The NACS Show Chicago 2025 was nothing short of amazing. Four days packed with innovation, technology, new products, inspiring talks, and powerful connections with the biggest retail brands in the world. Everywhere you looked, there was something to learn, from the newest trends in convenience stores to game changing ideas in foodservice and travel centers. But in the middle of all that energy, one question kept echoing: what was missing at NACS? The answer came fast and clear. What was missing was you, the Brazilian retailer.
If you were there, you saw what it really means to live and breathe retail. The show made one thing obvious, the convenience and fuel business is no longer just about selling fuel. It is about creating experiences, building communities, and understanding how people live, move, and consume. Every booth had a story, every brand had a message, and every conversation reinforced the same truth, the future of retail belongs to those who understand both people and technology.
The RJ Road Trip group hit the road before the NACS Show even began. We visited big name networks like Love’s, QuikTrip, Flying J, and Buc-ee’s, plus grocery stores, pharmacies, and neighborhood markets. Each stop was a masterclass in simplicity and efficiency. We saw how the American model of convenience focuses on time, comfort, and emotional connection, not just the transaction.
Then came the highlight, the NACS Show itself. The RJ group was welcomed by the Monster Energy Latin America team for an exclusive meeting inside their massive booth. What we saw and heard there showed exactly how powerful this category has become for the convenience channel. Monster’s team shared the vision behind their success, how the energy drink has evolved from a product into a lifestyle. It is not just about caffeine anymore. It is about connecting with younger generations through attitude, design, and authenticity.
The Monster presentation was full of insights. They showed how layout, freezer temperature, and visibility impact sales. Every inch of the store matters. The product needs to be cold, easy to grab, and screaming for attention. The message was clear, in today’s competitive world, owning the space inside your store is the first step to owning your results.
We can’t forget the incredible immersion we had at Gilbarco Veeder Root’s global headquarters. We were welcomed by Bruno Rosas, President of GVR and Invenco Latin America, for a deep dive into the company’s history, technology, and innovation. It was an extraordinary visit, a journey through the evolution of fuel dispensers and the powerful ecosystem of tools that Gilbarco makes available to the fuel retail market. This visit opened new international doors for the Blog do Errejota and showed how global innovation can drive local transformation.
NACS 2025 also proved how convenience stores have turned into real experience centers. In the United States, customers don’t just stop to buy something quick, they expect to enjoy that stop. Stores are brighter, cleaner, faster, and smarter. Technology blends into the background, and operations flow like clockwork. Everything is designed to make the consumer’s journey smooth, simple, and enjoyable.
For anyone running a business in Brazil, being at NACS is more than just a trip, it is an education. It is where you see how the global consumer behaves and how the American market turns that behavior into strategy, design, and service. You can literally walk through the future of retail, aisle by aisle, and see what is coming before it even reaches your country.
That is what the RJ Road Trip was all about, opening minds, building bridges, and bringing the future closer to the people who make retail happen every day. Every visit brought a new idea. Every conversation sparked a new possibility. Every mile on the road proved that the energy of retail doesn’t come from products, but from people.
So, what was missing at NACS? You were. Your curiosity, your questions, your perspective. The insights we gathered were incredible, but imagine what they would mean if more Brazilian retailers were there to see, feel, and learn firsthand.
Here’s the deal, the next NACS Show will be in Las Vegas in 2026, and the RJ group will be back, bigger and better. This is your chance to be part of it. Because what was missing in Chicago doesn’t have to be missing again. The next chapter of your business might just start on the road to Las Vegas.
