AKRON, Ohio -- Circle K is growing with the acquisition of 26 convenience stores in three states from Chico Enterprises Inc. to add to the 22 locations that it operates from Erie, Pa., to Washington, Bill Bartolomeo, vice president for Circle K's Akron, Ohio-based Great Lakes Division, told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Morgantown, W.Va.-based Chico Enterprises operated five All Star Express and 27 Dairy Mart Food stores in West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to CSPedia. The company continues to operate Chico's Bakery, which offers a proprietary hot pepperoni roll. It also operates August Environmental Services, an environmental consulting and planning company; CoCo IT Services, a server and network-management company; Squid Ink Graphics, a design company that offers posters and signage; and A2Z Construction Management.
The recently acquired North Fayette store sold for just less than $1.5 million, while the Fayette County store sold for $1.71 million, said the report. The North Fayette store operated under the All Star Express name. Bartolomeo would not give the locations of the others or discuss plans for the stores or other possible sites, the report said.
Laval, Quebec-based parent company Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.'s retail network is comprised of 5,795 convenience stores, 4,128 of which include motor fuel dispensing, operated by 13 business units, including nine in the United States covering 43 states and the District of Columbia (primarily under the Circle K banner), and four in Canada covering all 10 provinces (mainly under the Couche-Tard and Mac's banners).
In 2005, the report said, a dozen Dairy Mart stores in the area were converted to the Circle K name as Couche-Tard, which had acquired Ohio-based Dairy Mart three years ago, moved to create one national brand.
As for regional competition, there are 73 GetGos in western Pennsylvania, Dick Roberts, a Giant Eagle spokesperson who declined to comment Circle K's acquisition, told the newspaper. Other convenience store chains in the region include 50 Sunoco A Plus stores, spokesperson Joe McGinn told the Tribune-Review. Handee Mart operates 21 7-11 stores, according to its website, while Sheetz list 68 stores, from Erie to New Stanton and east into Indiana County.
The largest competitor is CoGo's, headquartered in Carrick, which operates more than 78 stores in Western Pennsylvania, the report said.
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.