Alimentation Couche-Tard*

With roots north of the border in Canada, Alimentation Couche-Tard is the largest convenience-store operator in that country and has a considerable presence in the United States and, increasingly, around the world. Its North American network, Circle K stores, consists of 15 business units, including 11 in the United States covering 41 states and the District of Columbia, and four in Canada covering all provinces (under the Mac’s and Couche-Tard flags). The publicly traded company also has a franchise division that oversees international units.

In 2016, the chain announced it would buy CST Brands Inc., and also is acquiring Cracker Barrel stores in Louisiana. All will be rebranded Circle K over time. In fact, the company began a global rebranding in early 2016 with a new, global convenience brand, “Circle K,” and a new logo. The new brand icon replaced Couche-Tard’s existing Circle K, Statoil, Mac’s and Kangaroo Express branding on stores and service stations across the United States, Canada, Scandinavia and Central and Eastern Europe.

Circle K stores offer a wide variety of branded, proprietary and private-label items as well as a recently revamped coffee program and its well-known Polar Pop fountain brand.

Source: Convenience Digital Resource Library, Technomic

*Alimentation Couche-Tard store count includes acquisition of CST Brands Inc. and American General Investments (Cracker Barrel stores). The pending acquisition was deemed by CSP as notable enough to include in the 202 counts. Any other pending acquisitions throughout the 202 are not accounted for.