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In this edition

Insight has another action-packed edition of Global Convenience Store Focus this month with an exclusive look at some of the latest retail formats and insight into established and developing convenience store markets plus new plans and concepts.

Retail Vision lifts the lid on Maxol, Ireland’s leading family-owned oil company, and its convenience partnerships with Spar and Mace in Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland respectively.

It will whet the appetite for delegates to Insight’s FOC event - Maxol will feature on the Dublin store tour and at the London conference.

Convenience is increasingly international and Marks & Spencer hopes to provide a point of difference in the Dutch market with the launch of six pilot M&S Simply Food at BP forecourt stores in the Netherlands; beginning in September. Spar UK, meanwhile, is teaming up with Harvest Energy to launch a Spar-branded forecourt concept, designed to help convenience retailers stand up to the multiples and compete against the oil companies.

Ev Kunath from Nielsen explores the convenience market in Bulgaria and highlights some innovative retail opportunities from her home market in Germany; while Noel Dunne focuses on a key convenience opportunity - all-day food solutions.

Elsewhere, we reveal how Wal-Mart is targeting the student dollar with a new university campus-based store - it’s a segment all c-store operators should watch.

Last, but by no means least, we can reveal the Insight NACS 2013 International Convenience Retailer of the Year Award has attracted a record number of entries from a wide range of international markets.

We highlight the contenders in this edition and will be profiling all those competing for the Award next month.

On your marks...

Fiona Briggs, editor, Global C-Store Focus