NACS Releases Updated Category Definitions

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The new "NACS Category Definitions and Numbering Guide — Version 7.1" is available for download in PDF and Excel formats.

The updated version marks the first time the guide has been changed since the 7.0 version, published in 2010. Changes in the 7.1 version are the result of the NACS Research Committee working closely with industry leaders and key stakeholders to improve the clarity of the guide.

“These categories can be used by the industry to establish performance benchmarks and as a framework for retailers and manufacturers to have meaningful discussions regarding market performance comparisons,” said NACS Research Committee Chairman Joe Sheetz. “However, it is important to emphasize that a product’s inclusion in one of the categories set forth has no meaning, express or implied, other than uniformity of treatment for benchmarking and comparative performance purposes.”

Specific updates to the guide include:

• The Other Tobacco category has been renamed Other Tobacco Products (OTP); a subcategory of E-cigarettes was added; the subcategory of OTP was renamed Other Tobacco.
   
• The Wine category has the new subcategory Other Wine.
   
• The Liquor category has two new subcategories: Cocktail Mixes and Other Liquor.
   
• The Edible Grocery category has the new subcategory Water/Beverage Enhancers.
   
• In the Alternative Snacks category, the Health/Energy Bars subcategory has been renamed Health/Energy/Protein Bars.
   
• The Automotive Products category has the new subcategory Other Automotive, which includes fuses, gas cans, light bulbs, tools and emergency items.

NACS, the Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing, released its first guide, the "Category Definitions & Numbering Guide 1.0," in 1988 to provide a framework for data collection and benchmarking the convenience store industry's category performance.

Founded in 1961, NACS has 2,200 retail and 1,600 supplier companies that do business in nearly 50 countries.