ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Each spring, the leading retailers and suppliers in the industry gather to review the previous year's performance and discuss opportunities for growth. The NACS State of the Industry (SOI) Summit in partnership with CSP will be held Tuesday through Thursday, April 4 through 6 at the Westin O'Hare, Chicago.
As the centerpiece of the Summit, the NACS SOI survey and analysis will be presented. Preparation for the NACS State of the Industry report for 2006 is under way with new enhancements for retailers. As always, high-quality benchmark [image-nocss] data to compare your company performance is a focus. This year plans are in the works to increase the store sample size, facilitating regional views of the data while integrating the store sample data with firm-level data. Same-firm data is a specific goal with more data exhibits presented for retailer use. This means better year-to-year comparisons for retailers.
One of the more popular aspects of the SOI research is the category and subcategory breakouts. With the increasing implementation of the NACS Category Definitions and Numbering Guide, the goal is to incorporate the base of retailers who are compliant with this guide. Where appropriate, NACS will extend and broaden the search for reliable data providers on specific categories. The goal is to provide the best possible benchmarks on category and subcategory trends. In addition, motor-fuel trends are targeted for an in-depth analysis because of the extreme volatility during 2005, and that is expected to continue for 2006.
New for 2006, the format of the Summit concurrent breakout sessions is changing. Based on attendee feedback, the Summit will offer in-depth presentations in critical areas, such as foodservice, consumers, tobacco, inside sales, new profit centers and finance and operations. These mini-general sessions will feature a retail facilitator and several experts in each of these areas.
Another new feature for 2006 is the closing morning, which will focus on future trends that will affect the industry. Edie Weiner, a preeminent futurist, will kick off the morning, and she will be followed by a panel of Wall Street analysts providing their views of the future of convenience retailing and several key categories.
NACS retail members receive complimentary registration for the Summit. To register, or for more information, please go to www.nacsonline.com or contact Amy Ashley Burke of NACS at (703) 518-4239 or aburke@nacsonline.com.
For information on supplier registration fees and/or advertising in the joint CSP/NACS SOI Summit, please contact Jim Bursch of CSP at jbursch@cspnet.com or (630) 574-5075, Ext. 224.
Want to maximize your travel dollars and business opportunities? NACS is co-locating the Advanced Category Management Seminar immediately prior to and the Business Exchange Sessions immediately after the Summit. More information about these sessions is available through NACS.
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