KINGWOOD, Texas — Ascentium Capital recently announced its support of Wayne Fueling Systems through its customized finance program. Wayne, a global provider of fuel dispensing, payment, automation and control technologies for retail and commercial fuel stations, is leveraging equipment financing provider Ascentium’s specialized finance program to help ensure convenience-store and fuel retailers have a convenient way to acquire Wayne Ovation2 fuel dispensers.

When fuel retailers finance these dispensers through Ascentium Capital’s finance program, Wayne is offering a special promotion on its EMV hybrid chip card readers. EMV is the global standard created by Europay, MasterCard and Visa to securely authenticate credit- and debit-card transactions. To be compliant with payment network EMV requirements, fuel retailers are encouraged to upgrade indoor POS software and hardware by October 2015, and outdoor pay-at-the-pump equipment by October 2017.

This offer is available through Sept. 30, 2015.

“We are pleased to team up with Ascentium Capital to ensure our distributor network has a financing solution to extend to their clients when they are purchasing Wayne equipment and solutions. Our goal is to enhance the point-of-sale solution by offering a secure, state-of-the art EMV payment platform, helping drive the success of c-stores and fuel retailers,” said Dave LaCaille, Austin, Texas-based Wayne’s director of U.S. distribution and national accounts.

“Combining Wayne’s dispenser and POS solutions with Ascentium’s financing is a way for fuel retailers to conveniently upgrade or add new equipment. Taking advantage of a finance structure that helps manage cash flow as the new dispensers and point-of-sale solution, will help drive client satisfaction and increase revenue,” said Len Baccaro, senior vice president of sales at Ascentium Capital.

As a direct lender, Kingwood, Texas-based Ascentium Capital specializes in providing business financing, leasing and loans for equipment manufacturers and distributors, as well as direct to businesses nationwide. The company is backed by the strength of leading private investment firms Vulcan Capital and LKCM Capital Group LLC.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — How close are energy drinks to toppling carbonated soft drinks as the top dog of packaged-beverage dollar sales in convenience stores? About $1.8 billion, according to Nielsen scan data provided by Red Bull North America.

The data (see below) shows CSD sales rose 2.5%–the least of any major subcategory in the data—to $8.44 billion in sales in c-stores during the 52-week period ending June 13, while energy-drink sales increased 8.6% to $6.62 billion in sales. Compare that to the 52-week period ending Aug. 10, 2013, during which energy-drink sales in convenience stores hit $5.70 billion; that’s nearly a $1-billion increase over two years.

“Energy is the second-largest category in convenience (and) No. 1 out West,” John Showalter, director of business insights for Red Bull North America, told CSP Daily News. “For a number of years [energy drinks have] been providing the most growth contribution to package beverage.”

While bottled water, tea and coffee sales all grew at faster paces than energy drinks, energy’s total dollar sales–double that of No. 3 bottled water—make it the fastest-growing category overall.

The data shows beverage dollar sales in c-stores overall during the 52 weeks increased a healthy 6.0% to reach $25.71 billion.

WASHINGTON —U.S. drivers are not only filling up more but driving more as well thanks to 2015’s relatively low gasoline prices, according to the latest government figures.

Surging demand pushed retail gasoline prices to a 2015 year-to-date high of $2.84 per gallon on June 15, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported this week. While this is 43 cents per gallon (CPG) higher than in early second-quarter 2015, it is still 85 CPG lower than this same time last year.

Meanwhile, data from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration show that drivers logged 988 billion miles for the first four months of 2015, breaking a previous record set in the first four months of 2007 of 966 billion miles.

EIA revised its Short Term Energy Outlook (STEO) for July upward to reflect stronger demand. Total liquid-fuels consumption for 2015 is now projected to increase 400,000 barrels per day (bpd), or 2.1%, and 120,000 bpd or 0.6% in 2016. These consumption figures for 2015 and 2016 are 20,000 bpd and 70,000 bpd higher, respectively, than in the previous STEO. For some perspective, in 2014, total liquid-fuels consumption grew only 0.4%, or 70,000 bpd.

The agency expects gasoline consumption in 2015 to jump 1.9%, or a projected 170,000 bpd, compared to an 80,000-bpd increase in 2014. It then projects consumption to fall 0.2%, or 20,000 bpd, in 2016 on expected higher gasoline prices and the growing fuel efficiency of vehicles.

Even the fleet’s fuel efficiency is feeling the drag from low gas prices, however, as consumers gravitate toward less fuel-efficient vehicles. The latest figures from the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) show that the average fuel economy of new vehicles sold in June slipped 0.1 miles per gallon (mpg) from May’s average to 25.4 mpg. “This decline likely reflects the increased sales of light trucks and SUVs in June,” said UMTRI director Michael Sivak.

Fuel economy has fallen 0.4 mpg from its August 2014 peak. But when examined from a longer-term perspective, vehicle fuel economy is still 5.3 mpg higher than when UMTRI first started tracking the measure in October 2007.
John Kemp, a market analyst for Reuters, cited a couple key factors feeding the strongest growth in gasoline demand in a decade.

“Demand only began growing again in 2013 and 2014 when prices stabilized and the economy started to recover,” he said in an analysis. “In 2015, demand appears to be accelerating as the expansion matures and fuel prices remain 25% lower than a year ago.”

He cited an at least 3% higher jump in traffic volumes on U.S. highways vs. year ago as one indicator of revived demand. Another factor: The share of trucks among light-duty vehicles rose from 50.6% to 54% between June 2014 and June 2015, according to figures from Autodata.

The EIA expects monthly average gasoline prices to slide from their year-to-date high to $2.49 per gallon during second-half 2015.

NEW YORK — Frustrated by what they see as the slow pace of federal action, state attorneys general are waging their own campaigns against the sale and advertising of electronic cigarettes to minors, reported Reuters.

More than a dozen AGs, including those in New York, California, Indiana and Ohio, are using new state and local laws, some of which they helped craft, to put pressure on the industry at all levels, from neighborhood vape shops to big tobacco companies like Altria and Reynolds American.

Nearly a year ago, a group of AGs asked the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to take a tougher line on e-cigarettes, the risks and benefits of which are still being studied.

In April 2014, the agency proposed banning the sale of e-cigarettes to people under the age of 18, but did not recommend prohibiting advertising, flavored products or online sales, all of which help make the devices attractive to youngsters, according to public health advocates.

The FDA proposal has been under review ever since, which has meant that vaping remains legal for youths in states that have not passed laws banning it. The agency is likely to finalize its new e-cigarette regulations later this summer, though it could be several years before the federal rules go into effect, Reuters said.

Federal regulations and the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) prohibit makers of conventional cigarettes from targeting youth and from advertising on television, billboards and mass transit, but the rules do not apply to e-cigarettes.

So far, however, 46 states have passed laws banning their sale to minors; 12 of those states have also passed laws requiring child-proof packaging for e-liquids and e-cigarettes, according to the news agency, citing Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

AGs are using these laws, as well as others not directly tied to e-cigarettes, to force companies to drop ads which they say appeal to teens, switch to child-proof packaging and spend thousands of dollars on more vigilant age verification systems for their websites and online deliveries.

In June, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced settlements with four companies that were not complying with the state’s rule about child-resistant packaging for nicotine liquids.

Reuters spoke with more than 10 e-cigarette and vaping companies–including Reynolds American, which sells Vuse, and Altria Group, which sells MarkTen and Green Smoke–that acknowledged they have been contacted by state law enforcers or by the National Associations of Attorneys General. Reynolds and Altria say their brands were not in violation of local laws.

Some of the AGs have coordinated their efforts. One group is pressuring certain e-cigarette manufacturers and vendors to limit ads that they say appeal to teens, especially on company websites and places like YouTube.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, along with colleagues from several other states, sent a letter in April to privately held manufacturer NJOY, asking it to “immediately instruct YouTube to restrict” access to its advertisements to adults.

NJOY said in an April letter to DeWine obtained by Reuters that more than 90% of the U.S. viewers who have watched its hosted YouTube videos are at least 18, and the company said it would suspend videos if that figure fell to 85% or less.

NJOY would not comment further.

California has sent letters to more than 150 e-cigarette and vaping companies in recent years “to encourage voluntary compliance with applicable state and federal laws,” including a ban on sales to youth, according to documents reviewed by Reuters.

The state is also pursuing companies that sell fruit-flavored vaping liquids that appeal to teens and those that make false or misleading statements in their advertisements. One letter sent by the state asked a manufacturer to quit claiming that “electronic cigarettes are one of the safest forms of nicotine available” and that “when you exhale, you are exhaling harmless water vapor.”

“Many companies have taken some or all of our recommended steps,” Kristin Ford, a spokesperson for Attorney General Kamala Harris, told the news agency.

AGs are paying particular attention to sales on websites, a popular source of vaping materials for teens, who trade information about which ones require little proof of age.

Jan Verleur, CEO and co-founder of e-cigarette company VMR Products, told Reuters that his company changed its age verification system in some states after being contacted by a state AG. He estimated the cost per order would increase by about 50 cents, but would not say if VMR would absorb any of that. The company makes about half its sales online.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. —The pace of mergers and acquisitions in the convenience-store industry showed no signs of subsiding during the second quarter of 2015. Three very large transactions were announced or completed during the quarter.

First, 7-Eleven Inc. agreed to acquire Tedeschi Food Shops and its 182 locations in the Northeast. Second, United Pacific, formerly known as United Oil Co., completed the acquisition of 251 gas stations and convenience stores from Pacific Convenience & Fuels LLC.  Finally, Global Partners LP completed the acquisition of a portfolio of 97 owned and leased gas stations and dealer supply agreements from Capitol Petroleum Group for approximately $156 million.  

There were also many smaller transactions that were either announced or completed during the second quarter. The common themes throughout all of these transactions:

• They were completed by one of the major players in the industry (either a master limited partnership, a major convenience-store owner and operator, or a private-equity sponsor).
• Premium prices were paid for quality assets in high-growth and strategic markets.
• There continues to be an unlimited appetite for acquisitions of all sizes and types, with there being far more interested buyers than sellers.

7-Eleven Inc.

In May, 7-Eleven Inc. entered into an agreement to acquire Tedeschi Food Shops, a 92-year-old, family-run, traditional convenience-store chain. Tedeschi only sold fuel at 15 of its 182 locations, which are all located in the Northeast. The deal will more than double 7-Eleven’s footprint in greater Boston and New Hampshire, where it currently operates and franchises 164 convenience stores.

CST Brands Inc./CrossAmerica Partners LP

CrossAmerica Partners LP, with partner CST Brands, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the One Stop convenience-store chain based in Charleston, West Virginia. The transaction includes 41 company-operated One Stop convenience stores, four commission-agent sites, nine dealer fuel-supply agreements and one freestanding franchised quick-service restaurant. Of the 45 company-operated and commission agent sites, 30 are owned in fee. Five of the company-operated locations have quick-service restaurants. For the year ended Dec. 31, 2014, the aggregate 54 sites sold approximately 36 million gallons of motor fuel primarily under the Marathon and Exxon fuel brands, and had approximately $40.5 million in inside sales.

Alimentation Couche-Tard/Circle K

Cinco J Inc., dba Johnson Oil Co. and Tiger Tote Food Stores Inc., announced that Alimentation Couche-Tard’s Circle K closed on the acquisition of Tiger Tote’s 21 “The Tote” convenience stores and Johnson Oil’s 182 dealer locations. The stores will be rebranded to the Circle K brand, while the retail fuels and dealer locations will retain their current fuel brands through Circle K’s National Wholesale Fuel branding agreements.

Energy Transfer Partners LP/Sunoco LP

Sunoco LP announced that it has acquired eight Pico convenience stores in south central Texas from Westex Capital Ltd. of Del Rio, Texas. Sunoco LP will lease the stores to Stripes LLC, the Corpus Christi, Texas-based retail chain owned by Sunoco LP’s parent, Energy Transfer Partners LP. Stripes will operate the stores and will purchase all of the fuel sold at the locations from Sunoco LP. Six of the eight sites are currently branded Valero. The stores are located in the San Antonio area. NRC Realty & Capital Advisors LLC, Chicago, served as exclusive financial advisor to Westex in connection with the transaction.

In another Texas transaction, Susser Petroleum Property Co. LLC has emerged as the lead bidder in an auction for the assets of Aziz Convenience Stores LLC in a chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding pending in McAllen, Texas. The assets consist primarily of 28 Quick Stop gas stations and convenience stores in Hidalgo County, Texas. Potential bidders have until July 15 to submit a qualifying bid. The auction is scheduled for July 20.

CONTINUED: More Notable Transactions

Other Notable M&A Transactions

• United Pacific, formerly known as United Oil Co., completed the acquisition of a portfolio of 251 gas stations and convenience stores from Pacific Convenience & Fuels LLC. The acquired properties are located in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Colorado, and operate under the My Goods Market and Circle K brands and offer 76- and Conoco-branded motor fuels. As a result of this transaction, United Pacific’s network now includes 319 company-operated stores and 60 fee-operated and leased locations. Fortress Investment Group LLC, New York, a diversified global investment management firm, acquired United Oil in July 2014 for an estimated $500 million.
• Global Partners LP completed the acquisition of a portfolio of 97 primarily Mobil- and Exxon-branded owned and leased gas stations and seven dealer supply agreements from Capitol Petroleum Group. The properties are located in the New York City and Prince George’s County, Maryland/Washington, D.C. markets. The purchase price, subject to closing adjustments, was approximately $156 million. In 2014, the acquired assets sold approximately 125 million gallons of fuel.
• Southwest Georgia Oil Co. Inc. announced the acquisition of 44 S&S Food Stores in Florida from Scaff’s Inc. Southwest Georgia Oil intends to maintain the S&S convenience-store brand, but will switch from BP to Marathon fuel at several locations.
• Imperial Oil Ltd., a leading Canadian integrated oil producer, refiner and marketer, announced plans to sell approximately 500 of its company-owned Esso gas stations and has begun to accept proposals from interested bidders. Calgary, Alberta-based Imperial Oil, which is majority-owned by Exxon Mobil, has broken up the 500 stations into a number of smaller packages that are split geographically, according to various sources. The assets are generally located in densely populated, high-traffic urban areas and many have car washes and Tim Hortons doughnut and coffee outlets. Analysts have speculated that the entire portfolio could be worth as much as $1 billion (Canadian; $832 million U.S.).
• ArcLight Capital Partners, a Boston-based private-equity firm, agreed to acquire the Gulf Oil fuel business from the Haseotes family. Joe Petrowski, formerly the chief executive officer of Cumberland Farms (also owned by the Haseotes family), will serve as the head of the new company.
• TravelCenters of America LLC, operator of the TA and Petro Stopping Centers travel center and the Minit Mart convenience-store brands, acquired 19 gas stations and convenience stores in Missouri and Kansas from GasMart USA, Overland Park, Kansas, for $27 million. TravelCenters said that it expects that the convenience stores at these locations, which average approximately 3,900 square feet in size, will be rebranded as Minit Mart, and that it may add quick-service restaurants at some of these locations.

Master Limited Partnerships (MLP)

• GPM Petroleum LP, which distributes motor fuel for the convenience stores of GPM Investments LLC, made an initial public offering (IPO) filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). GPM Petroleum, an MLP spinoff from GPM Investments, is seeking an estimated $100 million from the proceeds of the IPO. As of April 15, 2015, Richmond, Virginia-based GPM Investments controlled more than 500 convenience stores under various brand names, including Fas Mart and Shore Stop, that sell motor fuel, merchandise, food, beverages and other products and services in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeastern, Midwestern and Northeastern United States. For the year ended Dec. 31, 2014, on a pro forma basis, GPM Petroleum distributed 461.7 million gallons of motor fuel to GPM-controlled convenience stores and 68.7 million gallons of motor fuel to third-party customers.
• Empire Petroleum Partners LP also filed a registration statement with the SEC for an IPO to form a master limited partnership. Empire, which currently distributes fuel to more than 1,300 gas stations and convenience stores across 27 states and the District of Columbia, hopes to raise $100 million with the offering. Empire’s fuel distribution network currently covers fuel outlets primarily in Texas, the Southeast, the Great Lakes and the Mid-Atlantic regions. Since 2011, Empire successfully completed 12 acquisitions, increasing its annual volume of distributed motor fuel from 165 million gallons to 919 million gallons in 2014.

CONTINUED: More Growth Initiatives

Growth Initiatives

• Mexican convenience store company OXXO stated that it wants to establish a major presence in Texas and plans to open 900 convenience stores in the next 10 years, investing more than $850 million and creating more than 6,000 jobs. The chain currently operates 12,400 convenience stores in Mexico and Central America. OXXO is part of FEMSA Group, the largest beverage company in Mexico. It is the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in the world and an investor holding the second-largest equity stake in brewer Heineken. However, a major impediment to OXXO’s plans is a Texas law which prohibits retailers from being owned by firms with ties to the liquor industry. OXXO has asked the state legislature to repeal that law so that the company may begin its acquisitions.
• Wawa Inc. announced the grand opening of its first three convenience stores in the Fort Myers, Fla., area, marking its official entrance into Southwest Florida. Since its entrance into the Florida market in 2012, Wawa has opened 62 stores, located in the Orlando and Tampa markets, with plans to launch throughout the Southwest Coast and Daytona. By year’s end, Wawa will have opened 25 new stores in Florida.

Getty Realty Corp.

Getty Realty Corp. announced the sale of six operating and non-operating gas stations and 27 commercial and retail properties in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. NRC Realty & Capital Advisors LLC was retained by Getty Realty to coordinate the sale. In June, the company announced that it had acquired the fee-simple interests in 77 convenience stores and gas stations acquired from affiliates of Pacific Convenience & Fuels LLC and simultaneously leased to United Oil Co., for approximately $214 million. The sites are located in several high-growth regions, including northern and southern California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. The properties, which were acquired in connection with the acquisition by United Oil of most of the assets of Pacific Convenience & Fuels, operate under several well-recognized brands, including 76, Conoco, Circle K, 7-Eleven and My Goods Market.

Divestiture of Non-strategic Assets

• Grocery-chain Brookshire Brothers Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell 26 Polk Pick-It-Up convenience stores in eastern Texas to San Antonio-based Partners Investors C-Stores Ltd. Brookshire Brothers will keep its locations in Hudson, Central Heights, Central and Wells, the company said.
• Cambridge Petroleum Corp. (CPC) announced that it was selling its leasehold interests in seven gas stations and a fuel-supply agreement on one location in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island. All of the sites are former Getty Petroleum Marketing Inc. locations, and CPC will use the proceeds to pay a settlement to the Getty Petroleum Liquidating Trust.
• Thorntons Inc. announced that it was selling eight of the company’s convenience stores as a result of a strategic review.
• Gill Energy purchased Chester, N.J.-based Mohawk Oil Co. Inc. The sale included five fee and leased retail gas station assets with convenience stores, service bays and snack shops, as well as wholesale supply-only accounts and assignment of the branded Sunoco distributor agreement.
• M G Markets Inc., dba Mr. Gas Markets, sold six of its Marathon-branded convenience stores in eastern Tennessee to an undisclosed buyer to shift the focus to its wholesale company, McNutt Oil Co Inc., which sells commercial fuels and lubricants.

Although the second quarter of the year is usually relatively quiet in terms of merger-and-acquisition activity, 2015 certainly proved otherwise. If this is any indication of things to come, it should be a very exciting year.

With fuel margins and inside sales remaining extremely robust in most markets, operators are seeing very strong performances from their convenience-store portfolios. That can be a blessing and a curse.

Many operators are reluctant to sell right now because of the profits they are seeing at their stores. However, as we all know, this will not continue forever.

More importantly, the market has never been hotter for mergers and acquisitions. There is an incredible demand at present for quality companies and assets, and the multiples being paid for those assets has never been higher. Furthermore, interest rates continue at record lows, although there has been talk by the Fed of increased rates in the latter part of this year.

We are seeing a number of companies exploring their options at present. From our perspective, the timing to do this could not be better.

Dennis L. Ruben, executive managing director of NRC Realty & Capital Advisors LLC, contributes an annual and quarterly column to CSP, analyzing mergers and acquisitions and key economic trends in the convenience-store channel. He can be reached at dennis.ruben@nrc.com. He will also headline the Financial Outlook session at the 2015 Outlook Leadership Conference, Nov. 14-16 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — The board of directors of drug store and pharmacy retailer Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. has named Stefano Pessina as CEO, effective immediately. He had been serving as acting CEO since January.

In his capacity as CEO, Pessina will continue reporting to Executive Chairman James Skinner.

“In Walgreens Boots Alliance’s initial six months as a newly combined company, Stefano has done an extraordinary job leading the new enterprise, focusing our strategy while enhancing our financial performance,” said Skinner. “The integration of Walgreens and Alliance Boots is proceeding exceptionally well, with Stefano’s vision for the company driving the organization forward. Through his leadership, our organization is meeting the challenges of combining our two companies, and many of the opportunities we anticipated from our strategic combination are now becoming a reality. In order to continue this momentum and to recognize the progress that is already being made, the board concluded Stefano is the very best person to achieve our vision to be a truly global health care champion, the first choice for pharmacy, health care and wellbeing across the world.”

The Deerfield, Ill.-based company previously announced a $1.5-billion cost savings program through the end of fiscal 2017. During the third quarter of fiscal 2015, the company made good progress, it said, with the program including reorganizing Retail Pharmacy USA field operations and continuing to optimize its corporate office; closing nine of a planned 200 U.S. stores, with approximately 70 to 80 additional closings planned by the end of the fiscal year

The Retail Pharmacy USA division, whose principal retail pharmacy brands are Walgreens and Duane Reade, had third-quarter sales of $20.4 billion, an increase of 5.3% over the year-ago quarter. Total sales in comparable drugstores (those open at least a year) increased 6.3% compared with the same quarter a year ago. Comparable drugstore retail sales increased 1.6% in the third quarter with an increase in basket size partially offset by lower customer traffic compared with last year’s third quarter.

The division opened or acquired 104 drugstores in the first nine months of fiscal 2015, including 34 relocations, and closed 37 locations. At 31 May 2015, the division operated 8,240 drugstores across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Walgreens Boots Alliance is a global pharmacy-led, health-and-wellbeing enterprise created through the combination of Walgreens and Alliance Boots in December 2014. It has a presence in more than 25 countries; it is the largest retail pharmacy, health and daily living destination in the United States and Europe with more than 13,200 stores in 11 countries. Its portfolio of retail and business brands includes Walgreens, Duane Reade, Boots and Alliance Healthcare, as well as health-and-beauty-product brands, such as No7, Botanics and Soap & Glory.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores has promoted a longtime employee to a key leadership position. Roger Ahuja has been named vice president of operations for the travel center company.

“With Roger’s experience and skills as an effective business strategist, he will be an exceptional leader,” said Tom Love, executive chairman and founder of Love’s. “He’s already mentored and coached many employees who have experienced success, so this is a natural transition for him.”

In his new role, Ahuja will oversee a large portion of Love’s retail operations at the store level. He will also manage operations for two new ventures: Love’s Hospitality and Love’s Storage Solutions.

Love’s currently operates three hotels in Texas and Florida under Love’s Hospitality, and two self-storage facilities in Texas under Love’s Self Storage.

The self-storage facilities are 70,000 square feet with 517 storage units, the company told CSP Daily News.

Love’s Storage Solutions opened its first facility in Sweetwater, Texas, early this year, also next to a Love’s truck stop, and the company has plans to open six other storage facilities in the next few years, a company spokesperson said. One is scheduled to open in Las Vegas and one in Bridgeton, Mo., by next summer. Four are still in the planning stage.

Love’s opened its first hotel outside of Texas, a Sleep Inn & Suites in Mossy Head, Fla., on June 30. It is also the company’s first Sleep Inn. It is located directly across from a Love’s Travel Stop. The Sleep Inn brings Love’s hotel count to three. Love’s Hospitality made its debut in March 2014 with the opening of a Mircotel Inn & Suites by Wyndam in Pecos, Texas. Its second Microtel location opened in March 2015 in Sweetwater, Texas.

The company will continue to move forward with development of both new businesses, it said.

Ahuja began his career with Love’s in 1994 as a manager of an Oklahoma City location and has held several management and director positions over the years.

Based in Oklahoma City, Love’s has more than 350 locations in 40 states. The chain provides professional truck drivers and motorists with 24-hour access to clean and safe places to purchase gasoline, diesel fuel, travel items, electronics, snacks and more, as well as a selection of restaurant offerings. On-site Love’s Truck Tire Care centers offer roadside assistance, tire care and light mechanical services for professional drivers. It also offers showers, CAT scales and other services for professional drivers. Love’s, which is family-owned and -operated, employs more than 12,000 people.

CHICAGO — Snacking may very well be the new American pastime. According to a Mintel report, Snacking Motivations & Attitudes US 2015, nearly all Americans (94%) snack at least once a day.

Half (50%) of adults snack two to three times per day, with 70% agreeing that anything can be considered a snack. The research points to the pervasive nature of snacking today—only a year ago, 64% of consumers said they often snack between meals, Mintel’s The Snacking Occasion US 2014 report said.

Research from Chicago-based Mintel’s The Fifty highlights that more frequent snacking may be replacing standard daily meals.

Americans also claim a preference for healthier snacking, with 33% saying they are snacking on healthier foods this year compared to last year, specifically those with simple ingredients and low calorie counts; however, they most often snack to satisfy a craving (62%), highlighting the important role taste and flavor play on snacking behavior. In fact, Mintel’s Salty Snacks US 2015 report indicates that 63% of U.S. consumers value the taste of salty snacks more than their nutrition.

Millennials (consumers age 21 to 38) are significantly more likely to snack compared to older consumers, with 24% most likely to snack frequently, four or more times per day, and 23% snacking more this year compared to last year. When compared to other generations, millennial consumers are more likely to be emotional or functional snackers. The millennial generation snacks to stay focused throughout the day, with 39% snacking for energy.

Overall, 62% of U.S. consumers snack mainly to satisfy a craving. This is a strong driver for older consumers, especially those age 55 to 62 (70%). Nearly one third of consumers (31%) snack for the practical reason that it’s not the right time to eat a meal (it’s too early or too late). Other reasons are less functional and more emotional—one quarter of Americans snack because they are bored, increasing from 23% in 2014 to 25% in 2015, while 16% do so because they are stressed.

“Millennials are more likely to snack compared to older generations as a means to fulfill emotional and functional needs, including combating boredom or stress and increasing energy and focus. Older consumers did not grow up with all-day snacking and may continue to view snacks as treats,” said Amanda Topper, food analyst at Mintel. “Millennials are also more likely than older generations to indicate snacks with added nutrition and flavor variety are important to them. As a result, they may be drawn to products with high fiber, energizing claims or protein content to stay satiated, as well as bold flavors to help add variety to their frequent snacking occasions and eliminate boredom.”

Retail location and word of mouth are important influences on iGeneration/millennials’ (consumers age 18 to 38) snacking behavior. This generation is most likely to try a snack that has been recommended to them (68%) and most likely to go out of their way to buy snacks from a specific store (43%). iGen/millennials are drawn to organic snacks and products with added nutrition, including protein and vitamins. Ultimately, affordability is more important to this generation, creating an opportunity for health-focused or organic brands to reach them with low-cost snacking options.

Health plays a prevalent role in the types of snacks consumers are eating. More than one third of snackers limit their intake of sweet snacks, such as cookies, candy and ice cream (34%). This is especially true among the swing generation/World War II or consumers age 70 and older (45%). Furthermore, 33% of U.S. consumers indicate they are snacking on healthier foods this year compared to last year. The percentage of U.S. adults who snack only on healthy foods has increased over time. In 2008-09, 25% of adults claimed to snack only on healthy foods, compared to 29% in 2013-14. 

Not only are consumers eating healthier snacks, but nearly one third (30%) of parents are serving healthier snacks to their children, particularly 33% of millennial parents. While healthy snacking options are a win for U.S. parents, 42% of households with children agree there are not enough conveniently packaged snacks, such as individual portions or resealable packages. Convenience is one of the most important factors when selecting a snack; 77% of snackers prefer ready-to-eat snacks over those that must be prepared.

Despite these increases in healthy eating habits among U.S. consumers, 60% wish there were more healthy snack options; however, even though consumers want more healthy snack options, they place more importance on taste and flavor than healthfulness when making purchase decisions. When it comes to choosing snack options, 74% of consumers agree flavor is more important than brand, while 51% agree taste is more important than health.

“With a third of consumers saying they are snacking on healthier options more often this year compared to last year, there will be an increasing need for better-for-you snacks, in smaller portions and convenient formats. This addresses consumers’ desire to balance both health and indulgence,” said Topper. “Consumers, especially households with children, agree there are not enough conveniently packaged snacks, such as individual portions or resealable packages. This highlights a need for balance between convenience and affordability, knowing the importance many consumers, especially younger consumers, place on affordable snacks.”

WASHINGTON – Giving restaurants and retailers an extra year to comply, and to provide clarification on compliance, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is extending the date for menu-labeling requirements mandated by the Affordable Care Act in certain restaurants and retail food establishments including some convenience stores and grocery stores to Dec. 1, 2016.

The FDA issued the original rule on Dec. 1, 2014, and the original compliance date was Dec. 1, 2015.

The final rule defines “covered establishment” as a restaurant or similar retail food establishment that is a part of a chain with 20 or more locations doing business under the same name (regardless of the type of ownership, for example, individual franchises) and offering for sale substantially the same menu items.

As reported in a 21st Century Smoke/CSP Daily News Flash, the FDA received numerous requests asking it to further interpret portions of the final rule or to respond to questions asking whether specific practices would be acceptable for purposes of complying with the rule.

It also received requests asking it to extend the compliance date of the final rule based on concerns that covered establishments do not have adequate time to fully implement the requirements of the rule by the compliance date.

“These requests were submitted by a large retailer and trade and other associations, and they provide information regarding steps involved in implementation of the requirements,” the FDA said. “More specifically, the requests describe steps involved in developing software, information systems and other technologies for providing nutrition information in ways that better correspond to how foods are offered for sale in covered establishments and allow for more efficient and product-specific nutrition labeling. In addition, the requests describe steps involved in training staff, implementing standard operating procedures, and developing and installing updated and consistent menu boards across all locations within a chain. Most requests sought to extend the compliance date by one year.”

It continued, “In light of these requests, we have decided to extend the compliance date for the final rule to Dec. 1, 2016. The final rule requirements are intended to ensure that consumers are provided accurate, clear and consistent nutrition information for foods sold in covered establishments in a direct and accessible manner to enable consumers to make informed and healthful dietary choices; therefore, allowing adequate time for covered establishments to fully implement the final rule’s requirements, as described in the requests, helps accomplish the primary objective of the final rule and is in the public interest.”

The FDA said it will issue detailed guidelines next month to clarify compliance.

Click here to view the Federal Register Notice for the Compliance Date Extension.

VENTURA, Calif. — Macland Investments has selected Energy Efficiency Experts (E3) to perform LED retrofits both interior and exterior on its 37 gas stations in Southern California.

E3 has completed the first three stations in Whittier and Calabasas retrofitting all lights including the large wattage canopy and exterior lights as well as the small interior and refrigeration lights. This effort will reduce electrical consumption by about 70% on their lighting, it said.

Kevin Sullivan, director of sales for E3, said, “We are honored to have such a great relationship with Macland investments. We have been able to do more than just replace lamps. We studied their very specific needs and researched the best lamp for each unique application from our large stable of manufacturers and suppliers.”

Tustin, Calif.-based E3 is an Energy Services Company (ESCO) formed by Premier Holding Corp. to provide solutions by using proprietary technologies and industry relationships. By maintaining a “product agnostic” approach, E3 will prescribe the best solution for the unique circumstances of its clients after survey and analysis. Premier is an energy holding company focused on acquiring and integrating energy companies as synergistic subsidiaries.

Macland, based in Ventura, Calif., is a property investment company.