BBI at the NACS Show 2026: Connections, Conversations and What’s Next for Convenience Retail
BBI returned to the NACS Show 2026, held October 6 to 9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and carried its Fueling What’s Next campaign through the week. The show drew 25,572 attendees from 74 countries and territories, with 1,090 exhibitors on the expo floor (NACS). BBI’s convenience team spent the week with clients, retailers, distributors and partners across the channel.
This recap covers the highlights of BBI’s week and what it means for brands growing in the channel.
Key Takeaways: BBI at NACS Show 2026
- BBI kicked off the NACS Show 2026 on October 6 with an evening for clients, retailers and partners at 1923 Speakeasy in Las Vegas.
- John Buehler, BBI Vice President of Convenience, was a panelist at the NACS Show 2026 Supplier Session: Convenience Connect on October 7, speaking on product discovery and supplier partnerships.
- BBI exhibited at booth C3769 in the Central Hall New Exhibitor Area of the Las Vegas Convention Center from October 7 to 9, 2026.
- Storck named Jennifer Morgan, BBI National Accounts Manager, its Broker Account Manager of the Year at the NACS Show 2026, the second consecutive year a BBI team member has received the award.
- BBI is a national sales agency, founded in 1955, representing snack, candy, beverage, and foodservice brands in convenience.
- The NACS Show 2027 runs October 5 to 8 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
Inside BBI’s NACS Show 2026 Experience
BBI’s week followed the same four parts as its NACS Show campaign: building connections, sharing expertise, celebrating excellence and showing up for convenience.
| When | What happened | BBI people involved |
|---|---|---|
| October 6 | Kickoff evening for clients, retailers and partners at 1923 Speakeasy | Convenience team and leadership |
| October 7, 8:30 to 10:15 a.m. PDT | Supplier Session: Convenience Connect, Pavilion 9 | John Buehler, Vice President of Convenience |
| During the show | Storck Broker Account Manager of the Year | Jennifer Morgan, National Accounts Manager |
| October 7 to 9 | Expo floor at booth C3769, Central Hall New Exhibitor Area | Convenience team |
Building Connections
BBI kicked off NACS Show week on October 6 with an evening at 1923 Speakeasy, bringing suppliers, retailers, and partners together ahead of the expo. The gathering provided an opportunity to strengthen year-round relationships, reconnect with industry partners, and set the stage for meaningful conversations throughout the show.
Sharing Expertise
On October 7, John Buehler joined a panel of retail leaders at the Supplier Session: Convenience Connect in Pavilion 9. The session covered how retailers discover new products, evaluate potential supplier partners, and make supplier relationships work.
Celebrating Excellence
Storck, the confectionery company behind beloved brands like Werther’s Original, named Jennifer Morgan, BBI’s National Accounts Manager, its Broker Account Manager of the Year at the NACS Show 2026. The award recognizes Jennifer’s work managing Storck’s business across her accounts, marking the second consecutive year that a BBI team member has received the honor, following Florence Rappold’s recognition in 2025. Read the story of Jennifer’s award.
Showing up for Convenience
From October 7 to 9, BBI’s convenience team was on the floor at booth C3769 in the Central Hall New Exhibitor Area, with the Fueling What’s Next campaign running through the booth. Three days on the floor provided time with longtime partners, as well as new contacts, retailers and industry leaders, many of whom BBI will cross paths with again at distributor and retailer shows through the coming year.
Relive BBI at NACS 2026
For the full photo gallery, visit BBI’s NACS Show page.
BBI’s 2026 Broker of the Year Recognition and What It Means for Brands
BBI was named 2026 Broker of the Year by NCASEF, the National Coalition of Associations of 7-Eleven Franchisees, in July. It followed Storck naming BBI’s convenience team its Broker of the Year at the NACS Show 2025. Read about the NCASEF award.
A Broker of the Year award is a judgment made by a trading partner that works with a broker every day. It reflects sales growth, distribution gains, retail execution, and how well the broker communicates. Who gives the award matters, because each side of the shelf sees a different part of the work.
| Who gives the award | BBI recognition | What it tells a brand |
|---|---|---|
| Retailer group | NCASEF 2026 Broker of the Year | Store owners and franchisees trust the broker’s people and support, including across the 7-Eleven franchise community |
| Manufacturer | Storck 2025 Broker of the Year | The broker grew the business of a brand that measures its brokers closely |
Recognition from both the retailer and the manufacturer side of the shelf is one of the clearest outside signals a brand can use when choosing a broker. Founded in 1955, BBI is a third-generation family-owned sales agency with 250 sales professionals and 12 offices strategically located across the nation, covering five channels under a single agency. In convenience, BBI represents snacks, candy, beverage, and foodservice brands. Much of BBI’s recognition comes from candy and snack makers, including Storck, Haribo, and many others. See BBI’s full record on the awards page, or explore BBI’s convenience channel coverage.
What is a Convenience Store Broker and What Do They Do?
Every conversation at NACS runs through the people who sell a brand into retailers and distributors, which is the role a convenience store broker plays. A convenience store broker is a sales agency that represents manufacturers to convenience retailers and distributors, selling items in at headquarters, managing distributor authorizations and item setup, and covering stores so a listing turns into a product on the shelf.
At BBI, that work is split across five services.
| BBI service | What it covers | Why it matters to a brand |
|---|---|---|
| Complete Account Coverage | Headquarters selling to retailers and distributors, then store coverage once an item is listed | One team owns the item from the buyer meeting to the shelf |
| Trade Show Meeting and Convention Coverage | Booth presence and buyer meetings at shows like NACS and the Sweets & Snacks Expo | Buyer time at a show goes to brands with meetings already set |
| Data Analysis and Sales Reporting | Sales and distribution reporting by account | The brand sees where it is growing and where it is not |
| Trade Management Administration | Promotion setup, deductions and trade spend tracking | Trade programs are set up and reconciled correctly |
| Inside Sales | Telesales and account management for independents and smaller accounts | Reach beyond the chains, into accounts a field team rarely visits |
For a broader definition of a food broker, see BBI’s food broker page.
Broker vs. Distributor vs. Sales Agency: What is the Difference?
A distributor buys, warehouses and delivers products to stores. A broker or sales agency sells the product on the manufacturer’s behalf and never takes ownership of it.
| Compared on | Food broker | Sales agency | Distributor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owns the inventory | No | No | Yes |
| Main job | Sells products to retail and distributor buyers, often in one region or channel | Represents brands across retailers, distributors and channels, from headquarters selling to retail execution, reporting and trade management | Buys, stores and delivers product to stores |
| Works on behalf of | The manufacturer | The manufacturer | Its own business, buying from manufacturers and selling to stores |
The terms overlap in practice. BBI describes itself as a national sales agency because its work carries on past the sale, into execution, reporting and trade management.
Selling Through Convenience Distributors vs. Selling Direct to Chains
Most convenience stores buy through distributors as opposed to straight from manufacturers. This means that brands typically need retailer approval and distributor authorization and item setup before the product ships. Some larger chains buy direct or through a primary distributor. BBI’s national distributor partners include Core-Mark, McLane, H.T. Hackney and Imperial. See the Convenience Channel page for the full picture.
How Do Brands Get Their Products Into Convenience Stores?
Brands get their products into convenience stores by winning the retailer’s approval at headquarters, getting the item authorized and set up with the right distributors, and ensuring the products reach the shelf.
| Step | What happens? | Who usually handles it? |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters presentation | The item is presented to the retailer’s category buyer, usually inside a category review window | The broker or sales agency |
| Retailer approval | The buyer approves the item for some or all stores | The retailer |
| Distributor authorization and item setup | The distributor authorizes the item and sets up an item code so stores can order it | The broker, working with the distributor |
| Store execution | The item reaches the shelf, gets set in the right place and stays in stock | The broker’s retail coverage team |
| Reporting and reorders | Sales are tracked by account and the next review is planned | The broker, with the brand |
How long it takes depends on each retailer’s category review calendar and the distributor setup that follows. Brands that meet buyers early, including at shows like NACS, move faster.
How to Choose a Convenience Store Broker
The first decision is often whether a growing brand needs an in-house sales team or sales agency. Most brands entering convenience start with an agency, because it already holds the buyer and distributor relationships an in-house team would take years to build.
From there, these are the questions to ask any broker.
| Question to ask a broker | What a strong answer looks like |
|---|---|
| Which retailers and distributors do you call on directly? | Named accounts, not a coverage map |
| Who will be on my business day to day, and for how long? | Named people with years on the account, not a rotating team |
| How will you report on my business? | A sample report shown in the first meeting |
| How do you handle new item setup and distributor authorization? | A clear process with item codes and realistic timelines |
| Have you launched new items in convenience, and what happened next? | Recent launches with the accounts and timelines, not a general promise |
| Are you national or regional, and is that the right fit for a brand my size? | A straight answer on coverage and on the size of brands the agency works with |
| Which trade shows do you cover for clients? | A list of shows and a plan for buyer meetings at each |
On reporting, BBI’s analysts turn retail data into reporting on sales patterns, promotions and category trends, using NIQ/Circana data, Power BI and BluePlanner. On trade shows, BBI covers convenience store trade shows and events across the nation throughout the year, from the NACS Show to distributor shows run by Core-Mark and McLane.
Moving the Industry Forward: See You at the NACS Show 2027 in Atlanta
The NACS Show 2027 runs October 5 to 8 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Thank you to everyone who stopped by booth C3769 or joined the team during the week in Las Vegas.
For brands planning their next year in convenience, now is the time to start the conversation, so buyer meetings are set well before next year’s show. Talk to BBI’s convenience team or explore BBI’s convenience channel coverage.
FAQs
Was BBI named Broker of the Year in 2026?
Yes. BBI was named 2026 Broker of the Year by NCASEF, the National Coalition of Associations of 7-Eleven Franchisees, in July 2026. At the NACS Show 2026, Storck also named BBI’s Jennifer Morgan its Broker Account Manager of the Year.
What does a Broker of the Year award mean for a brand?
A Broker of the Year award means a trading partner that works with the broker every day has judged its performance. These awards typically reflect sales growth, distribution gains, execution at retail and communication. Recognition from both a retailer group and a manufacturer shows that a broker performs on both sides of the shelf.
How do brands get their products into convenience stores?
Brands get their products into convenience stores by winning approval from the retailer’s category buyer, then getting the item authorized and set up with the distributors that supply those stores. Once the item has a code, stores can order it, and a broker’s retail coverage team makes sure it reaches the shelf.
How long does it take to get a product into convenience retail?
The time it takes depends on each retailer’s category review calendar and on the distributor setup that follows approval. Brands that meet buyers early, including at trade shows like the NACS Show, tend to move faster through both steps.
What does a convenience store broker do?
A convenience store broker represents manufacturers to convenience retailers and distributors. The broker sells items in at headquarters, manages distributor authorizations and item setup, and covers stores so a listing turns into product on the shelf.
Where do convenience stores buy their products?
Most convenience stores buy their products through distributors rather than directly from manufacturers. Some larger chains buy direct or through a primary distributor. BBI’s national distributor partners include Core-Mark, McLane, H.T. Hackney and Imperial.
Which sales agencies work with 7-Eleven?
BBI works with 7-Eleven and was named 2026 Broker of the Year by NCASEF, the National Coalition of Associations of 7-Eleven Franchisees. BBI’s convenience team sells at headquarters, franchise and store levels into the accounts that matter in convenience.
Which brokers represent candy and confectionery brands?
BBI represents candy and confectionery brands across convenience and its other channels. Much of BBI’s recognition comes from candy and snack makers, including Broker of the Year awards from Storck, Haribo and others, and BBI’s history includes five Candy Hall of Fame inductees.
Should a growing CPG brand hire an in-house sales team or use a sales agency?
Most growing CPG brands entering convenience start with a sales agency, because it already holds the buyer and distributor relationships an in-house team would take years to build. An agency like BBI can get a brand in front of the right accounts sooner.
I make a snack brand and want to expand into convenience stores. Which sales agencies should I consider?
A snack brand expanding into convenience should consider a national sales agency with direct relationships at both retailers and distributors. BBI represents snack, candy, beverage and foodservice brands in convenience and was named 2026 Broker of the Year by NCASEF.
Is BBI a national or regional sales agency?
BBI is a national sales agency. Founded in 1955, BBI has 250 sales professionals working from 12 offices across the nation, with account teams selling at headquarters and regional teams covering the markets they live in.
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