C-store Retailers Move Into New Markets

Kum & Go, Buc-ee’s, Kwik Trip, Alta Convenience and 7-Eleven are among the operators expanding their footprints

GROWTH IS A COMMON GOAL among convenience store retailers. For some, it may come through merger-and-acquisition moves; for others, it may come through new-to-industry builds. Recently, for several c-store chains, it’s come through market expansions.

Des Moines, Iowa-based Kum & Go LC will enter the Utah market with multiple convenience stores set to open in the Salt Lake City area in 2022, marking the chain’s first entrance into a new state in more than a decade. The retailer plans to open 30-plus stores in Utah over the next five years. The first five are under contract and will be newly constructed buildings.

Lake Jackson, Texas-based Buc-ee’s is also adding a new state to its footprint — part of an expansion strategy that is bringing the brand outside of its Texas roots. Following moves into Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina, the retailer is bringing its popular travel-center format next to Crossville, Tenn.

Kwik Trip Inc. has announced plans to plant its banner in a new market as well. The La Crosse, Wis.-based chain is on track to begin construction on its first Michigan store in May 2022.

For Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven Inc., foodservice expansion is on the docket. The retailer is bringing its Laredo Taco Co. brand north of the Texas border for the first time. The first Laredo Taco Co. restaurant in Colorado will open in Platteville, with more than 10 additional locations planned for the Centennial State this year.

“We have started opening Laredo Taco Co. locations in areas outside of our home in south Texas where we know there are serious taco fans. And Colorado was one of our top contenders for expansion,” said Brad Williams, 7-Eleven’s senior vice president of corporate operations and restaurant platforms. “As soon as the word gets out about handmade tortillas and fresh-made salsas, our restaurants start drawing crowds with lines out the door. I can tell you though, one bite and you’ll know it is definitely worth the wait.”

While those expansion moves will come in the form of new builds, Denver-based Alta Convenience is expanding its footprint with the acquisition of Red Horse Oil’s Get ‘N Go Stores. Rock Springs, Wyo.-based Red Horse is a fuel distributor and operator of five convenience stores, car washes and cardlocks.