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FEATURES: MARKETWATCH: With Kids Eating Healthier, Food Marketers Capitalizing on Trend Shell Target One Million Educating Drivers How to Best Maintain Vehicles for Maximum Fuel Efficiency SEE PAGES 8-12 SEE PAGE 17 BUYERS GUIDE: Snack Foods SEE PAGE 16 C onvenienceRETAILER Volume 6, Number 3 May/June 2013 Merchants Prepare for 2015 Shift to EMV Card Standards ing confectionery the fifth best selling product category in the channel. Today, 4.3 percent of all convenience store sales come from candy. Although candy sales are up in the convenience channel, there is reason for retailers to be cautious. According to a survey from the National Confectioners Association, 28 percent of consumers stated that economic considerations have forced them The deadline may still be over two years away, but retailers across the country are already beginning to prepare for a major change in how credit and debit card transactions take place. For many retailers, planning ahead far in advance of the upcoming changes could help limit changeover costs and prevent the operational headaches associated with the introduction of new technology into a retail operation. By October 2015, retail stores, restaurants and other merchants in the United States will be required to shift from accepting magnetic stripe debit and credit cards to a new system of integrated circuit cards, otherwise known as Europay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) cards. Rather than swiping the card through a reader after a purchase is made, EMV cards are inserted into the terminal where they remain throughout the transaction. A successful national shift to EMV cards will necessitate certain changes both on the part of merchants and consumers. Continued on Page 11 Continued on Page 8 BY LUCAS WITMAN For Retailers, Sweetening Candy Sales Means Staying Timely, Topical and on Trend With overall convenience store sales up 4.9 percent in 2012, manufacturers in a number of product categories from fresh foods to craft beer to gifts and souvenirs are looking to the convenience channel as a vital, reliable source of sales growth. One group of products in particular that has recently experienced tremendous success within the convenience channel is confectionery. In 2012, candy sales in convenience stores were up 8.3 percent, makBY LUCAS WITMAN Businesses Ponder Potential Impacts of Minimum Wage Spike In his 2013 State of the Union Address, President Obama caught many political pundits by surprise when he proposed increasing the federal minimum wage. In the speech, Obama announced his support for raising the federal minimum wage from its current rate of $7.25/hour to an inflated $9/hour. Obama had earlier expressed his support for a minimum wage hike during his first presidential campaign. However, this campaign pledge was derailed by the economic recession and corresponding high unemployment that plagued his first term in office. The debate over whether or not to raise the minimum wage, which is just BY LUCAS WITMAN Continued on Page 10 Swipe Fee Settlement Leaves Many Retailers Unsettled Last November, U.S. District Court Judge John Gleeson approved a settlement in the ongoing litigation over unfair interchange or "swipe" fees charged to merchants by credit card companies each time a customer uses a debit or credit card to pay for a transaction. The settlement originally offered some hope for resoluContinued on Page 12 SURE BETS SEE PAGES 2-6 n Walgreens to Build Nation's First Net Zero Energy Retail Store in Evanston, Ill. n Samuel Adams to Launch Flagship Product Boston Lager in "Sam Cans" TOP TECH SEE PAGES 18-19 n Gilbarco Veeder-Root Working with PayPal to Simplify Paying at the Pump n CQuotient Unveils Personalized Email Marketing Technology for Retailers OPERATIONS SEE PAGES 14-15 n Posiflex Introduces KS7500 Series of Spill and Dust Resistant Touch Screen Terminals n CSCAMEX Introduces Warm Tortilla Merchandiser PRODUCT FEATURES SEE PAGES 21-22 n Pringles Stix n Jelly Belly TABASCO Jelly Bean Bottles www.convenienceretailer.net NEXT ISSUE: Fuel Marketing BUYERS GUIDE: Personal Care Products 3Reviver Odor-Removing Clothing Wipes

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