Philip Morris Goes After Counterfeiters

RICHMOND, Va. -- Philip Morris USA filed two lawsuits in federal court on Tuesday in Los Angeles, Calif., aimed at stopping the importation, distribution, and sale of counterfeit cigarettes and the unauthorized use of PM USA's trademarks. The suits arise from two seizures by the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection at the Port of Los Angeles.

Complete Story

Hot, Cold, Healthy and Fast

CHICAGO - As foodservice continues to be a major focus of convenience and petroleum retail operations, keeping up with consumer demand can be daunting.  In a session moderated by Jim Bressi, director of food research and development at Kwik Trip Inc., food trend experts Tim Pirovano, director of retailing insights at The Nielsen Company, and Kevin Higar, director of operator product development at Technomic Inc., shared how convenience stores can stay ahead of their customers' needs by exploring today's consumer trends.

Complete Story

Why Grocery Prices Are Up

WASHINGTON – The cost of U.S. groceries will jump another 5 percent or more this year, after a 5.6 percent increase in 2007, the Kiplinger Agriculture Letter reports. Usually, food prices advance between 2 percent and 3 percent annually.

But consumers should look beyond higher corn, soybean, wheat and other field crops as the source for the increased prices. Transportation costs have risen 9 percent overall during the past year, which trickle down to food prices.

Complete Story

Reynolds American Questions FDA Tobacco Regulation

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Reynolds American, parent company of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Conwood Co. and Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. Inc., is questioning the government’s ability to take on tobacco as the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce prepares this week to vote on legislation that would grant the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory authority over the manufacture and retailing of tobacco products.

Complete Story

Indiana Sales Tax Will Change to 7 Percent – Effective April 1, 2008

With the passage of House Enrolled Act 1001, the Indiana sales tax rate will increase to 7 percent effective April 1, 2008. This one-percent increase is intended to help offset new limits on property taxes in Indiana.

Here is the detailed list of changes that HEA 1001 will affect:

Complete Story

Showdown Looming on FDA Tobacco Legislation

On Tuesday, March 11, the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health approved H.R. 1108, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, a bill granting the Food and Drug Administration with regulatory authority over the manufacture and retail of tobacco products.

As we have been reporting continuously for months, NACS focus in the legislation is to amend the retailing provisions to preserve primary retail enforcement authority at the state level, to give retailers an incentive to implement stringent compliance programs, to ensure all retail formats including Internet are held to the same standards and to allow convenience stores to sell smoking cessation products.

Complete Story

Consumers Shopping Less in Tight Economy

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – Consumers are making fewer trips across retail outlets in the face of rising gas prices and slowing economy, according to a recent Nielsen Company survey.

Nielsen’s consumer packaged goods research shows that while shopping frequency across most retail outlets is flat or on the decline, supercenters continue to show growth.

 MORE DETAILS

U.S. SMOKELESS TOBACCO - CHANGE IN RETURNED GOODS POLICY [READ HERE]