SAN ANTONIO -- QuikTrip Corp. has purchased nearly 100 acres of property ahead of its expansion into the San Antonio and Austin, Texas, markets. The convenience-store retailer has acquired 18 lots worth a total of at least $10 million in the San Antonio area, according to a report by the San Antonio Express-News, citing Bexar County property records.
Tulsa, Okla.-based QuikTrip, with approximately 750 c-stores in 11 states, isn’t new to Texas. It has been serving Texas customers in the Dallas-Fort Worth market since 1999. The company announced last June that it would move into San Antonio and Austin, with plans to open more than 100 new c-stores.
It will open 60 stores in San Antonio and 40 in Austin, with a few in between, Kevin Thornton, vice president of operations for QuikTrip, told the Express-News. The first San Antonio store will open in October, he said.
- QuikTrip is No. 11 in CSP’s2017 Top 202 ranking of c-store chains by number of company-operated retail outlets.
“We’ve heard from a number of enthusiastic QT fans in San Antonio and Austin familiar with us from their travels, urging us to expand there,” said QuikTrip CEO Chet Cadieux in announcing the expansion. “Both San Antonio and Austin are really hot markets right now, and we cannot wait to join the exciting landscape in those two great communities.”
QuikTrip operates more than 130 c-stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Moving further south gives the retailer an opportunity to promote individuals who will transfer to the new markets, and then promote other individuals to fill positions left open in current markets, said Mike Thornbrugh, spokesperson for QuikTrip, to CSP in September.
San Antonio and Austin were appealing because they are two of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, he said.
QuikTrip was also attracted to the San Antonio and Austin regions because of their proximity to the Dallas-Fort Worth stores. “Even though they’re different communities, we have a pretty good idea of what we think will be successful and how receptive those communities will be to QuikTrip,” Thornbrugh said.
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