WEST DES MOINES, Iowa -- Major regional convenience retailer Kum & Go LC opened two new stores since mid-July and beefed up its management roster. The first new store opened in Sloan, Iowa, on July 14, and the second opened in Omaha on July 26. The growth is in line with the company's goals to expand and to focus on "larger-format" c-stores.
Last August, Kum & Go embarked on a strategy to divest smaller locations outside its core markets to focus on bigger stores. The average footprint of stores being divested is around 2,000 sq. ft., while stores being built are about 3,500 sq. [image-nocss] ft. in size. The larger stores will typically provide additional convenience offerings for customers, including quick-serve restaurants, Sara Wille, a spokesperson for Kum & Go, told CSP Daily News in May.
“Our company is committed to carefully planned, strategic growth,” Kum & Go president and CEO Kyle J. Krause said last August.
The newest unit, the 3,400-square-foot Omaha store, took only three months to construct. It features 14 fueling stations, offering unleaded, super unleaded, premium, diesel and E85 fuels. Kum & Go has offered E85 since 1997 and currently offers E85 at 28 of its stores located across 12 states.
This is the 11th Kum & Go location in the Omaha area and the 17th store in the state of Nebraska. Kum & Go plans to continue its growth in Nebraska with another store in Papillion, scheduled to open later this year.
The Sloan store, also 3,400-square-feet, includes an attached 1,350 square-foot Subway restaurant. This Kum & Go location features 16 fueling positions, offering unleaded, unleaded plus, premium, diesel and E85 fuels. It ahas five additional fueling positions for heavy trucks and 10 truck parking spaces.
Kum & Go stores feature a selection of food and beverage products, including Java Ridge Premium Coffee, Napa Creek and Sea Ridge wines, Go Fresh Market Sandwiches, Nuclear energy drinks and Nutri2o nutraceutical waters. They also offer potato chips, bottled water, cookies and candy under the Hiland proprietary brand name in its stores.
As part of Kum & Go's commitment to developing environmentally friendly building and operating practices, the new stores integrate heavily insulated glass, LED cooler door lights and energy-efficient coolers into its energy-efficient design.
Meanwhile, the West Des Moines, Iowa-based company has made several new appointments, as well as a promotion. Niki DePhillips has been promoted to vice president of real estate. A certified commercial investment member, he most recently served as the director of real estate.
As vice president of real estate, DePhillips will manage real estate for the company's 430 store locations, oversee site selection and city entitlements for new store locations, analyze existing and potential markets and evaluate new store performance. In addition, DePhillips will manage sale-leaseback transactions and the acquisition of land for future Kum & Go stores.
"Niki will be vital to providing a strategic vision for our real estate department to help meet our goal of becoming an even larger convenience store chain," said Kyle Krause. "Our new store building plans are an integral part of our efforts to become 'bigger, faster and stronger.' I am confident Niki's real estate knowledge and experience will keep us on track to achieve a record number of new store builds in 2008."
DePhillips has been a Kum & Go associate since December 2002, serving in various positions within the company. Prior to re-joining the real estate department, she served as director of recruiting and retention for "Grow People," the company's human resources department. In this role, DePhillips implemented many strategies to help attract and retain high-performing associates.
The retailer also announced that Kristin Jarabek has been hired as a new category manager for financial services. As a category manager, she will work under Kevin Krause, senior vice president of marketing, and will be responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining Kum & Go's product lines for prepaid cards, gift cards and all financial services. She will also direct and perform all aspects of product development, maintenance, promotions, performance and growth.
Jarabek has worked for Best Buy and Federated Department Stores.
And Meggan Kring has joined the company as its new director of communications. She will partner with Kevin Krause and the communications team to create and implement the communications plan in support of the company's strategic objectives. Kring will work daily to communicate internally with the more than 3,600 Kum & Go associates, as well as externally to build the Kum & Go brand.
Kring has been working in the communications field for the past 13 years. Most recently, she was a communications manager for a Virginia firm specializing in government communications. She was responsible for all facets of marketing and communications for Department of Defense clients including strategic planning, media relations, internal communications, events, web content, briefings, and speaking and award opportunities.
Kum & Go has more than 430 convenience stores in 12 states—Iowa, Arkansas, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wyoming and Wisconsin.
Click hereto view a slideshow of Kum & Go locations opened in 2008.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.