CHICAGO — For the third consecutive year, the NACS Show set an attendance record for its host city, following record crowds in Atlanta in 2023 and Las Vegas in 2024. Overall, 25,136 attendees from 73 countries participated in four days of education, networking, and exploring what is hot and new in the global convenience and fuel retailing industry at the 2025 NACS Show, which was held October 14 to 17 in Chicago.
Expo Delivers New Products and Category Excitement
Organized into five broad categories—store merchandise, technology, facility operations, fuel equipment and services, and foodservice—the 440,000-square-foot Expo showcased 1,204 exhibitors, including 184 first-time participants in the New Exhibitor Area and 36 new companies in the Convenience Catalyst section of the Cool New Products Preview Room.
In the Cool New Products Preview Room, attendees scanned QR codes using the NACS Show mobile app for each of the 346 products on display. There were 11,225 product scans in total.
- Philadelphia to Go (Kraft Heinz)
- Little Joe novelty automotive air fresheners
- Self-serve bakery display by Palram 4U
- CigarBros vertical standing humidor system
- Come Ready Foods Ready Protein line
- Die-cast pull-back cars floor display
- Skippy Oatmeal Protein Pie and Dippin Dots Protein Donut
- Newco Infinibrew
- International trending chocolates displays
- Just the Fun Part Dubai Style Chocolate Bars
Education Sessions Draw Big Crowds
The 48 Education Sessions, created by retailers for retailers, averaged over 220 attendees each. Two sessions drew more than 400 attendees: “Refreshing Your Stores Without Razing and Rebuilding” with 431 attendees and “Economic Trends Shaping the Future of Retail” with 403. Most Education Sessions will soon be available for purchase as audio recordings and slides.
General Sessions Highlight the Breadth of the Industry
Attendees filled the 3,000-seat Arie Crown Theater for four days of General Sessions. Seb Terry, creator of the 100things Movement, opened on October 14 with an inspiring presentation that motivated attendees to dream big — including helping two attendees achieve personal goals on stage.
The following days featured a heartfelt presentation by 2025–2026 NACS Chairman Annie Gauthier and eight Ideas 2 Go videos that showcased how retailers are reinventing convenience, from operational excellence in Tokyo to hidden speakeasy concepts in the United States.
On October 16, a leadership panel featuring Brian Hannasch, Henry Armour, and Frank Gleeson discussed the evolution of global convenience retail. The event concluded on October 17 with Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes, who shared their long-standing connection to convenience stores.
Leadership and Boards
- Annie Gauthier was named 2025–2026 NACS Chairman.
- Bryan Morrow was named 2025–2026 NACS Supplier Board Chairman.
Awards
- Convenience Retailer of the Year Latin America: Lion Place Escobar, Argentina
- Fuels Innovator of the Year: Rotten Robbie and QuikTrip
- NACS Foundation First Responder of the Year: Charles Biery, Angela Ryan, Kevin Umscheid
Community Impact
More than 80 volunteers collected an estimated 100,000 pounds of food for five local charities as part of the NACS Foundation Neighborhood Nourish launch.
The 2026 NACS Show will take place October 6–9 in Las Vegas.
