A week ahead of The Panty Inc.’s scheduled quarterly earnings report, Analyst Mark Miller of William Blair & Co. increased his rating of the company, sending shares skyrocketing. Shares of The Pantry rose Thursday from $1.12 to $16.45 -the highest level since October and a 31% increase this month after Miller raised his rating of the…
Coca-Cola Debuts HFC-Free Vending
The next time a member of the House of Representatives reaches for a Coke, it will be from a greener vending machine. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) joined Dan Beard, House Chief Administrative Officer and leaders from Coca-Cola this week to unveil 35 new climate friendly Coca-Cola vending machines for the Capitol buildings including…
Energy Sales Hold Strong
Familiarity with shifting consumer attitudes amidst a turbulent economy–and the willingness to make changes in the cooler if need be–could help retailers cash in big with isotonics and energy drinks this year. “If you’re intent on raising your share in that marketplace then I think you have to get in touch with who that user…
Gasoline Prices Pushing Higher
By Brian L. Milne, Refined Fuels Editor, Telvent DTN Gasoline prices at retail outlets across the country are again moving higher after the uptrend briefly stalled in several metropolitan markets with a downturn in wholesale costs. However, wholesale gasoline costs are again on the march higher, pushed up primarily by a bullish market sentiment. There…
Swipe Fee Fight Mounts
Building on 7-Eleven’s successful “Stop Unfair Credit Card Fees” consumer petition campaign, convenience store operators joined with U.S. Representatives Peter Welch and Bill Shuster to deliver an additional two million new customer signatures collected during the NACS “Stop Unfair Swipe Fees” campaign, which is asking Congress to put an end to unfair, hidden credit and…
Woodstock, Va., Council Keeps Carwash Ordinance
Woodstock, Va., is keeping its carwash regulations as is, including a rule requiring all carwashes to obtain a special-use permit. After Sheetz looked to bypass the ordinance in order to add a carwash to its c-store in Woodstock, the Town Council’s ordinance committee had a vigorous debate between panels on the topic, and in the…
ExxonMobil Donates $7.9 Million for Education
ExxonMobil and its employees donated more than $7.9 million to a total of 83 educational institutions across Texas through the ExxonMobil Foundation’s 2009 Educational Matching Gift Program. ExxonMobil employees, retirees, surviving spouses and directors made 1,718 individual contributions totaling over $2.3 million to institutions of higher education across Texas. ExxonMobil Foundation matched those donations with…
Gulf Oil Enters Virginia
Gulf Oil signaled its return to Virginia this month by announcing a branded distributor partnership with Milo C. Cockerham Inc. Cockerham plans to begin rebranding several former Chevron motor fuel outlets in southwest Virginia to the new Gulf “Sunrise” image. This is the first time since 1986 that a Gulf Oil branded gas station will…
Tobacco Companies Fight Display Ban In Britain
Britain’s three biggest tobacco companies are fighting for the right to display their products, asking for a judicial review of the Government’s upcoming ban on the display of cigarettes and other tobacco products in stores, Brand Republic reported. Britain’s Health Act 2009 requires all cigarettes, cigars, pipe and rolling tobacco products to be hidden from…
Valero Reports Q1 Results
In the first quarter of 2010, Valero Energy Corp. reported a loss of $101 million from continuing operations (or $0.18 per share) compared to the first quarter of 2009 gain from continuing operations of $364 million ($0.70 per share). The first quarter 2010 operating loss was $32 million, versus first quarter 2009 operating gain of…