A few years ago, NACS President and CEO Henry Armour said that the NACS Show could be described as “The Greatest Show on Earth.” It’s a tagline associated with the Ringling Brothers circus, which was on hiatus at the time. While the circus has since returned, the NACS Show demonstrated once again that, at the very least, it’s the greatest four days on the convenience calendar. 

More than 25,000 attendees—a record for a Chicago-hosted NACS Show—swarmed a 440,000 net-square-foot Expo hall, 50 Education Sessions and four days of General Sessions. In addition, the attendees made the most of countless networking opportunities.

Here are few of the big trends from this year.

A People Business
Befitting an industry that conducts well over 100 million face-to-face transactions every single day, customer service was a focus in a half dozen Education Sessions, ranging from enhancing communications skills to leveling up high-potential employees. 

The focus on people extended to the General Session stage as well. Incoming NACS President and CEO (beginning in 2026) Frank Gleeson said that he learned how to be a leader attending the NACS Executive Leadership Program at Cornell 20-some years ago. He said that the week-long course transformed how he saw his role as he transformed from a highly competent manager that occasionally had “sharp elbows” to a leader who focused on growing people and teams. 

Meanwhile, his fellow panelists, former Alimentation Couche-Tard President and CEO Brian Hannasch and current NACS President and CEO Henry Armour, stressed that culture is what allows companies to accomplish great things, especially when faced with adversity.

NACS Chairman Annie Gauthier (Y-Not Stop stores based on Mansura, LA) said that the company’s TeamFest program, which allows employees to learn more about the company and its values in a fun half-day retreat, is how she seeks to keep and grow newer employees. 

“With the right training and support, these team members are our future. TeamFest is one way we show our love of our industry and connect them to something bigger than themselves and their store,” Gauthier said.

And in a NACS Convenience Matters podcast (conveniencematters.com) recorded directly after his General Session presentation, “Clerks” creator Kevin Smith said that customer experience is everything. “You can make a person’s day.… When I was working at the convenience store, I did it with simple acts. … Make sure that they feel better than when they came in.”

Convenience Is Rewarding
When c-stores become that “Cheers” equivalent, where everyone feels like they belong, it creates a fun place to work—and shop. 

In the opening General Session, Seb Terry, creator of the 100things Movement, said that when he first defined dreams he wanted to achieve, they were personal—but the focus changed the first time he completed a bucket list dream item that was purely about helping someone else.

“As the cost to culture, morale and performance grows too high to ignore, we must remember: the height of our success isn’t driven only by the strength of our actions, but by the depth of our connection to those around us. Put another way, we are strong alone—but we are better together,” Terry said.

The session didn’t just inspire attendees to seek their dreams—it helped two retailers come closer to accomplishing theirs. NACS worked with Terry to solicit goals of attendees and NACS provided the financial support to make two dreams come true: One related to education and one focused on family. (Look for more coverage on their progress in a future issue of NACS Magazine.)

The NACS Foundation also presented its inaugural First Responders of the Year Awards, recognizing the everyday heroes among us. And it helped coordinate food rescue following the NACS Show that delivered over 120,000 pounds of food, beverages and supplies with nine full trucks sent to five local nonprofit organizations. The recovered goods were distributed across these Chicago-area partners: Greater Chicago Food Depository; Mission of Our Lady of the Angels; Breakthrough; Shepherd’s Hope Food Pantry; and Hands of Hope.

Tick Tock, Time’s Important
Of course, the Expo focused on products and services that can speed up customer transactions. Artificial intelligence to enhance operational efficiency, self-checkout and new technologies to help customers order online for in-store pickup were plentiful on the Expo floor. So were beverages and food that delivered energy, including coffee, energy drinks and energy bars. After all, c-stores provide the rocket fuel that propels everyday life forward. 

Plenty of products also addressed the reason that people need an energy boast—too little sleep. There were plenty of drinks, tabs and gummies to help people relax and get a great night’s sleep.

Part of the bigger trend to save people time is the continuing growth of functional products. The trend of adding protein to food and beverages has accelerated, with dozens of products packing in additional protein, whether to appeal to time-starved customers or to GLP-1 users looking for a protein-based snack.

And for those who want to adjust their moods, hemp-based products were very noticeable this year, especially in the Cool New Products Preview Room.

TikTok, Let’s Create Something New
TikTok and harvesting customer experiences was a common theme among exhibitors. Many said that they closely monitor social media to see how their products are being used—and whether there is a way to celebrate it and even create new products.

In one example, Van Holten’s had a “TikTok table” where it showcased some of the TikTok-inspired combinations you could try with the pickle—plus one collaboration with Warheads Extreme Sour candy that came to market because of social media posts.

Mash-Ups: 1 + 1 = 3 

Van Holten’s and Warheads wasn’t the only collaboration at the Expo. Last year, two of the bigger trends seen on the Expo floor—pickles and freeze-dried items—have gotten together. This year, welcome the freeze-dried pickle.

And mash-ups also extended to companies. Slim Jim and Buffalo Wild Wings combined for a new chicken stick. And Hershey’s and Mondelēz, usually seen as competitors, combined two of their iconic products—Reese’s and Oreos—into new items. NACS has long stressed that the c-store industry is unique because retailers share ideas and help each other. So, it makes perfect sense that suppliers also would work together on the Expo floor.

The Next Pickle Is … the Pickle
Given that the previous few paragraphs were about pickles, it’s fair to say that pickles—or more accurately, the pickle flavor—was once again everywhere on the Expo floor, sometimes with a twist. For one, they were joined by olives in some booths, highlighting a “briny snacks” category. 

But the pickle is also alive and well as a standalone flavor, including in beer. Pabst Blue Ribbon showcased its new pickle-flavored beer. So instead of calling out for a PBR, will people ask for a PPBR, with the first P for pickle?

Foodservice Continues to Grow
The year 1969 featured at least two monumental events: Man landed on the moon and fried chicken was introduced in convenience stores. And while it’s been more than 50 years since man has been on the moon, more than 28% of in-store sales at c-stores today is prepared food, including fried chicken. (See “Foodservice Pioneers” in the August 2011 issue of NACS Magazine for a history of c-store chicken.) 

Everyone on the Expo floor had no problem finding ways to sate their appetites with food—or to enhance their operations with new foodservice strategies and programs.

And So Much More
There is only so much space to talk about some of the big trends seen and heard at the NACS Show. Clearly, there is the growing importance of global, something that we will continue to see as Henry Armour transitions to leading the global activities of NACS in 2026. There were also plenty of booths that showcased products for dogs and cats, either in cars or at home. And there was so much fun with new product innovation in snacks.

But most of all, the NACS Show was a clear example of an industry that continues to thrive because it constantly is seeking new ways to delight customers and reinvent convenience.