The global coronavirus has had a dramatic effect on how we do business in the communities we serve. There are new paradigms for how businesses address and showcase their cleaning and safety measures. Consumers are changing their shopping behavior in ways that could shape long-term buying patterns. Retailers are reinventing their business models—working with their supplier and distributor partners—to focus more on take-home packaged and prepared items.

What hasn’t changed is how our industry comes together, something that I saw when I was a retailer and joined NACS decades ago. Every day our NACS team and I hear from members who share ideas and insights to help each other navigate through this pandemic. Our stores are considered essential businesses because of the products we sell and our proximity to customers around the world.

Millions of customers rely on our industry every day, and I, for one, am proud to be part of an industry that continues to operate and serve communities across the globe through this difficult time. In many ways, we are the first supporters for the first responders on the frontlines in our communities.

I, for one, am proud to be part of an industry that continues to operate and serve communities across the globe through this difficult time.

This magazine is just one way we share ideas to collectively make all of us better. We also have other resources, whether our NACS Daily newsletter, our social media channels, our Convenience Matters podcasts or convenience.org,
to help you manage this crisis. Our coronavirus resources are updated daily to keep you current on the latest COVID-19 news and give you access to essential disaster preparedness materials. These materials and more can be found at convenience.org/coronavirus.

I’m appreciative of your continued support of our industry, our customers, our communities and of NACS during these very difficult times. Please keep in touch and let us know how we can assist you and your team in the coming days, weeks and months.

I am fully committed to helping move the convenience and fuel retailing industry forward—beyond response and recovery—so we can all continue to thrive for years to come. As an industry we are resilient, and we will get through this together!

Please continue to take care of yourself, your employees and your loved ones, and know that we are here to help in any way we can.

Stay safe and healthy,