The short life of CST Brands actually began decades ago, against the backdrop of a tumultuous c-store history in Texas and throughout the South. While this timeline starts in the 1980s, pieces of the CST network trace back to oil and gas-station empires of the 1920s. Since that time, notable events include high-profile bankruptcies, oil-company motives and Circle K’s retrench and return to the Lone Star State, all illustrating the fluid and fragile nature of market dominance ...
1982: National Convenience Stores (NCS) goes public with more than 800 stores, becomes a consolidator.
1983: A merger creates refiner-marketer Diamond Shamrock with 600 service stations.
1990: Circle K and 7-Eleven both file for bankruptcy; 7-Eleven emerges in 1991, Circle K in 1993; NCS pares down, sells off stores in select markets to Mapco, Diamond Shamrock and BP.
1991: NCS files for bankruptcy, emerges in 1993.
1995: Diamond Shamrock buys NCS’ stores.
1996: Diamond Shamrock and Ultramar merge; Tosco acquires Circle K.
2000: Valero buys ExxonMobil refinery near San Francisco and its 270 retail sites.
2001: Valero acquires Ultramar Diamond Shamrock; Phillips Petroleum acquires Tosco and Circle K.
2002: Merger creates ConocoPhillips.
2003: Alimentation Couche-Tard buys ConocoPhillips and Circle K.
2006: Susser creates Stripes brand, converts its Circle K stores in Texas and southern markets, also switches fuel brands from CITGO to Valero.
2013: Valero spins off retail stores, creating CST Brands.
2014: CST Brands buys MLP status in partnership with Lehigh; CST/CrossAmerica buys Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes and Erickson Oil (Freedom Valu stores).
2015: CST Brands buys Flash Foods, initiates expanded foodservice at larger San Antonio stores; Couche-Tard announces global brand in Circle K. Couche-Tard initiates talks to purchase CST Brands. Click here for a timeline of the deal.
2016: CST Brands sells its California, Wyoming sites—Valero’s first stores; CrossAmerica buys 31 franchised Holiday Stationstores; Couche-Tard buys CST Brands/CrossAmerica.
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