NACS Shifts to Platform Model The NACS Board of Directors has approved a five-year strategic plan designed to transform the trade association's role within the convenience and fuel retailing industry. Announced at the NACS Show in Las Vegas, the "Advancing Convenience 2030" plan outlines five enterprise goals intended to guide the organization's work through 2030. NACS President & CEO Frank Gleeson framed the plan as a fundamental repositioning: "At its heart, we are shifting NACS from being the leading trade association to the platform that powers convenience and fuel retailing. It's redefining the concept of your association, just like our members have continually redefined their convenience offer to their customers." The plan was developed with input from NACS retailer and supplier members, staff, and elected leadership, including the Board and Executive Committee.
Five Core Objectives The strategic priorities are: 1. Policy and influence: Expand NACS' role as the trusted voice for convenience and fuel retailing, shaping public policy, strengthening industry coalitions, and sharing regulatory intelligence. 2. Membership and engagement: Grow retailer engagement and supplier access across the U.S. and priority international markets through expanded education, advocacy, thought leadership, and networking platforms. 3. Data and insights: Establish NACS as the convenience industry's trusted source for data, insights, foresight, and leadership development. 4. Innovation ecosystem: Build digital platforms, standards, and data infrastructure that connect the global convenience ecosystem and accelerate industry growth. 5. Organizational capability: Develop a modern, data-driven, AI-enabled enterprise that improves member experiences and strengthens decision-making.
Industry Context NACS represents retail members whose operations span more than 400,000 stores across 50-plus countries, including 45,000 in the U.S. The domestic convenience store industry operates nearly 152,000 locations, conducts 160 million transactions daily, and generated $818 billion in sales in 2025. Annie Gauthier, NACS 2025-26 chairman and CFO/Co-CEO of St. Romain Oil Co. LLC, said the plan "sets forth a clear roadmap for NACS to continue to reinvest in the industry and to champion, connect and accelerate the global convenience and fuel retailing industry."
Why It Matters
For convenience store operators, the shift from trade association to industry platform signals NACS' intent to play a more active role in shaping competitive dynamics, technology standards, and regulatory frameworks—moving beyond traditional advocacy into ecosystem-building functions that could influence member strategies around data sharing, digital infrastructure, and innovation priorities.
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Written by FBM Publications Editors
