Dear Reader,

The times they are a-changing, but this latest issue of Global Convenience Store Focus will you keep you on top of current trends and challenges.

We report on the Insight NACS Future of International Convenience Retailing event held in London last month, where delegates from around the world gathered to share best practices and, in the words of Mike Greene at Him!, take away ideas “to do something differently.”

Spar China, which scooped up the first International Convenience Retailer of the Year Award, presented during the event, impressed everyone with their combination of global expertise and local know-how. Read our lead story to hear how it is innovating on many levels.

Topaz in Ireland and Mercator in Slovenia, are two runners up in the award. They are pushing the boundaries of convenience retailing on the forecourt arena and in the confines of a department store. For further inspiration, take a look at the contemporary design of Rompetrol’s new Litro petrol station in Romania.

This month also sees the launch of a major new piece of tobacco research. Over the next three editions, we will be exploring the challenges in the global tobacco category, kicking off with a look at how industry is helping convenience retailers through an increasingly 'dark' passage. Seeing the light couldn’t be more convenient.

Fiona Briggs, Editor

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Convenience Knowledge Bank