DALLAS -- When 7-Eleven franchise owner Tony Ngyuen peers out the doors of his Dallas store to point out the competition, he's not looking at either of the two other convenience stores located within a couple miles. Instead, his eyes are focused on a nearby Subway. "Subway is my big challenge," Ngyuen told QSR magazine. "If a customer comes in with a bag from there, I tell them, 'You can buy that same meal here. And if you do buy a sandwich here the next time, I'll give you a free Big Gulp'."

[Editor's Note: This is the last in a three-part series of stories featuring the strengths and strategies of CSP's 2008 Retail Leader of the Year, W.A. "Bill" Krause.] WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- While Kum & Go LC co-founder, W.A. "Bill" Krause, may have had a magic touch when it came to business opportunities, his son and successor, Kyle Krause, likes to take a more scientific approach. "He operated much more entrepreneurial, much more intuitive, than maybe how I operate," Kyle Krause, president and CEO, told CSP Daily News. "He loved numbers, loved information, but would operate more almost from a touch and intuitive standpoint. Today, as our organization grows, we tend to be more data-driven, more measurement-driven."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Several Columbus, Ohio, gas stations ran out of fuel over the weekend as customers lined up to take advantage when prices dropped below $2 per gallon, and temporary shortages resulted, reported The Columbus Dispatch. Prices below $2 continued to crop up around the nation.