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Frank Gleeson has taken over as the new president and CEO of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), signaling a major push to move the industry beyond its traditional model by focusing on foodservice and technology.
A new playbook: Gleeson, only the fourth CEO in the group's 64-year history, isn't just keeping the seat warm. He’s tasked with navigating mounting regulatory threats that demand the industry break from its old model of just selling fuel and candy bars.
Fueling the body: His plan for profitability centers on pivoting to food, a move he says creates a significant repeat opportunity. "You fuel your car once a week, but you fuel your body three or four times a day," Gleeson stated, framing the growth potential bluntly.
Bots and bureaucrats: Gleeson is also advocating for scalable tech that solves real problems, highlighting the association's own digital age-verification platform, TruAge, as a prime example. At the same time, he identified regulation as "the biggest threat we face as an industry," calling for more direct engagement with lawmakers.
Gleeson's strategy is a clear bet that the future of convenience retail lies in becoming a destination for daily needs, not just a pit stop for gas. For more on the new CEO's background and leadership philosophy, NACS Magazine published an in-depth profile on Frank Gleeson.
