which has already been introduced at some Kangaroo Express stores, also has a strong fan base. It is a special foam cup that claims to keep a beverage colder longer, refillable for 69 cents.

Will Polar Pop replace the Roo Cup?

“That’s something we’re investigating,” said Davis. “How does that fit in with Polar Pop? How do we unite those? That has not been determined yet.”

He said, “The reason Couche-Tard has been so successful in acquiring stores is that we take best-in-class practices from any company that we acquire and implement that in all of our stores, if it’s applicable. We’re global and regional—we’re a decentralized model. The products that are closer to the customer are going to be different from region to region. But if we have a brand that we say we’re famous four, then we’re going to unite under whatever that is.”

Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.’s network includes 7,987 convenience stores throughout North America, including 6,556 stores offering fuel. The network consists of 15 business units, including 11 in the United States covering 41 states and four in Canada covering all 10 provinces.

In Europe, Couche-Tard operates a retail network across Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden and Denmark), Poland, the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and Russia. It includes 2,229 stores, most of which offer fuel and convenience-store products, while the others are unmanned automated gas stations.

Approximately 4,700 stores are operated by independent operators under the Circle K banner in 12 other countries or regions worldwide (China, Guam, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam), which brings to more than 14,900 the number of sites in Couche-Tard’s global network.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — A convenience store in a Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood is trying to offset a steep rent increase by offering a bed in its front window on nontraditional rental website airbnb, reported UPI.

Tommy Noonan and Douglass Cameron, who have been helping the owners of Jesse’s Deli come up with ideas to offset the rent cost, which went from $4,000 a month to $10,000 a month, set up a bed in the front window display case of the bodega and advertised it as lodging on Airbnb.

“We decided about $329 a night, if we managed to book it out on Airbnb night after night then that would actually help them meet the rent,” Cameron told WPIX-TV.

The men dubbed their idea “airBnBodega.”

The store previously raised revenue over the summer with an “artisanal” price hike, which branded everyday products with the buzzword as a tongue-in-cheek excuse for the higher prices.

“We were like ‘let’s raise the prices of everything in the store to mirror what’s happening with the rent hike’,” Noonan said.

Posters outside the store offered products including “artisanal roach bombs,” “Budweiser beer flights” and “Five Hour Slow Roasted Energy.”

airbnb describes the convenience store as a “unique property on Atlantic Avenue in gentrifying section of Brooklyn. The cozy semi-private 7×4 bedroom with lofty 14-foot ceilings is separated from the deli by a Doritos and Lays chip stand and book shelf. Space includes iPhone docking station, clock radio, tasteful art and an adjacent deli stocked with reasonably priced beverages, snack foods, produce, frozen foods, lightbulbs and other amenities.”

It continues, “Relax without FOMO [fear of missing out], as the bedroom’s floor-to-ceiling windows have up-close and personal views of the colorful street-life. Curtains provide privacy when desired. … Guests have access to the entire bodega, apart from the bathroom, which is for employees only. Thankfully, there are many restaurants nearby on Smith Street, Brooklyn’s ‘restaurant row,’ which have bathrooms for customers. If you need to shower, the Dodge YMCA is only 4 blocks west and has both a public pool and showers.”

But is added, “Guests are only allowed at the deli during opening hours.”

Click here to view the complete airbnb page for Jesse’s Deli, which includes additional photos.

WESTLAKE, Ohio — TravelCenters of America LLC (TA)—which entered into an agreement in June with landlord Hospitality Properties Trust (HPT) for sale-leaseback transactions for 30 travel centers—has completed two transactions.

On Sept. 23, 2015, HPT purchased from TA two travel centers and certain assets at another travel center that it leases from HPT for $51.5 million, and HPT leased back the two travel centers and assets to TA.

In a filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), in all, the transactions have included:

• On June 9, 2015, the prior lease was amended and restated into four new leases. The initial terms for the leases end on Dec. 31, 2026, 2028, 2029 and 2030, respectively. Each of the leases grants TA two renewal options of 15 years each.
• On June 9, 2015, HPT purchased from TA, for $183.4 million, 10 travel centers TA owned and certain assets it owned at eight properties it leased from HPT under the prior lease. HPT leased back these properties to TA. Its annual rent increased by $15.8 million as a result of the sale and leaseback of properties completed on June 9, 2015.
• On June 9, 2015, TA purchased from HPT, for $45 million, five travel centers that it previously leased from HPT under the prior lease. TA’s annual rent decreased by $3.9 million as a result of its completion of the purchase of these properties.
• On June 16, 2015, HPT purchased from TA, for $24.4 million, one travel center TA owned and certain assets it owned at another travel center that it leases from HPT, and HPT leased back the travel center and assets to TA. The annual rent increased by $2.1 million as a result of the sale and leaseback of the travel center and assets completed on June 16, 2015.
• On June 23, 2015, HPT purchased from TA, for $20.1 million, one travel center TA owned and certain assets it owned at another travel center that it leases from HPT, and HPT leased back the travel center and assets to TA. The annual rent increased by $1.7 million as a result of the sale and leaseback of the travel center and assets completed on June 23, 2015.
• On Sept. 23, 2015, HPT purchased from TA, for $51.5 million, two travel centers TA owned and certain assets it owned at another travel center that it leases from HPT, and HPT leased back the two travel centers and assets to TA. The annual rent increased by $4.4 million as a result of the sale and leaseback of the travel center and assets completed on Sept. 23, 2015.

After completing these transactions, TA leased a total of 153 properties from HPT.

This information does not reflect adjustments related to the sale and leaseback of the five properties TA expects to sell to HPT after it has completed the construction of travel centers at those properties, the SEC filing said. And it does not reflect adjustments to rent payable to HPT as a result of TA’s sales to HPT during those periods of improvements at properties that it leases from HPT, for periods prior to the dates HPT purchased such improvements. Such improvements totaled $66.1 million during 2014 and $40.4 million during the six months ended June 30, 2015, and, in accordance with the leases, annual minimum rent at the time HPT purchased these improvements was increased by 8.5% of the amount of the improvements purchased by HPT.

TA said that no adjustments have been made to reflect the results of operations for periods prior to its acquisitions of the travel centers and convenience stores that it acquired from parties other than HPT during these periods, or to eliminate the one-time acquisition costs related to such acquisition activities.

For the eight-month period ended Aug. 31, 2015, TA incurred approximately $2.6 million of acquisition costs, it said.

TA’s travel centers operate under the TravelCenters of America, TA, Petro Stopping Centers and Petro brand names and offer diesel and gasoline fueling, restaurants, truck repair facilities, travel/convenience stores and other services; 252 travel centers are located in 43 states and Canada: 176 operated under TA brand and 76 under Petro brand (includes 25 owned or leased by franchisees). TA also operates retail gasoline stations and convenience stores principally under the Minit Mart brand name. It has 454 Minit Mart locations, including 202 standalone c-stores owned or under agreement as of Aug. 18, 2015, whether Minit Mart branded or not, that are part of TA or Petro travel centers.

Newton, Mass.-based Hospitality Properties Trust is a lodging and travel center real-estate investment trust (REIT).

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — While two in three American drivers (67%) report that gas prices are falling, lower gas prices have not significantly altered consumer behavior or attitudes about the state of the economy, according to the latest Consumer Fuels Survey results recently released by the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS).

Although drivers report that the national median gas price fell 25 cents per gallon in the past month and 60 cents per gallon since July, only 22% of consumers say that they will drive more over the coming month and only 15% say that they will spend more on other non-fuels items in the coming month.

Declining gas prices also have not yet increased consumer optimism about the economy. Less than half of all consumers (48%) are optimistic about the economy, a one-point drop from the previous month.

Consumers ages 18 to 34 are the most optimistic about the economy and most likely to translate that optimism into spending. A majority of these younger consumers (57%) are optimistic, and more than one in three (37%) intend to drive more over the coming month. Nearly one in four (23%) say that they will spend more money shopping this month.

Consumers also expect gas prices to continue their slide. More than one in four (28%) say that they expect gas prices to fall this month, the highest percentage expecting further price drops since January 2015.

Nearly nine in 10 consumers (89%) say that low gasoline prices are good for the economy. But they remain concerned about broader economic issues, such as the recent stock market decline. More than four in 10 consumers (41%) say that the recent stock market decline has had an impact on their financial situation.

“Consumers are wary about the economy and even declining gas prices don’t overcome concerns about the wild swings in the stock market,” said NACS vice president of strategic industry initiatives Jeff Lenard. “The survey results show that many Americans do not think lower gas prices have delivered meaningful economic relief to their families.”

Alexandria, Va.-based NACS, which represents the convenience store industry that sells 80% of the gas sold in the country, conducts the monthly consumer sentiment survey to gauge how gas prices affect broader economic trends. The NACS survey was conducted online by Penn Schoen Berland; 1,106 gas consumers nationally were surveyed Sept. 8-12, 2015.

MILAN, Ohio — Mickey Mart is set to expand it digital marketing with its new OpenStore by GasBuddy app. The new app expands their engagement to customers’ mobile phones.

Using the OpenStore app, Mickey Mart will send more than just digital coupons. Customers will have access to games, lottery results, contests and location information, providing new channels for Mickey Mart to engage with loyal customers on the go.

“Mickey Mart is very excited to announce the release of its brand new app. We teamed up with OpenStore to assist us in developing our app based on their industry expertise,” said Jason Appel, COO of Mickey Mart. “With their help we feel we were able to come up with an app that provides our customers with everything they want and need in an app from gas prices to mobile coupons and much, much more.”

In addition to providing customers an entirely new app experience, Mickey Mart will launch a new transactional loyalty program. Through the new mobile app, customers will be able to save and earn points on purchases on a digital card, eliminating the need for plastic loyalty cards.

Customers will have a brand new, multichannel shopping experience at Mickey Mart Stores.

“OpenStore offers a way to engage with convenience-store customers on a new level by offering promotions and unique smartphone applications that help increase in-store sales and brand loyalty,” said Jason Toews, CEO of OpenStore, “We will work together with Mickey Mart to deliver customers a memorable experience.”

OpenStore by GasBuddy is a solution that increases customer loyalty by providing two-way communication between convenience-store owners and customers using web technologies and custom-branded mobile applications. The OpenStore dashboard allows the user to collect customer feedback, manage social media, and deliver mobile coupons and text message campaigns all from one location.

Gaithersburg, Md.-based OpenStore by GasBuddy is a solution that increases customer loyalty by providing two-way communication between convenience-store owners and customers using web technologies and custom-branded mobile applications. The OpenStore dashboard allows the user to collect customer feedback, manage social media, deliver mobile coupons and text message campaigns from one location.

Mickey Mart convenience stores have been serving northern Ohio for 25 years. Based in Milan, Ohio, Mickey Mart is a locally owned and operated business with 30 convenience stores and gas stations. We take pride in offering our customers all the best in gasoline and products they want and need inside and out.