CSP: What issues have made the biggest impression on you this past year?
HUBBARD: Probably No. 1 is the economy. [image-nocss] This downturn has impacted our economy significantly and has proven that we are a very global economy. There has been a significant worldwide impact. One of the bright lights is that our industry has proven to be somewhat recession-resistant. That is very encouragingas is the reinforcement that consumers still both need and desire convenience, even in tough times. Maybe even especially in tough times. The economy has impacted the way consumers shop, what and how they buy and therefore the way we do business, and this influence will probably continue for at least the next several years.
I'm also very government-relations-focused, so the issues in that arena immediately come to mind. Obviously there's the new FDA regulations and tobacco, which is not something retailers are excited about. Increased regulation usually comes with a cost and the uncertainty is disconcerting, but NACS worked very hard to improve the bill over what we were going to get and made significant improvements for retailers. Of course, reducing credit-card fees is also something that NACS has been working on, and I'm very excited that issue has been moving for us. When I am in contact with retailers, that's the one issue they raise. They plead, "Can you help us on this?" So clearly it is an issue that is near and dear to the pocketbooks of our industry and that is so unfair. Something needs to be done.
The other issue I have stressed over even in advance of it rearing its ugly head is healthcare reform. That one is going to particularly impact our industry. With our competitive nature, tight margins and the high level of turnover, it will be problematic to provide some of the benefits that we all would like to. And I do not for one minute believe that the government can structure a better healthcare system than the free market can.
CSP: What has been the association's biggest accomplishment during your tenure?
HUBBARD: I would have to say it is this credit-card interchange-fee effort. We have gone from this being a topic Congress never thought about to an issue that everyone on the Hill knows, understands and associates with our industry. We have made our voices heard, explained the issue and are now getting recognition for the problem. They understand why it is problematic and why it's causing so much painnot just to retailers, but to consumers. To me, that's one issue we've really gotten rolling, and probably the biggest, most impactful things we can do to help retailers right now.
CSP: Are you going to continue to be active on fighting credit-card fees?
HUBBARD: Oh yes, that's our No. 1 battle right now. And while where we are now may not be the ultimate, perfect solution, we can see some relief in sight, so we are going to continue to push and fight for that. I think the credit-card issue is absolutely our No. 1 agenda item for government relations. And actually next year, I will be stepping onto the political action committee and will be helping raise the funds to fight these battles. I hope everyone will remember that when I come begging. We must have funding to fight and the PAC is an investment in your business. Yes, I'll definitely stay involved with NACS and the government relations arm; they can't get rid of me.
CSP: What did you learn as chairwoman that you can apply to your business?
HUBBARD: One of the things I love about this industry is that we share. Some of the little ideas and solutions I've picked up from fellow retailers and suppliers have been significant for our company. But if I pick one simple thing to sum it up, it would be that no man is an island. Just because we all are in competition doesn't prohibit us from sharing; we all can learn and benefit from each other, and we are all better because of the way we work together. Bill Douglass gave our executive committee a book a couple of years ago called Co-opetition. I like that word, and the premise is that through cooperating, even as competitors, we make the pie bigger; instead of dividing the pie up, we actually make it bigger. Then everyone gets a bigger slice. There are so many opportunities for this industry to grow. That's something I've learned and will continue to apply to E-Z Mart.
CSP: What were some industry challenges this year?
HUBBARD: It doesn't matter which side of the political fence you're on; I think one challenge is the fact that the new Congress and president are going to make changes, partly forced by the economy and the situation we're in and partly just from looking at things differently. There will be changes happening legislatively that will impact us for decades. Some of it is an unseen challenge, but we know it's out there and I think we have to be prepared and aggressive and ready to defend our business as we look to move forward.
CSP: As we can probably figure then, which side of the political fence are you on?
HUBBARD: I think it's probably obvious I tend to lean Republican. I was frustrated with some of our past leaders, and thought it was time for a change, though. And I sincerely look forward and hope that we can see a lot of very positive change come with the new government. I tend to beand this is the reason I tend to be Republicananti-regulation. Capitalism only works when allowed to operate in a free market. Supply and demand does impact the way we market and merchandise, and when the government gets involved and mucks that up, and maybe bails out businesses that shouldn't be bailed out because they were destined to fail, I think that throws the pendulum off balance. And those ramifications can be scary, alter-free market logic and wreak havoc. I don't disagree that something had to be done to some extent. But I also think it's time to stop and let the markets run themselves and get back to good business practices. Let people manage their own business and their own lives.
CSP: What do you see for the industry in the big picture?
HUBBARD: Admittedly, I'm an eternal optimist, and so I do purposely always try to look for a silver lining. That said, what I'm seeing is that we could have a couple more slow and difficult years. I think the economy is going to continue to shrink or grow at a very slow pace. But as I said before, our industry has proven to be recession-resistant to some extent, and I believe that's because we provide needed services and goods to the public. I'm actually quite encouraged with some of the results we've seen and what it means for our industry. I don't think we're going away any time soon, and I like that.
CSP: You were the first female chair of NACS, but you don't typically emphasize that point. Do you have any advice for women in the industry?
HUBBARD: You know, I wrestled with that a bit. I am very proud to be the first woman to be elected in this capacity. I think it says a lot about our industry, and the fact that we are progressive. And it was never, to my knowledge, considered as an issue to my ability. And I have been hesitant to kind of wave that flagin part, because the men have been so wonderful. I don't want to give the impression of "Oh well, finally, the male chauvinists allowed a woman..." because that was never the way I was treated.
But I have been somewhat concerned in hindsight that maybe I didn't do women justice by not saying, "Hey, we have come a long way." And I'm very proud for what we've done. So many years, looked around the crowd, there weren't many women at the events. And all of a sudden, we're beginning to see more. The advice I would give is just hang in there, stand up for what you see. And if you're on a committee or a board, speak up, participate and do your job. We're smart, we've got opinions that can lead and benefit this industry, and I think we're doing it. We serve a diverse consumer base and need a diverse leadership base. I encourage more and more women to look at the opportunities that there are in this industry, and get involved. As I previously said, we've got a lot of opportunities for growth, need good people and I think this industry is going to be around for a long time.
[Click here to hear an interview with the first female chair of the NACS Supplier Board, S&D Coffee's Jennie Jones, who will begin her term this week.]
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