CHICAGO — Mass Market Retailers is hitting the floor at NACS Show 2025, delivering exclusive live coverage straight from McCormick Place in Chicago, October 14–17. The premier event for convenience and fuel retail professionals is set to draw more than 23,500 attendees from around the world, uniting the industry’s most forward-thinking retailers, suppliers, and innovators for four days of learning, connection, and discovery.
MMR will be on site all week, providing readers with real-time coverage, booth spotlights, executive insights, and more, all directly from the show floor. Follow MMR on LinkedIn for the latest photos, breaking updates, and stories as the industry’s brightest minds gather in Chicago to shape the next chapter of convenience retail.
“This is where you see what’s next,” said Jeff Lenard, vice president of strategic industry initiatives at NACS. “The NACS Show isn’t just a trade show — it’s where we show you the future.”
Thorvardur de Shong
That future will be on full display across 430,000 square feet of exhibits, spanning five dynamic product zones: Facility Operations, Foodservice, Fuel Equipment & Services, In-Store Merchandise, and Technology. Attendees can start their exploration in the Cool New Products Preview Room, a launch pad for the year’s biggest innovations, before taking to the buzzing Expo floor.
Education sessions — comprising more than 50 retailer-led discussions — will address the most pressing topics in convenience retail, including digital transformation, employee engagement, loyalty innovation, and customer experience. The general sessions will also bring big energy, headlined by inspirational speaker Sebastian Terry, and will close with pop-culture icons Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes, the stars of Clerks, who will share their own take on the heart of convenience culture.
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Lenard, who has attended more than two decades of NACS Shows, says the event’s collaborative spirit is what keeps it essential. “From day one, NACS has been about sharing ideas. You’ll see competitors helping each other succeed — that’s the secret sauce of this industry.”
As for first-time attendees, Lenard offered one lighthearted but essential piece of advice: “Wear comfortable shoes — you’ll walk miles every day,” he said. “Most of our staff ends up doing the equivalent of a marathon over the course of the week.”
To help attendees make the most of their time in Chicago, NACS has rolled out an all-new NACS Show 2025 mobile app, designed to be the ultimate event companion. The app connects directly with My Show Planner, enabling users to create personalized agendas, bookmark educational sessions, and map out booth visits across the expansive Expo floor. Interactive maps make navigation through McCormick Place effortless, while real-time updates keep users informed on shuttle schedules, registration details, and on-site events. The app also offers a direct link to the Cool New Products Preview Room, allowing users to instantly scan and save product details and exhibitor contacts. Available now for iOS and Android, the app enables every attendee to experience the NACS Show with greater efficiency, insight, and convenience.
