Gas Stations

Deerfield, Ill. – Walgreens affirmed its commitment to environmental sustainability, innovative technology and renewable energy initiatives during Earth Week 2012. Currently, the drugstore chain has 134 solar panel installations at its stores, distribution centers and corporate headquarters.

New York -- The Commerce Department said Monday that retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.8% in March as job gains and warmer weather encouraged more consumers to shop. The increase was below February's 1% increase but above January's pace.

Excluding both automotive and gasoline sales, retail sales rose 0.7%. Excluding the increase in auto sales, retail sales still rose by 0.8% in March.

Advance estimates put the total level of U.S. retail sales at a seasonally adjusted $411.1 billion for March.
 

Houston -- ATM owner Cardtronics said Thursday that it been named the exclusive provider of ATM services to all 7-Eleven convenience stores in Canada.

New York -- In-store convenience store sales grew 2.4%, reaching a record $195.0 billion in 2011, according to data released Wednesday by NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores). Combined with $486.9 billion in gasoline sales, total convenience store sales in 2011 were $681.9 billion.

More than 80% of in-store sales are from five categories: cigarettes (38.1% of in-store sales); foodservice (16.9%); packaged beverages (14.3%); beer (7.3%); other tobacco products (4.0%).

New York -- 7-Eleven Inc. plans to open 15 to 20 stores this year in the Jacksonville, Fla., market and 80 locations by 2015, according to the Florida Times-Union.

New York -- The average gift card dollar volume growth on a year-over-year basis increased 10% during the last six months of 2011, with consumers shopping earlier in the holiday season for prepaid cards and adding more value to their purchases than in 2010, according to a study by First Data Corp.

Ankeny, Iowa -- Casey’s General Stores said Thursday that it will break ground on its first site in Kentucky later this month. This store will be located in Cadiz, Ky., and will mark the 12th state in which the c-store chain operates.

The Cadiz store is slated to open summer 2012, and will be followed by additional stores in Paducah and Henderson later this year, said the company.

Casey’s said it also has land under contract in Tennessee with plans to break ground next fiscal year as well.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation released information on Tuesday that showed a year-over-year retail sales rise of 8.6% in February, marking 20 consecutive months of sustained growth.

The seasonally adjusted increase -- stronger than expected -- was 0.5%, which excludes automobiles, gas stations and restaurants.

Well, 2012 is certainly off to a wild start. While there’s been nothing quite as dramatic and earth shattering as last year’s tsunami in Japan, there are plenty of global events and outside influences affecting our industry. I’m talking about the increases we’re seeing at the gas pumps and the warmer-than-average winter we’ve been experiencing throughout the country.

Ankeny, Iowa -- Casey's General Stores Inc. reported Monday that profit for the third quarter rose 30% to $16.7 million, from $12.9 million a year earlier. Casey's revenue rose from $1.37 billion to $1.58 billion.

Both figures missed Wall Street estimates.