America’s first convenience store dates back to 1927, and the industry has certainly grown a lot since then. As convenience stores became more popular, certain companies began to develop regional and national chains. According to Statista, 66% of America’s convenience stores are independent, 22% are part of a large chain (more than 500 stores), and 12% are part of small or midsize chains. Below are some of the largest chains in America:

  • 7-Eleven – 9419 stores
  • Alimentation Couche-Tard (Circle K) – 6924 stores
  • Marathon – 6020 stores
  • Shell Oil – 4159 stores
  • Chevron – 3801 stores

CURRENT AND UPCOMING C-STORE EXPANSIONS

Let’s take a look at the current and upcoming expansions of some of America’s most popular convenience store chains:

  • In May 2021, 7-11 completed its acquisition of Speedway, gaining 3800 stores, which raised some red flags for the Federal Trade Commission. 7-11 was already a massive chain before this acquisition, and the FTC considered this acquisition to be a violation of federal antitrust laws. In response, 7-11 agreed to sell 293 stores to three different companies.
  • Casey’s General Stores, the 8th largest c-store chain in America, has announced that they are planning on adding 345 more stores in the next three years.
  • Kwik Trip, a Midwestern chain of c-stores, is planning on building their first store in Michigan in May 2022. They currently have stores in Wisconsin, Iowa (Kwik Star), and Minnesota.
  • While the average square footage of a convenience store is around 3200 square feet, Buc-ee’s, a Texas-based chain with about forty stores currently, has a plan to build the largest c-store in America. Their store in New Braunfels, TX already has that claim to fame at 66,000 square feet, but their new store in Sevierville, TN is planned to be 74,000 square feet, with 120 spots for fueling.

LESSONS FROM THE LEADERS

The convenience store industry continues to boom. So what can independent convenience store owners and operators learn from the big chains? Here are a few things many of the world’s largest chains have in common:

  • Clean Matters: From the bathrooms to the parking lot, people appreciate well-kept convenience stores.
  • Consider Safety: Your customers need to feel safe and secure shopping in your store. Consider improved lighting and security cameras to let customers know you prioritize their safety.
  • Save Customers a Stop: They’re called “convenience” stores for a reason. Consider what additional products you could be offering to increase the value of your customers and save them a stop at another store on their way to work or home.

Resources:

7-Eleven Corporate, “7-Eleven, Inc. Announces Agreements to Sell 293 Speedway and 7-Eleven Stores,” https://corp.7-eleven.com/corp-press-releases/7-eleven-inc-announces-agreements-to-sell-293-speedway-and-7-eleven-stores.

Convenience Store News, “Kwik Trip Plans to Enter Another Midwest State Next Year,” https://csnews.com/kwik-trip-plans-enter-another-midwest-state-next-year.

Convenience Store News, “The Top 100 Convenience Store Chains of 2020,” https://csnews.com/top-100-convenience-store-chains-2020.

Federal Trade Commission, “FTC Orders the Divestiture of Hundreds of Retail Stores Following 7-Eleven, Inc.’s Anticompetitive $21 Billion Acquisition of the Speedway Retail Fuel Chain,” https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2021/06/ftc-orders-divestiture-hundreds-retail-stores-following-7-eleven-incs-anticompetitive-21-billion.

Oil Express, Vol. XLIV, Issue No. 24, “Casey’s General Stores to add 345 stores in 3 years.”

Oil Express, Vol. XLIV, Issue No. 26, “From the States: More states to allow retailers to sell E15 blend.”

Statista, “Average area of convenience stores in the United States in 2019,” https://www.statista.com/statistics/1016023/convenience-store-square-footage-us/.

Statista, “Distribution of convenience stores in the United States in 2020, by chain size,” https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228666/share-convenience-stores-united-states-by-chain-size/.

Supermarket News, “7-Eleven completes Speedway acquisition of 3,800 convenience stores,” https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/7-eleven-completes-speedway-acquisition-3800-convenience-stores.