Linda Lisanti

CHICAGO — Five convenience retail executives have been selected as finalists for the first-ever Top Women in Convenience (TWIC) Allyship Award, Convenience Store News announced today. Now in its 13th year, TWIC is the industry's first and still only awards program that recognizes the integral role women play in convenience retailing and honors female leaders who are making outstanding contributions to their companies and the convenience store industry at large.

Editor's Note For years, people have mocked convenience store food. I can't tell you how many times I've told someone I work at Convenience Store News and they've proceeded to joke about the shriveled-up hot dog on the roller grill that's been there since the Reagan Administration. So, imagine my surprise when I discovered a country where convenience store hot dogs are not only respected, but revered. My fiancé Ryan and I recently returned from an eight-day road trip around Iceland.

CHICAGO — The second-annual Outstanding Independents Awards Ceremony, presented in partnership with WAM, honored 30 of the U.S. convenience store industry's best single-store owners and small chains. This awards program celebrates the tenacity and perseverance of independent retailers and shines a light on small operators that are making a big impact in the industry despite their smaller size and more limited resources.