• William Shatner Talks About Convenience--And a Lot More - Episode 500
    Jul 7 2025

    To celebrate our 500th episode, we are sharing our most popular episode, a conversation with William Shatner. He has some opinions!

    Hosted by:

    Jeff Lenard and Henry Armour

    About our Guest:

    William Shatner, legendary actor and icon

    Captain Kirk, T.J. Hooker, Denny Crane, so many TV shows and movies and record albums, the oldest person to fly in space…need we go on?

    Show more Show less
    36 mins
  • What To Look for With Gas Prices - Episode 499
    Jun 30 2025

    A look at the key factors that could affect gas prices over the summer-drive season and the second half of the year—and how prices affect consumer behavior both at the pump and inside the store.

    Hosted by:

    Jeff Lenard

    Jeff oversees internal and external communications at NACS. He has conducted over 6,000 interviews with reporters, mostly about fuels-related issues.

    Show more Show less
    22 mins
  • Big Ideas in Convenience Retail From Europe - Episode 498
    Jun 23 2025

    Store tours and discussions during the 2025 NACS Convenience Summit Europe in Copenhagen revealed opportunities for retailers to consider, no matter where they do business.

    Hosted by:

    Jeff Lenard

    About our Guest:

    Mark Wohltmann, Director, NACS Global

    Mark is responsible for the strategic development of NACS Global, a worldwide network that supports convenience retailers and their businesses. He has more than 20 years of experience in research and consulting, with a focus on FMCG/CPG and retail. Mark began his career in the advertising industry, focusing on trade marketing and sales advertising in impulse retail channels at Dorland in Berlin and at Grey and BBDO in Duesseldorf.

    Show more Show less
    28 mins
  • The Latest on Credit Card Swipe Fee Reform - Episode 497
    Jun 16 2025

    Credit card swipe fees are a huge pain point for retailers and the customers they serve. Hear how the Credit Card Competition Act can bring competition to a broken system.

    Hosted by:

    Jeff Lenard

    About our Guests:

    Doug Kantor, NACS General Counsel

    Doug has served as legal counsel for NACS for more than 20 years, originally as a partner with the law firms Collier Shannon Scott PLLC and Steptoe & Johnson LLP. He has been NACS in-house counsel since 2021. Doug also served as special counsel and deputy chief of staff in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

    Anna Ready Blom, NACS Strategic Advisor, Government Relations

    Anna serves as a policy advisor to the NACS government relations team. During her 10-plus years at NACS, she led numerous advocacy campaigns and has been recognized as one of “The Hill’s Top Lobbyists” for three years in a row. Anna previously worked on Capitol Hill for members of Congress from her home state of South Carolina.

    Show more Show less
    30 mins
  • The Snacks Customers Crave - Episode 496
    Jun 9 2025

    Consumer preferences are constantly changing. Hear insights from a snacker panel on what your customers want now and where snacking is heading.

    Hosted by:

    Jeff Lenard

    About our Guests:

    Rachel Krupa, Founder, The Goods Mart and Krupa Consulting

    In 2018, Rachel founded the highly curated better-for-you, socially conscious convenience store concept, The Goods Mart, based in New York City. She also is the founder of Krupa Consulting, a public relations and brand-building agency.

    Dana Kim, Founder and CEO, Highlight

    Dana founded Highlight, the first and still only end-to-end agile product testing platform, that enables the efficient collection of scaled product performance data. It is a top SAAS platform in the product testing space.

    Show more Show less
    35 mins
  • How Eliminating the Penny in 2026 Affects Retailers - Episode 495
    Jun 2 2025

    The U.S. Treasury will officially stop making pennies and phase out the one-cent coin from circulation. Here are four things retailers need to know, recapped from a February 2025 podcast.

    Hosted by:

    Jeff Lenard

    Show more Show less
    21 mins
  • Celebrating Your Community Heroes Is Easy - Episode 494
    May 26 2025

    The NACS Foundation’s annual 24/7 Day (July 24) makes it easy for retailers and suppliers to celebrate the first responders who protect our communities—and it's free. Hear some of the success stories from previous years and how your company can join the celebration.

    Hosted by:

    Jeff Lenard

    About our Guest:

    Kevin O’Connell, Executive Director, NACS Foundation

    Kevin leads the NACS Foundation and collaborates with industry stakeholders to develop signature programs that align with NACS members’ philanthropic priorities, which overall focus on serving first responders, fighting hunger, supporting healthy kids and keeping communities clean.

    Show more Show less
    25 mins
  • Make Your C-Store a Road Trip Destination - Episode 493
    May 19 2025

    Hear how retailers can grow sales through effective marketing, merchandising and planning that makes their stores the ultimate destination for road trippers.

    Hosted by:

    Jeff Lenard

    About our Guest:

    Steve Holtz, President, Holtz Media Consulting

    Steve is a veteran c-store journalist with 25 years in the industry. He is currently president of Holtz Media Consulting.

    Show more Show less
    32 mins