Top 40 Convenience-Store Chains Ranked: A 2025 Update

The ongoing cat-and-mouse game for c-store supremacy between Circle K and 7-Eleven dominated the mergers-and-acquisitions (M&A) landscape for the better half of 2024, casting a long shadow over what was still an impressive year of retail shuffling within the convenience channel.

In another plot twist, Joe DePinto, longtime CEO of 7-Eleven Inc., Irving, Texas, willingly resigned from the board of Tokyo-based Seven & i effective March 9, the company said, a position he originally took on in 2015. 

The $47.2 Billion Takeover Battle: Circle K vs 7-Eleven

While the nation’s No. 1 and No. 2 chains were locked in a “friendly” takeover battle potentially worth $47.2 billion, prominent brands like GetGo, Delek, CEFCO and Enmarket became retail adjuncts after selling to former rivals in 2024. These deals led to numerous shifts in CSP’s annual Top 202 ranking of convenience-retail chains based on store count.

“My overriding impression about last year is that there’s no geographic limits,” said Dennis Ruben, executive managing director, NRC Realty & Capital Advisors LLC, Chicago. “Five years ago, most buyers focused on their own state or region. The deals we’ve been seeing today have a nationwide outreach.”

• See the 2024 Top 40 ranking here.

The saga of Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard taking a run at Tokyo-based Seven & i began last August, with a “friendly” takeover bid from the parent of the Circle K chain. The move sparked a management crisis at Seven & i, prompting a series of internal maneuvers designed to keep the largest U.S. c-store retailer in control of its future. At press time in late March, Seven & i abandoned its own buyout attempt and promised management changes that would unlock greater shareholder value.

On the Circle K side, officials announced a plan to divest itself of a significant number of U.S. stores to gain future regulatory approval of the deal.

“We’re not surprised that Couche-Tard made a play,” said Roger Woodman, managing director at Raymond James, Atlanta. “They’ve always been an acquisitive, growth-minded company. It’s been their approach from the beginning that scale has its advantage.”

Geographic Expansion: M&A Goes Nationwide

Woodman believes Circle K would have to make significant divestitures in the United States for antitrust regulators to approve the merger, but “Couche-Tard would not be making the offer if it didn’t have a strategy for the U.S.,” he said.

If any deal were to go through, that future No. 1 ranked U.S. c-store chain would have as many stores as the remaining top 15-ranked U.S. operators combined.

• Click here to read Alimentation Couche-Tard’s bid for 7-Eleven, a roundup of coverage on the takeover attempt.

What's Next: Regulatory Hurdles and Future Market Consolidation

Whatever the future holds, 2024 turned out to be a time for considerable change. Two retailers doubled in size—Nouria Energy Corp., Worcester, Massachusetts, and H&S Energy Group, Orange, California—allowing them entry into CSP’s Top 40 ranking, while the three top-ranked U.S. chains kept stirring things up. 7-Eleven bought more than 200 stores from Sunoco LP, Dallas, and Cal’s Convenience, Frisco, Texas; Couche-Tard purchased 270 GetGo stores from Giant Eagle, Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania; and Casey’s General Stores, Ankeny, Iowa, acquired Temple, Texas-based Fikes Wholesale, which owned CEFCO Convenience Stores, a chain of 198 locations.

Other significant deals of 2024 included Houston-based BreakTime Corner Markets purchasing 62 locations in two separate deals, as well as Monterrey, Mexico-based Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. (FEMSA) purchasing 249 stores from Brentwood, Tennessee-based Delek US.

The 2025 Top 202 list ranks store counts as of Jan. 1, 2025. Here’s a preview of that 2025 list with the debut of CSP’s 2025 Top 40. Look for the full Top 202 list in June. 

Chains: 7-Eleven, Speedway, Stripes

No. of Stores: 12,600

2025 Ranking: 1

Ranking the Previous Year: 1

Headquarters: Irving, Texas

In a move to maintain control of its own destiny, Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd., the parent of the 7-Eleven convenience chain, announced a series of “transformational” leadership, capital and business initiatives in March of 2025 to sharpen its focus on convenience-stores and unlock value for its shareholders.

The new strategic focus comes amid takeover bids from Canadian rival Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. and Seven & i’s subsequent management buyout that would ultimately fall apart. 

The company’s new initiatives include a North American initial public offering (IPO) for 7-Eleven and a large, potential divestiture package that could be sold to a “viable, credible and independent buyer.” In addition, the company will continue to pursue its convenience-store business performance acceleration plan and execute new disciplined mergers-and-acquisitions activity, Seven & i officials said.

Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven Inc. itself had a strong year for acquisitions in 2024, having completed its purchase of 204 convenience stores from Dallas-based Sunoco LP. Those locations included Stripes c-stores and Laredo Taco Company restaurants, which Sunoco received approximately $1 billion and ran under a fiscal agent named Cal’s Convenience, Frisco, Texas.

Other changes that Seven & i initiated included a new leadership structure to accelerate the execution of strategic priorities, the company said. Stephen Hayes Dacus, currently chairman of the board and lead independent outside director, will succeed Ryuichi Isaka as president, representative director and CEO. Dacus has been a member of the board since May 2022 and was appointed chairman and lead independent outside director in April 2024. During his tenure, Ducas had an integral role in overseeing the company’s value creation strategy, as chairman of its strategy committee. That committee has been evaluating acquisition bids and management buyout offers.

The company will also pursue an initial public offering (IPO) of 7-Eleven Inc., its convenience store business in North America, by the second half of 2026 on one of the major U.S. stock exchanges.

7-Eleven is among the world’s largest and most widely recognized retailers, both inside and outside the convenience-store channel. The chain includes approximately 9,500 stores operating under the 7-Eleven banner, around 3,800 under the Speedway banner and about 500 under the Stripes flag.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: Circle K, GetGo, Holiday Stationstores

No. of Stores: 7,107

2025 Ranking: 2

Ranking the Previous Year: 2

Headquarters: Laval, Quebec

Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. shook up 2024 with a takeover play against the largest c-store chain in the United States, 7-Eleven Inc., Irving, Texas. The parent company of the No. 2 Circle K chain started its move in August of 2024 with an initial bid of $39 billion. After pushback from Seven & i Holdings Co. Ltd., the Tokyo-based parent of the U.S. chain, Couche-Tard submitted a new bid of $47.2 billion.

At press time in mid-March, top executives at Couche-Tard were scheduled to meet with officials at Seven & i in Japan. “We have identified a potential divestiture portfolio of U.S. stores,” Couche-Tard said in a statement to CSP Daily News. “In collaboration with Seven & i, and to provide further assurance, Couche-Tard is having exploratory discussions with third parties to identify potential acquirers.”

Couche-Tard said they believe there is a clear path to obtaining regulatory approvals for a transaction with Seven & i, and that it has made a “robust proposal” to Seven & i about its commitment to doing so.

Couche-Tard has a successful track record of 75 acquisitions since 2004, it said, which have included working with U.S. and other regulators.

In addition to the 7-Eleven play, 2024 was an active year for Couche-Tard. It purchased 270 GetGo stores from the Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle supermarket chain for $1.6 billion. The stores are located throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana. In the deal, Couche-Tard builds on GetGo’s foodservice expertise, part of a strategy that had guided Couche-Tard for several years, observers say.

In terms of its previous U.S. acquisition activity, Couche-Tard purchased 112 MAPCO Express sites from Compañía de Petróleos de Chile S.A. (COPEC), Santiago, Chile. The transaction included a network of modern sites predominantly in Tennessee and Alabama, but also in Kentucky and Georgia. All 112 sites are company-operated and most of the real estate is owned. The transaction also included surplus property and a logistics fleet. Also in 2023, Couche-Tard finalized the acquisition of Big Red Stores from Summerwood Partners LLC, Bryant, Arkansas, rebranding the 44 Arkansas convenience stores to Circle K. 

Among its portfolio of programs, Circle K launched a national, U.S. advertising campaign called, “Fueled by Circle K,” focusing on the brand’s fuel and its availability in more than half of its locations. Meanwhile, Couche-Tard has deployed electric-vehicle fast chargers in the United States. 

Alimentation Couche-Tard is a global leader in convenience and fuel retail, operating in 29 countries and territories, with more than 16,700 stores, of which almost 13,100 offer road transportation fuel. With its well-known Couche-Tard and Circle K banners, it is one of the largest independent convenience store operators in the United States and a leader in the convenience-store industry and road transportation fuel retail in Canada, Scandinavia, the Baltics, as well as in Ireland. It also has an important presence in Poland and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of People’s Republic of China and has expanded to Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. More than 150,000 people are employed throughout its network.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: Casey’s General Stores, CEFCO, goodstop

No. of Stores: 2,890

2025 Ranking: 3

Ranking the Previous Year: 3

Headquarters: Ankeny, Iowa

Known as much for hand-made pizza as its rural roots, Casey’s General Stores had a big year in 2024 with the purchase of Temple, Texas-based Fikes Wholesale, the owners of CEFCO Convenience Stores, a chain of 198 locations in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and Texas. The deal cost a reported $1.145 billion and strengthened the chain’s presence in the Lone Star state by 148 stores. Now in 20 states, the Casey’s network increased by 7% when the deal closed in November.

Historically preferring new-builds in small towns and neighboring regions, the Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey’s has transformed into an active, national acquirer, purchasing 63 locations from Westborough, Massachusetts-based EG America in 2023 and 94 stores from Omaha, Nebraska-based Buchanan Energy in 2021.

Darren Rebelez, who became the Casey’s CEO in 2019 and was named CSP’s Retail Leader of the Year in 2024, vowed to “contemporize” the venerable chain. In 2020, Casey’s updated its logo for the first time in 50 years and launched a new loyalty program. Casey’s Rewards enrollment surpassed 8.5 million members in 2024. In 2023, Casey’s introduced its own retail media network (RMN), called Casey’s Access, an end-to-end retail media business bringing together convenience customer data and Casey’s pizza offering. The chain is the nation’s fifth largest seller of pizza, most recently announcing a limited-time Italian Deli Pizza offer in January.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: Murphy, Murphy Express, QuickChek

No. of Stores: 1,757

2025 Ranking: 4

Ranking the Previous Year: 4

Headquarters: El Dorado, Arkansas

Murphy USA Inc. markets retail motor fuel products and convenience merchandise through a network of 1,757 retail stores located in 27 states. In 2024, the company opened 32 new stores and razed and rebuilt 47, according to its fourth-quarter report.

Since its 2021 acquisition of QuickChek Corp., Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, and its 157 stores, the company has continued to build QuickChek convenience stores and complete raze-and-rebuilds of Murphy USA stores. The rebuilds replace high-performing kiosk stores with larger 1,400-square-foot stores that feature a broader assortment of higher-margin merchandise and better grab-and-go food items.

Most of the El Dorado, Arkansas-based company’s existing and new-to-industry retail gas stores operate under the brand names of Murphy USA and Murphy Express. Murphy USA stations are typically near Walmart big-box retail facilities, while Murphy Express stores are standalone gas stations and c-stores. Murphy USA stations tend to be smaller, kiosk-format stores, while Murphy Express stations are larger, traditional convenience-store formats.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: ampm, Thorntons, TravelCenters of America

No. of Stores: 1,566

2025 Ranking: 5

Ranking from Previous Year: 7

Headquarters: Chicago

bp America Inc. had a relatively quiet year in 2024 compared to 2023, when it completed a $1.3 billion acquisition of TravelCenters of America Inc., Westlake, Ohio. That acquisition “marked a milestone for the U.S. in the growth of bp’s strategic convenience and mobility business,” according to bp officials. The transaction gave bp 280 travel centers, located on major highways across United States, almost doubling bp’s global convenience gross margin and adding an estimated $800 million in earnings by 2025. The Chicago-based company owns convenience-store brands ampm, based in La Palma, California, and Thorntons, Louisville, Kentucky, which it acquired in August 2021.

The ampm brand expanded to the East Coast in August 2022 with a store opening in New York City. The brand’s key focus is foodservice, with a program that emphasizes coffee, bakery, fresh sandwiches and hot prepared foods. A large fountain program offers up to 24 varieties of soda and proprietary drinks. Stores have an open floor plan, with some featuring open-air refrigerated cases carrying a selection of fresh sandwiches, fruit and yogurt.

Since it acquired Thorntons in 2021, bp has been integrating the chain into its business. The legacy the Thorntons family established was one of the reasons why the chain was attractive to bp, and the minimal number of changes made to the stores in the last few years was by design, officials said.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: Cumberland Farms, Certified Oil, EG America, Fastrac, Kwik Shop, Loaf N’Jug, Minit Mart, Quik Stop, Sprint, Tom Thumb, Turkey Hill

No. of Stores: 1,464

2025 Ranking: 6

Ranking the Previous Year: 5

Headquarters: Westborough, Massachusetts

EG America LLC, an established growth-by-acquisition platform, did more shedding than gathering in 2024, with a couple of notable selloffs in 2024. Both went to Houston-based Breaktime Corner Market, which purchased 23 Loaf N’ Jug stores in June and then 39 Minit Mart locations in December.

The chain’s parent company, Blackburn, U.K.-based EG Group, was founded in 2001 by Mohsin and Zuber Issa. The brothers grew the business into a leading independent convenience retailer, which has established partnerships with global brands, as well as a focused portfolio of proprietary brands. EG Group currently employs more than 50,000 colleagues working in over 6,600 sites across Australia, Europe, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The business is regularly recognized for innovation and investment in convenience-retail assets, employees and systems.

In June, EG Group decided to sell its more than 550-unit U.K. c-store and gas station business to co-founder Zuber Issa for $290.117 million. With that transaction, Zuber Issa stepped down as co-CEO of EG Group, with his brother continuing to lead the business as sole CEO.  

EG America began with an initial acquisition in the United States of Cincinnati, Ohio-based Kroger Co.’s 762 convenience stores in April 2018. That same year, EG Group acquired Westlake, Ohio-based TravelCenters of America’s 225 standalone Minit Mart c-stores. Then in 2019, EG Group acquired 54 locations for East Syracuse, New York-based Fastrac; 69 locations from Columbus, Ohio-based Certified Oil; and 566 locations from Westborough, Massachusetts-based Cumberland Farms.

In 2022, EG Group began rebranding its Tom Thumb locations to the Cumberland Farms brand. The $50 million project spanned two years and included 113 Tom Thumb locations and new locations across Florida and Alabama. In 2023, EG America sold 63 stores to Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey’s General Stores Inc. The sites were located in Kentucky and Tennessee and operated under the Minit Mart and Certified Oil banners.   

EG Group was founded as Euro Garages in 2001, when it acquired a single gas station near Manchester, U.K. Euro Garages acquired sites over the next decade until it was merged with European Forecourt Retail Group, with more than 1,100 sites split between Belgium and France, in 2014. The combined companies became EG Group.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

GPM Investments LLC

Chains: Admiral, Apple Market, Breadbox, Cigarette City, E-Z Mart, Fas Mart, Jiffi Stop, Li’L Cricket, Next Door, Roadrunner Markets, Scotchman, Shore Stop, Town Star, Village Pantry, Young’s and more

No. of Stores: 1,389

2025 Ranking: 7

Ranking the Previous Year: 6

Headquarters: Richmond, Virginia

In 2024, Richmond, Virginia-based GPM Investments reportedly took steps to sell its network of convenience stores, which by Jan. 1, 2025, numbered 1,389. At the same time, the company renewed its agreement with Blue Owl Real Estate Fund for Blue Owl to make $1.5 billion available for convenience-store acquisitions.

When CSP contacted GPM regarding its potential sale, officials said they would not respond to rumors.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Arko Corp., the company has a “family of community brands” comprised of more than 25 regional store brands.

GPM Investments lay relatively dormant in 2024, with the purchase of 21 Speedy Q stores headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, in April. But the chain has a history of growth through acquisition. In 2023, the company closed a $370 million deal for Transit Energy Group, West Memphis, Arkansas, and its affiliates, adding 135 c-stores to the company’s operational footprint and expanding its southern retail territory into Alabama and Mississippi. The deal included 181 dealer locations as well. Later that same year, GPM closed on its acquisition of WTG Fuels Holdings LLC, owner of 24 Uncle’s Convenience Stores, 68 Gascard-branded cardlock sites and 43 private cardlock sites. In 2022, the retailer acquired Pride Convenience Holdings LLC, which operated 31 convenience stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut, for $230 million.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chain: ExtraMile

No. of Stores: 1,123

2025 Ranking: 8

Ranking the Previous Year: 8

Headquarters: Pleasanton, California

ExtraMile Convenience Stores, an expanding U.S. convenience retail chain, has reached 1,123 stores nationwide, exclusively at Chevron and Texaco branded locations. After completing a three-year overhaul of its stores’ interior design, the brand is now turning its attention towards refreshing the exterior of its stores. 

ExtraMile Convenience Stores LLC, Pleasanton, California, is a joint venture owned by Houston-based Chevron and Meridian, Idaho-based Jacksons Food Stores.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chain: QuikTrip

No. of Stores: 1,117

2025 Ranking: 9

Ranking the Previous Year: 9

Headquarters: Tulsa, Oklahoma

QuikTrip Corp., one of the nation’s top-performing c-store chains, passed the 1,000th store mark two years ago and is now at 1,117 locations. A privately held company headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and founded in 1958, the QuikTrip footprint expands across 17 states. Recent growth with new-to-industry locations have occurred in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada and Texas. 

It announced in January that it would be opening its first store in Utah in 2026. 

For more than a dozen years, Fortune magazine has ranked QuikTrip among its 100 Best Companies to Work For, offering tuition reimbursement, medical insurance, 401K and advancement opportunities for its roughly 31,000 employees. The company donates 5% of its net profits to charitable organizations in communities where it operates.

In 1958, Chester Cadieux and Burt Holmes invested their life savings to open the very first QuikTrip, which was a small grocery store serving their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Chester’s son, Chet Cadieux III, has served as QuikTrip’s CEO since 2002 and added the role of chairman to his responsibilities in 2006. Over six decades, the chain has evolved to run full-service kitchens with fresh, made-to-order sandwiches, as well as fresh food delivered daily through its bakeries and commissaries. Holmes died in January at age 93. 

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chain: Wawa

No. of Stores: 1,100

2025 Ranking: 10

Ranking the Previous Year: 10

Headquarters: Wawa, Pennsylvania

Known as a chain focused on organic growth, Wawa Inc. began expansions into Alabama, Indiana, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and Ohio in 2024. The Wawa, Pennsylvania-based company is one of the nation’s most well-respected convenience-store chains, particularly when it comes to foodservice. In addition to a slew of fresh foods and beverages, Wawa sells a wide selection of private-label products, such as bagged Wawa coffees, dairy products and teas.

Over the past few years, the chain has grown almost exclusively through construction in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. Currently, the company is executing a plan to open 80 stores across North Carolina’s eastern region, with the first locations opening last year. Additionally, Wawa stated that it plans to open 160 stores across the Midwest in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia. Then earlier this year, the company announced it would open 70 new stores in both existing markets as well as new ones.

In 2022, the chain unveiled its plan to open non-traditional travel centers in North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. Travel centers will help close the gap in Wawa outposts between its Mid-Atlantic and Florida markets, according to the company.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: Kwik Star, Kwik Trip, Tobacco Outlet Plus, Tobacco Outlet Plus Grocery, Kwik Spirits, Stop-N-Go

No. of Stores: 896

2025 Ranking: 11

Ranking the Previous Year: 11

Headquarters: La Crosse, Wisconsin

Kwik Trip, Inc. operates 896 stores. Its current footprint runs through Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and South Dakota, with plans to enter North Dakota in 2025.

In 2023, Kwik Trip announced that it would be investing more than $151 million to expand operations throughout Wisconsin, expanding dairy, commissary and bakery facilities in La Crosse, Wisconsin; buying and renovating a commercial office building in Onalaska; and building a new satellite distribution center. 

A family-owned business, the La Crosse-based Kwik Trip, is one of the largest independently held convenience-store chains in the country, producing more than 80% of the products sold in its stores with support coming from foodservice production facilities and a logistics network. The business changed leadership in January 2023, when Scott Zietlow, son of former president and CEO Donald Zietlow took over those roles. Don Zietlow led the chain for 22 years and worked there for 52 years before retiring in 2022.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: Maverik, Kum & Go

No. of Stores: 842

2025 Ranking: 12

Ranking the Previous Year: 12

Headquarters: Salt Lake City

While staying low-key on the mergers-and-acquisitions front in 2024, Maverik Inc. made one of the industry’s boldest acquisitions of 2023, purchasing a chain equal in size and industry cache in West Des Moines, Iowa-based Kum & Go. The $2 billion deal closed in August 2023, doubling the size of the Salt Lake City-based Maverik by 405 stores.

Maverik owners were experiencing a windfall through investments in Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire Hathaway’s takeover of what is now Pilot Co., Knoxville, Tennessee. While at the same time, owners of Kum & Go were pursuing investment interests outside the convenience channel. The two chains found common ground and closed the deal. While initially saying it would only rebrand stores in certain states, Maverik leadership made the call to retire the Kum & Go name.

In July, Crystal Maggelet officially stepped into the role of CEO and “chief adventure guide” of Marverik. This followed Chuck Maggelet retiring as CEO and chief adventure guide at Maverik, and Crystal Maggelet, chairman and CEO of Maverik’s parent company FJ Management, stepping into the CEO role on an interim basis.

In partnership with Feeding America, since 2021, Maverik has contributed more than 16 million meals to member food banks throughout its operating region through ongoing donations and continually expanding its food-waste reduction program. Together with newly acquired Kum & Go, Maverik’s combined food waste reduction program is active in nearly 450 stores across 13 states serving 24 local food banks and growing.   

Maverik and Kum & Go combined have created a network of stores in 17 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. The Maverik brand targets adventure seekers and outdoor enthusiasts by establishing itself as a “base camp” to fuel up for activities such as off-roading, biking, canoeing and mountain climbing, while reflecting the natural beauty of the local communities’ favorite outdoor adventures in the stores’ design and incorporating them into the stores’ concept and decor.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chain: Sheetz

No. of Stores: 770

2025 Ranking: 13

Ranking the Previous Year: 13

Headquarters: Altoona, Pennsylvania

In 2024, Sheetz continued to grow its count through new-to-industry locations, building in established markets while moving forward with plans to build stores in western Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. At the start of 2025, Sheetz operated 770 convenience stores across its seven-state footprint, which includes Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland. Its expansion into Michigan began last year.

Meanwhile, Sheetz announced plans for a new distribution center in Findlay, Ohio, which is scheduled for completion in 2026. This ties to previously announced plans to build about 20 locations in Dayton, Ohio, over the next three years. In July 2022, Sheetz officials also announced plans to expand its presence in western Pennsylvania by as many as 30 locations within the next two to four years.

Bob Sheetz founded the family business in 1952, when he purchased one of his father’s five dairy stores located in Altoona, Pennsylvania. In 1961, Bob hired his brother Steve to work part-time at the store. By 1983, Bob and Steve had opened 100 stores. The history of family ownership and innovation continues today.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chain: Rocket

No. of Stores: 674

2025 Ranking: 14

Ranking the Previous Year: 14

Headquarters: Long Beach, California

United Pacific is based in Long Beach, California, and operates 674 gas stations and convenience stores, a significant increase from about 500 just two years ago. The stores operate throughout Southern and Northern California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada. They offer motor fuel products under the 76, Conoco, Chevron, Shell and United Oil flags.

In 2023, Greenwood Village, Colorado-based Alta Convenience merged with United Pacific to operate a combined 675 sites in 11 states. Prior to the merger, each company was owned by respective joint venture entities between affiliates of New York-based Fortress Investment Group and a subsidiary of Houston-based Phillips 66 Co. 

In 2022, the company rolled out its Rocket convenience store brand to all company-operated sites.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chain: Love’s Travel Stops

No. of Stores: 656

2025 Ranking: 15

Rank the Previous Year: 16

Headquarters: Oklahoma City

Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is one of the nation’s leading travel stop networks, with 656 Love’s locations in 42 states. Shane Wharton, president of the Oklahoma City-based company, announced big growth plans for 2025—from new store builds to more electric vehicle chargers to a growing Fresh Kitchen program.  

The travel stop chain plans to start construction on 20 new stores in 2025 and begin updating 50 existing locations under its strategic remodel initiative, which launched in 2022. The company has a capital budget of about $1 billion for these new stores and remodels, including other projects.

Regarding foodservice, Love’s is expanding its Fresh Kitchen program through a new Culinary Innovation Center led by Greg Ekman. Ekman was previously with Chicago-based bp before joining Love’s as its first director of fresh kitchen strategy and growth. The center, located in Oklahoma City, will be used to develop and test food including tacos, salads, sandwiches, snack trays and more.

Then in terms of electric vehicles (EVs), the chain plans to add 80 chargers to 20 Love’s locations in 2025. The chain currently has 31 EV charging stations.

Founded in 1964, the company remains family-owned and operated and employs more than 40,000 people. In 2023, Love's opened 33 locations, including the company’s first store in Connecticut in July and its milestone 600th location in October in its home state of Oklahoma. The company also opened 40 restaurants and added new fresh food items like breakfast bowls and new fruit and veggie tray, salad and sandwich options. The company also acquired the EZ GO chain from Carey Johnson Oil Co., Lawton, Oklahoma, in April 2023.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: Pilot Travel Centers, Flying J Travel Centers

No. of Stores: 655

2025 Ranking: 16

Ranking the Previous Year: 15

Headquarters: Knoxville, Tennessee

Pilot Co. is one of the largest networks of travel centers in the country. Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, Pilot is a wholly owned subsidiary of Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire Hathaway and employs approximately 30,000 team members. In recent years, Pilot began a financial transition culminating with the investment-holding giant Berkshire Hathaway, gaining total ownership of Pilot in 2024. The investment firm bought a 38.6% stake in Pilot Flying J in October 2017 for $2.76 billion, then grew its ownership stake to 80% in 2023, buying more of what had then become Pilot Co. Finally, in January 2024, Berkshire Hathaway acquired Pilot’s remaining 20% interest.

In 2023, the company opened 10 new travel centers and welcomed more than 20 dealer locations to its network. The new stores were located along major routes in key markets, including Yucca and Ash Fork, Arizona; Colton and Rialto, California; Gallup, New Mexico; McCarran, Nevada; Edon, Ohio; Holladay, Tennessee; Odessa, Texas; and Wamsutter, Wyoming. In late 2023, Pilot celebrated more than 100 completed remodels under its $1 billion “New Horizons” initiative.

The company started its remodeling program in 2022. Major enhancements included curb-to-counter makeovers with refreshed restrooms and showers, new kitchens, expanded food and beverage options and updated technology.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

RaceTrac Inc.

Chain: RaceTrac

No. of Stores: 592

2025 Ranking: 17

Rank the Previous Year: 17

Headquarters: Atlanta

Serving customers since 1934, RaceTrac has nearly 800 retail locations representing the RaceTrac and RaceWay brands (ranked at No. 34) in 14 states in the southeast, offering customers an affordable one-stop-shop featuring a wide selection of food and beverage favorites, as well as competitively priced fuel. RaceTrac has more than 10,200 team members across RaceTrac, RaceWay and affiliated companies Metroplex Energy and Energy Dispatch. While its c-store count grew modestly through new-to-industry locations last year, RaceTrac cemented its place among heavyweight fuel marketers with the purchase of the iconic Gulf Oil brand in 2023. Through its wholly owned wholesale fuel supply and trading subsidiary, Metroplex Energy, RaceTrac completed the purchase of Gulf Oil LLC, Wellesley, Massachusetts. As part of the transaction, RaceTrac acquired Gulf’s nationally recognized fuel brand across the United States and U.S. territories, all of Gulf’s branded distributor and license agreements and the exclusive rights to market fuel at Gulf’s retail locations along the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Metroplex Energy sells fuels to all RaceTrac locations as well as many other leading retailers and fuel wholesalers in 15 states primarily in the southeast. Last year, RaceTrac expanded into 0hio with its first location. This follows expansions into Indiana and South Carolina with new locations the year before.

Meanwhile, the company continued building stores in Alabama, having announced expansion plans in that state through 2025.

Regarding foodservice, merchandise and services, RaceTrac launched the RaceTrac Rewards + Debit card in 2021, which saves customers discounts per gallon at the fuel pump. It combined the chain’s Fuel Rewards, Rewards VIP and Debit Rewards offers into a single program. New RaceTrac locations offer Grab & Go pizza and sandwiches made in-house; whole and cut fruit and salads, made and delivered fresh daily; the retailer’s Swirl World frozen treat stations offering a variety of ice creams, yogurts and sorbets with 28 toppings; six blends of Crazy Good Coffee with creamers, sweeteners and toppings; foods including roller-grill favorites such as Nathan's Famous 100% Premium All Beef Hot Dogs, tamales with traditional corn husk wraps and stuffed with seasoned pork and taquitos featuring battered, and fried tortillas filled with meats, cheeses and spices.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: 7-Eleven, Anabi Oil, Rebel

No. of Stores: 517

2025 Ranking: 18

Ranking the Previous Year: 18

Headquarters: Upland, California

Anabi Oil had 517 stores as of the beginning of the year, with locations spanning from California and the Midwest to the East Coast and Florida. In June, it acquired the petroleum marketing, convenience retail and quick-service restaurant (QSR) businesses of Land O’Sun Management Corp., doing business as Fast Track. Based in Gainesville, Florida, Fast Track operates 17 convenience stores, 10 co-located quick-service restaurants (QSRs) and two standalone QSRs in northern Florida.

Anabi Oil has a large footprint in California, selling and delivering fuel from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Regarding fuel brand, Anabi is the largest Shell distributor in California, but also distributes Sinclair, 76 and unbranded fuels. Anabi owns the Rebel convenience-store brand, which it acquired from Las Vegas-based Rebel Oil Co. in 2016.

The family has owned and operated Anabi Oil since 1991, starting with one station in Baldwin Park, California. It began as a fuel wholesaler, working with independent retailers throughout the Golden State. Over the years, the company has grown by buying and selling stations, converting bays into convenience stores, adding car washes, partnering with fast food brands, and building ground up new to industry locations. In 2022, Rebel Convenience Stores forged a national agreement with Waitr Holdings Inc. for delivery and pickup services.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: Allsup’s, Yesway

No. of Stores: 440

2025 Ranking: 19

Ranking the Previous Year: 19

Headquarters: Fort Worth, Texas

Established in 2015, Yesway is a multi-branded platform based in Fort Worth, Texas. It operates 440 stores in Texas, New Mexico, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Wyoming, Oklahoma and Nebraska. The company operates its portfolio primarily under two brands, Yesway and Allsup’s, with the chains’ geographic footprints consisting of stores located in rural and suburban markets across the Midwest and Southwest. 

In the past year, Yesway continued an aggressive campaign to grow its store count and financial performance through the completion of new stores and raze-and-rebuild projects across its portfolio and geographic footprint. Yesway skyrocketed its growth in 2019 when it acquired Clovis, New Mexico-based Allsup's and its 304 stores in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, catapulting the chain in 2020 into the top 20 rankings of CSP’s list. Yesway is owned by BW Gas & Convenience Holdings, Fort Worth, Texas, which joined the convenience-store industry in late 2015 with ambitions of operating up to 1,000 stores. The company is an affiliate of Beverly, Massachusetts-based Brookwood Financial Partners, a real-estate and private-equity investment and asset management company with more than $2.6 billion in holdings.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chain: Unbranded

No. of Stores: 438

2025 Ranking: 20

Ranking the Previous Year: 20

Headquarters: Miami

Sunshine Gasoline Distributors Inc. owns and operates convenience stores while also supplying 600 service stations under the brands Chevron/Texaco, Exxon/Mobil, Shell, Marathon, bp and CITGO. The Miami-based operator told CSP it would move its car wash business to the tunnel format going into the future, with approximately 100 car washes in its current network. Cuban-American Maximo Alvarez, owns the convenience and fueling platform.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: Country Fair, Kwik Fill, Red Apple Food Markets

No. of Stores: 414

2025 Ranking: 21

Ranking the Previous Year: 22

Headquarters: Warren, Pennsylvania

Warren, Pennsylvania-based United Refining Co. is an independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products and the parent company of multiple convenience store chains in Pennsylvania and portions of Ohio and New York. The company operates gas stations, convenience stores, truck stops, restaurants and garages. The c-stores are branded Kwik Fill, Red Apple Food Marts and Country Fair. Each is a separate retail division, operated independently, with separate company headquarters and management staffers.

Kwik Fill’s locations include full-service diesel truck stops, mini truck stops, restaurants and truck-stop motels, according to the company's website. Kwik Fill operates in New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania, supporting local businesses, economies and local charities.

John Catsimatidis, CEO of the Red Apple Group Real Estate Co., bought United Refining Co. in 1986. Country Fair opened its first store in 1965 in Erie, Pennsylvania.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chain: Stewart’s Shops

No. of Stores: 407

2025 Ranking: 22

Ranking the Previous Year: 23

Headquarters: Ballston Spa, New York

Founded in 1945, the Ballston Spa, New York-based Stewart’s Shops chain operates in upstate New York, New Hampshire and southern Vermont, and purchased 45 Jolley convenience stores from Albans, Vermont-based Jolley Associates in December. At the end of last year, the chain operated 362 Stewart’s Shops and 45 Jolley stores for a total of 407 locations.

While Stewart’s Shops is mostly owned by the family of chairman William Dake, employees also own about 40% of the company through an employee stock ownership plan. Stewart’s is known regionally for its milk, ice cream, coffee, food to go, gasoline and other convenience items. The company has an extensive production, distribution and warehousing network that supplies its stores. As a result, the chain is unusual in the number of products it produces in its own facilities, including 20-ounce “refresher” teas and dairy drinks.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: ExtraMile, Power Market

No. of Stores:  368

2025 Ranking: 23

Ranking the Previous Year: 50

Headquarters: Orange, California

H&S Energy Group doubled its convenience-store network in March 2024, when it announced its acquisition of the retail convenience-store, fuels distribution, cardlock, fleet card, commercial fueling, car wash, lubricants and transportation businesses of Andretti Petroleum Group.

The Eureka, California-based Andretti had 170 retail convenience stores and fuels distribution assets in California, Oregon and Washington. At the time, it was one of the largest convenience retail and fuels distribution businesses on the West Coast and Pacific Northwest, operating in northern California, Oregon and Washington. It was founded in 1997 when racing icons Mario Andretti, Michael Andretti, long-time Andretti advisor John Caponigro and Texaco executive M.J. Castelo launched a startup Texaco wholesale business in northern California.

H&S Energy Group was established in 1996 by Sal Hassan, with the inaugural station being a ground-up construction in Cypress, California. Since then, the company has expanded its footprint both organically by building new sites and through acquisitions. H&S Energy represents major fuel brands such as Chevron, Texaco, Shell and 76. Additionally, it operates as a franchisee of ExtraMile, with most of its convenience stores featuring the proprietary Power Market brand.

The stores under the H&S Energy umbrella offer a diverse range of options for customers, including deli kitchens, fresh produce, hot food, bean-to-cup coffee, car wash services and service stations. Moreover, the company boasts an extensive wholesale network, facilitated by its transportation arm, Arrow Logistics, through which it supplies customers with branded fuel and other products.

The combined company also has a fleet of fuel delivery trucks, a lubricants business and fuel bulk plants.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: Hy-Miler Convenience, Joe’s Kwik Mart, One Stop, Rocky Top Markets, Stop In Food Stores, Uni-Mart, Zoomerz

No. of Stores: 365

2025 Ranking:  24

Ranking the Previous Year: 27

Headquarters: Allentown, Pennsylvania

In 2024, CrossAmerica Partners LP and its Lehigh Gas Wholesale Services Inc. subsidiary acquired 59 convenience stores from Applegreen Midwest and Applegreen Florida for $16.9 million, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Applegreen c-stores are in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Florida.     

Formed in 2012, CrossAmerica Partners LP is a distributor of branded and unbranded petroleum for motor vehicles in the United States and distributes fuel to approximately 1,750 locations and owns or leases approximately 1,100 sites. With a geographic footprint covering 34 states, it has relationships with several major oil brands, including ExxonMobil, bp, Shell, Chevron, Sunoco, Valero, Gulf, CITGO, Marathon and Phillips 66.

Across its network, the company’s retail brands include Joe’s Kwik Mart in Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia; Hy-Miler Convenience in Ohio; Uni-Mart in Ohio and Pennsylvania; Rocky Top Market in Tennessee; Stop In Food Stores in Virginia and West Virginia; One Stop in West Virginia; and Zoomerz in Tennessee. In late 2021, CrossAmerica acquired wholesale motor fuels distributor Community Service Stations Inc. (CSS), which supplies approximately 75 million gallons annually to locations across New England. The deal included wholesale fuel supply contracts to 39 dealer-owned locations, 34 subjobber accounts and two commission locations.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: Alltown, Alltown Fresh, Convenience Plus, Fast Freddie’s, Honey Farms, Jiffy Mart, Mr. Mike’s, T-Bird, P&H Truck Stop, XtraMart

No. of Stores: 364

2025 Ranking: 25

Ranking the Previous Year: 21

Headquarters: Waltham, Massachusetts

Global Partners LP and its Alltown Fresh c-store chain reported 300 directly operated convenience stores, primarily in the Northeast, along with 64 gas stations in Texas operated through a joint venture, Spring Partners Retail LLC. Global Partners acquired the Texas locations in 2023 from Houston-based Landmark Group, which originally launched the Timewise Food Store brand in 1982.

As one of the region’s largest independent fuel and convenience retailers, Global Partners owns, leases or supplies 1,584 gas stations and c-stores under multiple brands, including Alltown Fresh, Honey Farms, Jiffy Mart and XtraMart.

In March 2024, Global Partners unveiled a new logo, brand colors and tagline--“Putting our Energy to Work.” 

In 2022, Alltown Fresh partnered with online wholesale platform Mable to expand its selection of local specialty foods. The retailer sources products from local farms, bakeries and vendors, while Mable connects it with more than 3,000 emerging brands.

For more than 75 years, Global Partners has prioritized community, safety and stability for its stakeholders, according to its website.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: Gasamat, Havana Manor, Smoke ‘N Go, Smoker Friendly, Tobacco Depot, 

No. of Stores:  341

2025 Ranking: 26

Ranking the Previous Year:    24

Headquarters: Boulder, Colorado

The Cigarette Store Group, doing business as Smoker Friendly, was founded in 1991, growing to operate a mix of convenience stores, tobacco stores, cigar lounges, liquor stores and fueling locations under the names Smoker Friendly, Tobacco Depot, Smoke ‘N Go, Havana Manor and Gasamat.

In 2024, The Cigarette Store Group bought 54 stores from Richmond Master Distributors Inc., South Bend, Indiana, doing business as Low Bob’s Discount Tobacco. The acquisition brought the chain’s store count to 80 in the state, officials said.

Its last significant purchase prior to those 54 stores came in August 2022, when the retailer acquired 79 Tobacco Superstores, headquartered in Forrest City, Arkansas. Then in November of 2022, it acquired 30 tobacco stores across Indiana and Kentucky from Seymour, Indiana-based Collett Enterprises Inc. Investment firm Main Street Capital Corp., Houston, made a $51.7 million investment in Smoker Friendly, taking a minority stake in the company in January 2021. The investor provided a revolving line of credit to support its working capital needs and assist with its acquisition growth strategy.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chain: Bolla Market

No. of Stores:  338

2025 Ranking: 27

Ranking the Previous Year:    25

Headquarters: Garden City, New York

Founded in 1989, Bolla Oil Corp. operates gas stations, convenience stores, auto repair and car washes throughout the New York and New Jersey metro areas. Additionally, Bolla operates Bolla Transport and Bolla Construction, focusing on the development of corporate locations, as well as a dealer and franchise business. Bolla Market became a franchise in 2015, with the company also operating as a franchisee of Burger King, Tim Hortons, Pizza Hut, Moe’s Southwest Grill and Red Mango since 2017. These franchised foodservice brands work as nontraditional partners within Bolla Market locations.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chain: Jacksons Food Stores

No. of Stores:  324

2025 Ranking: 28

Ranking the Previous Year:    26

Headquarters: Meridian, Idaho

Meridian, Idaho-based Jacksons Food Stores operates 324 convenience stores under the Jacksons Food Stores and ExtraMile by Jacksons brands. It serves customers in Arizona, Idaho, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

In December, it acquired the retail, wholesale and transportation assets of Hi-Noon Petroleum Inc., Missoula, Montana, including Noon’s three convenience stores, 46 dealer accounts and its entire transportation fleet.

Jacksons Food Stores is one of the largest privately held corporations in Idaho, with the Jacksons family of companies owning, operating, or supplying more than 770 stores across nine western states. With a reputation for quality execution, they have achieved “Top Performer” status nationally for each year of Chevron’s “Customer First” and Shell’s “Mystery Motorist” customer service and store cleanliness programs.

The vertically integrated company also supplies fuel to more than 1,300 locations in nine states through Jacksons Energy and Jackson Energy Logistics, store supplies and full-line grocery through Capitol Distributing, fresh food products through Capitol Kitchen and tobacco and alcohol in four states through Jacksons BevCo. Jacksons has been dedicated to the communities it serves through volunteer efforts and charitable causes including local chapters of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

John D. Jackson founded Jacksons Food Stores Inc. in 1975 in Caldwell, Idaho, as a single service station.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.         

Chain: Nouria, Enmarket

No. of Stores: 319

2025 Ranking: 29

Ranking the Previous Year: 44

Headquarters: Worcester, Massachusetts

In 2024, Worcester, Massachusetts-based Nouria Energy Corp. almost doubled its store count to 319, with the acquisition of Enmarket, Savannah, Georgia, a chain of 133 stores throughout Georgia and South and North Carolina.

Nouria is a family-owned and operated business that has grown to include c-stores, car washes and wholesale fuel supply, with a significant number of branded dealers throughout the Northeast. At the time of its sale, Enmarket operated 133 convenience stores, 28 carwash locations and a fuel distribution network.

Nouria founder and CEO Tony El-Nemr set an aggressive goal for Nouria to grow fourfold over the next 10 years. In 2023, the company acquired H.A. Mapes Inc., Springvale, Maine. The acquisition included 13 “owned series locations” and nine stores previously branded Harry’s, as well as other dealer locations.

Other acquisitions include Mulligan’s, a “one-stop shop” c-store in Manchester, Maine, in 2022, and 17 VERC c-stores (two included carwash operations) and four Mega X locations in 2020.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chain: Royal Farms

No. of Stores:  304

2025 Ranking: 30

Ranking the Previous Year:    28

Headquarters: Baltimore

Royal Farms opened its first c-store in Baltimore in 1959 under the name White Jug. Today, the Mid-Atlantic chain has 304 locations in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

The Baltimore-based c-store chain expanded into North Carolina in 2023, with the opening of a new store in the community of Grandy. Other communities targeted for expansion were New Bern, Greenville, Lumberton, Kinston and Jacksonville.

Store menus focus on the retailer’s “world-famous” chicken, which was awarded “best fast-food fried chicken” by /ital/Food and Wine/ital/ magazine. Royal Farms also offers a variety of side dishes, such as macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes, so customers can take a complete meal or platter home. Other foodservice offers include Royal Farms’ hot or iced coffee from bean-to-cup machines and f’real milkshakes at the blending station. Every location features surcharge-free ATMs, air-pump stations, lottery and fuel. Carwashes are available at select locations.

Royal Farms launched an updated mobile app with a point system and other new capabilities in early 2022. It includes mobile ordering that allows customers to order ahead for delivery or pickup.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: MAPCO, Hop In, Maritime Farms, other brands

No. of Stores:  252

2025 Ranking: 31

Ranking the Previous Last Year: 30

Headquarters: Lawrenceville, Georgia

Lawrenceville, Georgia-based Majors Management LLC, is an owner, developer and operator of convenience stores and a distributor of branded and unbranded motor fuels. Majors and its affiliates supply fuel to more than 1,400 convenience store locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

The company was relatively dormant in 2024, but just a year earlier, it completed a significant transaction with Santiago, Chile-based Compañía de Petróleos de Chile (COPEC), purchasing 192 MAPCO-branded convenience stores in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas and Kentucky. The acquisition also included MAPCO’s wholesale fuel division, loyalty program, brand and other intellectual property.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chain: Alon, 7-Eleven, DK, OXXO

No. of Stores:  249

2024 Ranking: 32

Ranking the Previous Year: Not Listed

Headquarters: Brentwood, Tennessee

The OXXO convenience-store brand, well known in Latin America, will become more prevalent in U.S. markets now that Fomento Economico Mexicano S.A.B. of C.V. (FEMSA) acquired Delek US Holdings Inc. last year. As part of its strategic growth, FEMSA has begun rebranding the convenience stores it acquired from the Brentwood, Tennessee-based Delek to OXXO.

FEMSA, the Monterrey, Mexico-based beverage bottler and convenience-store retailer, has set its sights on becoming a major player in the United States, after its acquisition of 249 Delek locations, officials said. The $385 million deal with Delek established FEMSA in the Southwest United States, primarily in Texas, but also in New Mexico and Arkansas. The stores currently operate under the DK and Alon brands. FEMSA began operating the former Delek US stores on Oct. 1.

FEMSA owns the world’s largest Coke bottler, Coca-Cola Mexico. Its Proximity Americas Division operates the OXXO c-store chain and related retail formats in Mexico, Central America and South America, and now in North America. Its Proximity Europe Division operates Valora, its European retail c-store unit.

The company has roughly 24,600 locations in South America, including about 23,000 in Mexico, 550 in Brazil, 550 in Colombia, 200 in Peru and 300 in Chile.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025. 

Chains: BrakeTime, Loaf ‘N Jug, Minit Mart

No. of Stores:  243

2025 Ranking: 33

Ranking the Previous Year: Not Ranked

Headquarters: Houston, Texas

Breaktime Corner Market LLC (BTCM) broke onto CSP’s Top 202 ranking of c-store chains with two significant acquisitions in 2024. The Houston-based chain purchased 23 Loaf N’ Jug stores in June, also from Westborough, Massachusetts-based EG America LLC. Then later in the year it acquired 39 convenience stores operating under the Minit Mart brand in central and northern Illinois, again from EG America LLC, the U.S. unit of U.K.-based EG Group Ltd.

BTCM plans to rebrand the Minit Mart stores under its “BrakeTime” name, enhance the merchandise selection and retain all existing team members, reinforcing its commitment to community integration and employee retention, the company said.

The company that would become BTCM bought its first convenience store in Houston in 1999. Established as BTCM in 2004, it has emerged as a multifaceted enterprise specializing in the operation and management of gas stations, convenience stores, retail shopping centers, office buildings and the acquisition of land for retail development.

BTCM and the BrakeTime brand are not related to Columbia, Missouri-based MFA Oil Co.’s BreakTime c-store brand.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chain: Par Mar Stores

No. of Stores: 241

2025 Ranking: 34

Ranking the Previous Year: 33

Headquarters: Marietta, Ohio

Since being acquired in 2016 by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Croton Holding Co. Par Mar Oil Co. has grown from a 52-store chain to 241 locations operating in Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky and Virginia.

In addition to Par Mar Stores, Par operates 28 QSR’s under the Arby's, A&W, Dairy Queen, IHOP, Papa John's and Subway brands, as well as Par Mar's proprietary PM Kitchen Brand. 

In 2023, Par Mar added 34 locations and another 8 locations in 2024, including a new to industry 18-acre truck stop operating under the Travel Centers of America flag located off Interstate 77 just south of Parkersburg, West Virginia.

In addition to Par Mar Oil Co., Croton Holding owns Countywide Petroleum, a leading petroleum wholesaler providing branded offerings of BP/Amoco, Marathon, Sunoco, Exxon, CITGO and Valero. County wide Petroleum supplies over 450 locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and Kentucky. 

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chain: RaceWay

No. of Stores: 241

2025 Ranking: 34

Ranking the Previous Year: 35

Headquarters: Atlanta 

RaceWay operates 241 stores in 11 states in the Southeast. Although part of the RaceTrac network, RaceWay is a separate chain run by the Atlanta-based RaceTrac chain, which appears in this list at No. 18.

When the RaceWay chain exited the Houston market in 2020, it would grow its portfolio of stores though organic new builds and acquisitions. RaceWay’s locations average 2,900 square feet.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: Meijer Express, Meijer Gas

No. of Stores:  239

2025 Ranking: 35

Ranking the Previous Year:    34

Headquarters: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Meijer Gas Stations and Meijer Express convenience stores are part of the Meijer Inc. company portfolio, which also includes grocery stores in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. Brands include Fresh From Meijer grocery, whose items include deli, bakery, meat, products and snacks; Purple Cow ice cream; Frederick’s by Meijer higher-end food and beverage items; and True Goodness by Meijer organic offerings.

The company store count rose by four locations in 2024.

Meijer’s gas stations offer Top Tier gasoline and diesel fuel, and the c-stores carry a wide variety of beverages, snacks and fresh-prepared and packaged food. The c-stores range in size from about 2,500 square feet up to 5,500 square feet at newer locations. C-stores are open 24 hours a day and offer fuel discounts for Meijer credit card and fleet card holders.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: Double Quick, Refuel Market

No. of Stores:  230

2025 Ranking: 37

Ranking the Previous Year:    36

Headquarters: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Refuel Operating Co. LLC is a retail and wholesale fuel distribution and convenience-store business in five states. Its Refuel Market and Double Quick c-stores aim to provide clean and attractive locations with hot and fresh foods, and grab-and-go snacks. In 2024, Refuel’s store count grew by three locations.

The company has a history of growth through acquisition. In 2023, Refuel acquired eight convenience stores through two separate deals. In 2022, Refuel made several acquisitions. The company acquired two c-stores in Mississippi from Temple, Texas-based Fikes Wholesale Inc.’s CEFCO Convenience Stores. Then it closed on the acquisition of assets of Embark Energy, including 11 c-stores in the greater Austin, Texas, market operating under the Fast Break brand, along with four company-owned, dealer-operated locations. The Mount Pleasant, South Carolina-based company also acquired six GreatStops c-stores from Premier Stores in the Greensboro, North Carolina, market, and three stores from The Whalen Corp. in the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, market.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: Shell, Timewise

No. of Stores: 223

2025 Rank: 38

Ranking the Previous Year: 44

Headquarters: Houston

In 2024, Houston-based major oil company Shell bought 45 stations from Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Brewer Oil, making it Shell’s first retail-operated presence in that state.

Returning to retail has been a recent phenomenon for the oil company. In 2022, Shell Retail and Convenience Operations LLC, the wholly owned subsidiary of Shell Oil Products US, Houston, acquired 248 fuel and Timewise convenience stores from the Landmark group of companies. The deal also included supply agreements with an additional 117 independently operated fuel and c-stores from Landmark, which is also based in Houston.

Shell had largely exited retailing in the United States in the early 2000s, opting instead to pursue upstream profits rather than downstream retail opportunities. The Landmark acquisition marked Shell’s first major acquisition in recent years, with the retail network serving as the foundation for growth in company-operated stores in the United States.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chains: ExtraMile, G&M Food Mart

No. of Stores: 210

2025 Rank: 39

Ranking the Previous Year: 41

Headquarters: Huntington Beach, California

Founded in Orange County, California, in 1969, G&M Oil has proudly served Southern California for over 50 years. G&M is one of California’s largest independently owned fuel retailers with 210 locations throughout Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, and Ventura Counties. G&M partners with Chevron and ExtraMile and is consistently recognized for excelling in their Retail Excellence programs, receiving hundreds of top awards for high-quality customer and service standards, the company said.

G&M fueling stations offer a wide variety of fueling options including alternatives such as biodiesel, E-85, hydrogen and EV charging, while retail stores prioritize convenience, cleanliness, and customer service to ensure customers leave “full-filled.”

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.

Chain: Sam’s Food Stores

No. of Stores: 205

2025 Ranking: 40

Ranking the Previous Year: 40

Headquarters: Rocky Hill, Connecticut

Sam’s Food Stores operates across New England, with many sites in Connecticut. The business includes convenience-store chains branded Sam’s Food Stores and DB Mart, gas station chain Ravi Petro and the tobacco specialty shop Smoker’s Discount World, plus other sites that are branded by fuel.

Sam’s Food Stores has a handful of company-operated locations, with the rest leased to independent operators. Sam’s Food Stores range in size from 1,500 to 2,500 square feet and operate in both heavily populated towns and smaller communities.

For benchmarking purposes, store counts are as of Jan. 1, 2025.