96-558: GetGo , also known as GetGo Cafe & Market , is a convenience store chain owned and operated by Giant Eagle . Both are based in suburban Pittsburgh . The chain operates locations in Indiana , Maryland , Ohio , Pennsylvania , and West Virginia . GetGo initially opened in 1985 as the convenience store chain Cross Roads, which was the retail brand of Guttman Oil Company based in nearby Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania . The chain had
192-684: A gas/petrol station , so customers can purchase goods while refuelling their vehicle. It may be located alongside a busy road, in an urban area , near a railway or railroad station or other transport hub. In some countries, convenience stores have long shopping hours and some remain open 24 hours. Convenience stores often charge significantly higher prices than conventional grocery stores or supermarkets , as they buy smaller quantities of inventory at higher per-unit prices from wholesalers . Customers benefit from their longer opening hours, more convenient and greater number of locations and shorter cashier lines. A convenience store may also be called
288-946: A sale and leaseback agreement for its U.S. stores, and most of its UK gas stations and restaurants would be sold to retail chain Asda (which had recently been acquired by EG founders Mohsin and Zuber Issa ) in 2023, along with EG On the Move —a separate company led by Zuber. On August 19, 2024, Couche-Tard announced it would buy Pittsburgh -based GetGo from Giant Eagle , greatly expanding Circle K's presence in Pennsylvania (all of its existing stores in that state are descended from Lawson's/Dairy Mart) and complimenting its existing stores in Ohio, Indiana , and West Virginia , and add to its stores in Maryland . A 2021 report on wage theft by
384-465: A GetGo Kitchen. All of the former Ricker's locations also had a GetGo Kitchen open up to replace Ricker's own food offerings, and Giant Eagle's only Giant Eagle Express location in Harmar Township have a GetGo Kitchen alongside GetGo fuel. Under the Cross Roads banner, the chain sold its own brand of gasoline at some locations while others were cobranded with Texaco and later Citgo . Upon
480-588: A Giant Eagle Advantage Card, and must have the debit card synced with the Advantage Card at Citizens branches before it can be used for additional Fuelperks!. In April 2009, GetGo launched the Foodperks! program, which in effect is the exact opposite of the Fuelperks! program in that anyone who uses their Giant Eagle Advantage Card, for every ten gallons purchased at GetGo receives 1% off on groceries at
576-478: A North American distribution company specializing in fresh convenience. Another large chain is Quickie Mart (whose name predates the fictitious " Kwik-E-Mart " featured on The Simpsons ). The world's largest convenience retailer, 7-Eleven , has about 500 Canadian locations from British Columbia to Ontario . Worldwide, the highest number of the chain's Slurpee beverages are sold in Winnipeg , Manitoba and
672-637: A cold store, party store ( Michigan ), bodega (New York City), carry out , mini-market , mini-mart , corner shop, deli or milk bar (Australia), dairy (New Zealand), superette (New Zealand, parts of Canada, and in parts of the US), corner store (many parts of English-speaking Canada and New England), a späti (from 'spätkauf' (lit. 'buy-late') in Germany, a konbini (コンビニ in Japanese ) in Japan, based on
768-534: A combination of these, but no household goods) or Trinkhalle ("drinking hall"), although they are not pubs, as the name might suggest. A name used for market stalls and also in some regions for little shops is Büdchen (from Bude , "stall, hut, room"); where no special local name for them exists, often just the equivalents of "small shop" or "corner shop" are used ("der kleine Laden/ das Lädchen / das Lädchen an der Ecke"). Snack shops integrated into petrol stations can also have long opening hours, but in contrast to
864-428: A convenience store are often higher than those at a supermarket , mass merchandise store or auto supply store, as convenience stores order smaller quantities of inventory at higher per-unit prices from wholesalers. Some convenience stores are similar to corner markets, but often have less variety in food. Product containers in a convenience store are often smaller with reduced product quantity to allow more products on
960-861: A day from factories. Since products are delivered as needed, stores do not need large stock areas. According to the Japan Franchise Association, as of October 2021 (data pertaining to the month of July 2021), there are 55,931 convenience stores in Japan. 7-Eleven leads the market with 12,467 stores, followed by: Lawson (9,562) and FamilyMart (7,604). Other operators include Circle K Sunkus (acquired by Family Mart in 2016; now defunct), Daily Yamazaki , Ministop , Am/Pm Japan (acquired by Family Mart in 2009; now defunct), Poplar , Coco Store (acquired by Family Mart in 2015; now defunct) and Seico Mart. Many items available in larger supermarkets can be found in Japanese convenience stores, though
1056-556: A desk as a decoy in front of their stores, while offering the same range of products as a holder of a mini market license. There are also many small neighborhood stores, known as toko kelontong or warung . Some are sponsored by a network of stores, mostly owned by cigarette companies (such as DRP by Djarum , GGSP by Gudang Garam or SRC by Sampoerna ) or tech companies (such as Mitra Bukalapak or Mitra Tokopedia ). Convenience stores ( コンビニエンスストア , konbiniensu sutoa ) , often shortened to konbini ( コンビニ ) , developed at
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#17327912248681152-593: A dollar. The price point of its 44-ounce size (marketed as "Epic XL" in some regions) may vary, as it may be under or over $ 1, depending on the region. The Polar Pop was first introduced in Bigfoot convenience stores by Johnson Oil Company in Columbus, Indiana , prior to its acquisition by Alimentation Couche-Tard. After the acquisition, the company began rebranding fountain drinks in other stores owned by Couche-Tard. As of 2018, Circle K sells 17 Polar Pops every second in
1248-423: A fast-food chain maintaining a counter in the store. To save space, food is not prepared in the store. Instead, these counters offer a limited menu of items delivered several times a day from a local branch of the restaurant, with items intended to be served hot either kept hot under a warming device or reheated as ordered. Convenience stores may be combined with other services, such as general stores and pawn shops,
1344-740: A large, multinational convenience store operator based in the Montreal area, for US$ 830 million ($ 1.37 billion in 2023 dollars ). In 2005, Taiwan 's OK Convenience Store chain terminated its franchise agreement with Circle K. In 2006, the company acquired the 90-store Spectrum chain serving Georgia and Alabama , the CFM chain in Missouri , 35 Sterling Dairy locations in Northwest Ohio , and 26 stores under various brands from Chico Enterprises of Morgantown, West Virginia . This came after
1440-462: A lesser degree. Many convenience stores have a beverage fountain that offers coffee, soft drinks, and frozen beverages. Stores often stock fast-moving consumer goods ; items with a high turnover are preferred over items with a lower sales rate. The smaller convenience stores typically have few perishable items because it is not economically viable to rotate perishables frequently with a low number of staff. Smaller convenience stores also do not generate
1536-632: A limited amount of alcohol, newspapers, magazines, slushies, cup noodles, ice cream, hot food, oden , game reload and mobile top up cards. Some also have the service of reloading Touch N' Go cards or ATMs. Most have a microwave oven and hot water boiler to heat food. Some have seasonal and limited food, desserts or special imported products and items, like FamilyMart importing strawberry Coca-Cola from Japan. Malaysia has sundry shops that sell daily items and perishables at lower prices, but unlike convenience shops, they are not open 24/7. Some of these sundry shops also sell traditional herbs and ingredients. Oxxo
1632-660: A mass hiring blitz in the Pittsburgh area, are larger and in some cases sell alcohol , which in Pennsylvania requires special canopies built underneath the pumps just for gas sales. The move coincided with Giant Eagle's expansion into the Indianapolis market with its Market District brand, including GetGo. In August 2024, Giant Eagle entered an agreement with Alimentation Couche-Tard , the parent company of Circle K , to purchase GetGo for an undisclosed sum. The Deal
1728-680: A new logo and brand identity, and Couche-Tard announced that it would deploy the brand globally, including Canada (except Quebec, rebranding from the Mac's brand), Europe (rebranding from the Statoil brand), and the United States (rebranding from the Kangaroo Express brand and updating the existing Circle K brand). Since the 1980s, Circle K has been the largest chain of company-owned and operated (non-franchised) convenience stores in
1824-933: A portion of the Ultramar chain in Canada to Circle K (with the latter also switching fuel suppliers to Irving). Also in 2017, Couche-Tard bought Holiday Stationstores , a Minnesota-based chain of fuel stations in the Midwestern United States . Couche-Tard would integrate business practices from Holiday into the Circle K business, including its food service model and car wash subscriptions. Some locations also piloted store formats patterned after that of Holiday. In November 2018, Circle K opened its first store in New Zealand through master franchisee Pamma Retail Group. In September 2021, Circle K announced
1920-875: A presence throughout the Pittsburgh metropolitan area , primarily competing with 7-Eleven , Sheetz , and several local chains. Meanwhile, in 1995 local supermarket chain Giant Eagle opened a gas station at a Giant Eagle location in Youngstown, Ohio branded as "Giant Eagle Fuel", expanding on this extensively in 2001. This was in line with most other major supermarket chains in the early 2000s that began opening up gas stations at supermarkets, alongside big-box chains Walmart & Kmart , as well as warehouse club chains like Costco and Sam's Club . Like most such concepts, Giant Eagle Fuel stations only sold gasoline . In late 2003, Giant Eagle agreed to buy most of
2016-416: A program in which Citizens Bank debit card holders earned an additional $ .1 off/gallon in Fuelperks! for every $ 50 spent anywhere when their Citizens Bank debit card was used. In addition, Citizens cardholders earned an extra $ .3 off/gallon when used at Giant Eagle in addition to the $ .10 off already earned there. The program is only open to new or existing Citizens Bank customers with a checking account and
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#17327912248682112-526: A ticket counter for purchasing railway tickets, a post office counter , or gasoline pumps. In Asian countries like Japan or Taiwan , convenience stores are more common because of the higher population density. They are found with gasoline and train stations, but also can be stand-alone stores. Items such as soft drinks or snacks, hot dogs, sausages and fish cakes can be found in these stores. Delicatessens are absent; instead, pre-made sandwiches are available. Non-consumables such as magazines are also sold, but to
2208-570: A tremendous rate in Japan . 7-Eleven Japan, while struggling to localize their service in the 1970s to 1980s, evolved its point of sale -based business, until ultimately, Seven & I Holdings Co. , the parent company of 7-Eleven Japan, acquired 7-Eleven (US) from Southland Corporation in 1991. Japanese-style convenience stores also heavily influenced those stores in other Asian regions or countries, such as Mainland China , Taiwan , Thailand , and South Korea . Convenience stores rely heavily on
2304-698: A tunnel wash that guides vehicles through the tunnel where they are washed, rinsed, and dried. Other features include undercarriage washes, and hot wax. WetGo Pro sites also feature free vacuums and towels. In 2020, GetGo launched a subscription service for its car washes called WetGo Unlimited . Guests can sign up to get an unlimited number of washes of a tier they select for a flat monthly fee. In 2023, GetGo began opening Standalone WetGo sites. After initially being based out of Giant Eagle's headquarters in nearby O'Hara Township , in 2015 GetGo moved into its own headquarters and test kitchen at 45 McIntyre Square Drive. The office used to house Emiliano's Mexican Restaurant and
2400-562: Is R-Kioski , with over 560 kiosks across the country, which are all franchise-licensed businesses. There are some independent convenience stores that use the word Kymppi or number 10 in their business name, which is reminiscent of a former large convenience store chain called 10-Kioski, which vanished around the early 2000s. Kymppi is a spoken colloquial word for number 10 ("kymmenen") in Finnish. Smaller towns often have independent kiosks. Convenience stores at service stations are run by either
2496-813: Is a North American chain of convenience stores headquartered in Tempe, Arizona , and owned by Alimentation Couche-Tard, Inc. , based in Laval, Quebec . Founded in 1951 in El Paso, Texas , the company filed for bankruptcy protection in 1990 and went through several owners, before being acquired by Alimentation Couche-Tard in 2003. As of February 2020, Circle K has 9,799 stores in North America, 2,697 stores in Europe, and an additional 2,380 stores operating under franchise agreements worldwide. In 2015, Circle K unveiled
2592-606: Is a small retail store that stocks a range of everyday items such as convenience food , groceries , beverages , tobacco products , lottery tickets , over-the-counter drugs , toiletries , newspapers and magazines . In some jurisdictions , convenience stores (such as off-licences in the UK) are licensed to sell alcoholic drinks , although many other jurisdictions limit such beverages to those with relatively low alcohol content, like beer and wine . The stores may also offer money order and wire transfer services, along with
2688-472: Is different from other "gas station at supermarket" concepts in that Giant Eagle was able to give the chain its own identity and become a full-fledged convenience store/gas station chain. This is unlike most other supermarket chains, which have largely kept the gas stations strictly selling gas and under a generic identity, like Giant Eagle once had with the "Giant Eagle Fuel" concept. To compete with other local convenience store chains, Giant Eagle has instituted
2784-637: Is expected to close in 2025, pending Federal Trade Commission approval. Giant Eagle’s myPerks rewards program will continue to be offered by GetGo after the sale, as well as the offering of Giant Eagle products. It is not known if the locations will remain GetGo or rebrand as Circle K, though it is expected that GetGo will also offer Circle K products such as Polar Pop fountain drinks, Froster frozen drinks, and Circle K private label products including Lawson's chip dip, since GetGo mostly overlaps with existing Circle K locations that were once Lawson's. Ricker's
2880-563: Is now common for convenience stores to sell fresh French bread (or similar). A process of freezing parbaked bread allows easy shipment (often from France ) and baking in-store. Some shops have a delicatessen counter, offering custom-made sandwiches and baguettes . Others have racks offering fresh delivered or baked doughnuts from local doughnut shops. Some shops have a self-service microwave oven for heating purchased food. Fast food items are often available, with stores offering such food either under its owner banner or in partnership with
2976-567: Is sold under various brands, with the Circle K and Shell brands as the most common. Other brands of fuel sold at Circle K stores include Valero , BP , Exxon , Marathon , Irving , Mobil , Esso and Phillips 66 . Approximately 13% of stores worldwide do not sell fuel. Circle K operates stores in the United States, Canada, Europe (the Nordics, Baltics, Poland, Russia, & Ireland), and Hong Kong, and has franchises in Mexico (it partners with
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3072-1126: Is the largest chain in the country, with more than 15,000 stores around the country. Other convenience stores, such as Tiendas Extra , 7-Eleven , SuperCity , ampm , and Circle K , are also found in Mexico . The first convenience store in the country, Super 7 (now a 7-Eleven), was opened in 1976 in Monterrey , Nuevo León . There are also some regional chains, like Amigo Express and CB Mas, that operate in Comarca Lagunera , Super Q and El Matador in Queretaro , Coyote in central Mexico, Kiosko in Colima and some locations in nearby states, and JV in northeastern Mexico. Stores sell fast food like coffee , hot dogs , nachos and prepaid cellphones between MXN$ 20 and MXN$ 500, mainly Telcel and Movistar , newspapers , magazines , and Panini products and other novelties. Polar Pop Circle K Stores, Inc.
3168-509: Is their extended hours of operation. Many are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The majority of convenience stores in Australia are small businesses, being either independently owned or operated under franchise or licence agreement. The industry comprises over 6,000 stores and employs well over 40,000 people as of mid-2018. The Australian convenience channel merchandise sales are valued at $ 8.4 billion (excluding petrol sales) according to
3264-817: The Center for Public Integrity named Circle K as one of the "worst offenders" in the United States. A class-action lawsuit was brought against the company in 2014, for which the company agreed in 2019 to pay a settlement of US$ 8.3 million. Circle K settled a similar class-action lawsuit in 2015 as well. Fountain drinks at Circle K are sold in Polar Pop cups, previously called Thirst Busters, and are available in expanded polystyrene cups. In areas where expanded polystyrene containers are illegal, plastic or paper cups are offered. The 52-ounce cups are plastic. Most American locations offer any size, 32 ounce or under, for under $ 1, while 52 ounces or above cups are priced at over
3360-716: The Cleveland Guardians strikeout sign. It is located in center field at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio . The "K" logo represents the "K" used for strikeouts in traditional baseball scorekeeping and is replicated with each strikeout. The same sponsorship is in place with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona . If the Diamondbacks strikeout ten batters or more,
3456-647: The "Kangaroo Express" name, were expected to be rebranded under the Circle K banner. On August 12, 2015, Circle K opened its first five convenience stores in Costa Rica , Central America, after having bought and rebranded the local convenience store chain Delimart. On September 23, 2015, Couche-Tard unveiled a refreshed brand identity for Circle K, and announced that the Statoil (Northern, Central and Eastern Europe) and Mac's (English Canada) brands would be converted to Circle K. In 2016, Couche-Tard acquired
3552-647: The 1900s, and there are many of those stores in every neighbourhood. In the 2010s, modern convenience stores were introduced, mainly by the AMPM company. Competitors launched brands such as Musmanni Mini Super (a chain of bakery stores promoted to convenience stores), Vindi (operated by AutoMercado supermarket company) and Fresh Market (operated by AMPM in a format appealing to prosperous neighborhoods). In Finland , convenience stores are referred to as kiosks, except for those found inside service stations, which are referred to simply as stores. The biggest convenience store chain
3648-461: The 2005 rebranding of the various Couche-Tard stores ( Mac's , Bigfoot , Dairy Mart , and Handy Andy) under the more nationally known Circle K brand. In mid-2006, Alimentation Couche-Tard entered into a franchising agreement with ConocoPhillips to brand some of its company-owned stores as Circle K, in the western portion of the U.S. ConocoPhillips remodeled the stores into the Circle K scheme but continued to operate them. The stores continued to have
3744-680: The AACS State of the Industry Report 2017. Australia has a flourishing convenience industry with a number of well-known convenience brands including: 7-Eleven, Ampol, NightOwl, Ezymart, BP, APCO, Coles Express, On The Run, Viva Energy, Freedom Fuels and Puma. Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., which operates Couche-Tard, Provi-Soir, Dépanneur 7, Circle K , Mac's , Winks, and Becker's , is the largest convenience store chain in Canada and receives its products through Core-Mark International ,
3840-695: The Baltics, Poland, and western Russia for $ 2.8 billion. On February 10, 2014, Modelo Group sold the Tiendas Extra brand of stores to the Mexican franchise of Circle K, Circulo K. On December 18, 2014, Couche-Tard announced its acquisition of The Pantry for $ 860 million all-cash tender ($ 1.11 billion in 2023 dollars ). The acquisition closed in March 2015. Following the closing, all stores that were owned and operated by The Pantry, many of them under
3936-563: The Cross Roads stations from Guttman Oil, which also happen to supply the Giant Eagle Fuel stations as a jobber . The combined chains took the GetGo name (Giant Eagle + Guttman Oil), although a small handful of the Cross Roads stations still bear the name. This also had the effect of giving some stations a considerable distance from a main Giant Eagle location. Shortly afterward, Giant Eagle bought some gas stations from Shell in Ohio that were near existing Giant Eagle locations to give
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4032-600: The English loanword 'convenience', dépanneur or dep (used in Canada, primarily Quebec , in both English and French. It is a loanword from the French 'troubleshooter'). Various types include, for example, liquor stores ( off-licences -offices), mini-markets (mini-marts), general stores or party stores. Typically confectionery (sweets, ice cream, soft drinks), lottery tickets, newspapers and magazines are sold, although merchandise varies widely from store to store. Unless
4128-756: The Foodperks! program that month because it was "a little too complex". Many GetGo locations have a GetGo Kitchen, which is modeled after rival Sheetz and utilizes a touchscreen ordering method. Initially, GetGo Kitchen locations were a carryover from Cross Roads, as some of their locations had Yum! Brands express concepts with Taco Bell and Pizza Hut Express locations and their kitchens were simply utilized for GetGo's own propertarity food service concept. Due to size limitations, GetGo Kitchen locations were not installed at GetGo locations located outside main Giant Eagle locations. Since 2011, emphasis has been placed on GetGo Kitchen sites and their food has rivaled that of Sheetz, with all newly-built locations since 2011 having
4224-468: The French-speaking province of Quebec , a convenience store is known as a " dépanneur " or "dep" for short, even among some when speaking in English. Chilean convenience stores are typically found at gas stations in most urban and near-urban areas on highways. Examples include Punto/Pronto (owned by Copec ), Spacio 1 ( Petrobras , formerly called Tigermarket and On The Run before Esso Chile
4320-488: The Fuelperks! program, in which customers are rewarded by saving $ 0.10 per gallon ($ 0.20 in select markets) they buy on a fill-up with every $ 50 they spend in Giant Eagle using their Advantage Card. Some GetGo locations also have a WetGo automatic car wash . GetGo's main rival in Pittsburgh is Sheetz, which is headquartered in Altoona . The chain also competes with 7-Eleven /Speedway/ A-Plus , Circle K , Country Fair , and
4416-460: The GetGo chain a footprint in major Giant Eagle markets in Ohio such as Columbus , Cleveland , Akron / Canton , and Youngstown. In one instance, Giant Eagle acquired a 7-Eleven from Marathon Petroleum that had previously been a SuperAmerica and briefly a Speedway before Marathon temporarily withdrew Speedway from Pennsylvania and planned on selling the location to a 7-Eleven franchisee before it
4512-556: The Giant Eagle Fuelperks! Credit Card in its Columbus Market. The Columbus Market was chosen for the pilot. It has extra incentives such as earning an additional 4 cents off per gallon for every $ 50 you charge onto your Fuelperks! credit card and earn an additional 4 cents off per gallon for every $ 100 in GetGo fuel purchases. In late 2008, Giant Eagle and Citizens Financial Group (which already had Citizens Bank locations inside Pennsylvania Giant Eagle locations) launched
4608-743: The Irish service station chain Topaz . In April 2018, Couche-Tard announced that they too would be rebranded to Circle K. Couche-Tard similarly acquired Imperial Oil 's Esso retail locations in Ontario (228) and Quebec (50) the same year, and rebranded the convenience stores in Ontario (many of which previously operated under the On the Run brand) to Circle K. In 2017, Couche-Tard completed its acquisition of CST Brands , adding stores formerly owned by Valero Energy , and
4704-941: The Mainways in Newfoundland and Labrador did not change until summer 2010. The parties had earlier formed a similar partnership in Quebec , with the stores there operated as Couche-Tard. In April 2009, ExxonMobil sold 43 Phoenix stores to parent company Couche-Tard as part of a sale of the larger On the Run franchise. These 43 stores were to be rebranded under the Circle K name. In July 2010, Circle K had dropped down to fourth rank in number of stores (3,455), behind 7-Eleven (6,523 stores), BP (4,730 stores), and Shell (4,630 convenience stores) in 2010. In April 2012, Circle K purchased Norway -based Statoil Fuel and Retail ASA and its 2300 fuel stations located in Scandinavia ,
4800-484: The Mexican stores " Tiendas Extra " created by Modelo Group), Cambodia, China, Egypt, Guam, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, Macau, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. In Hong Kong and Macau , the stores are called OK in reference to the circle around the K. Circle K Hong Kong was founded in 1985 by Li & Fung Retailing (later Fung Retailing) as licensee of
4896-436: The United States it is one per 8,000 people. Another contributing factor to the widespread proliferation of convenience stores is that, because Japan has a lower crime rate, store owners are not reluctant to keep stores open at late hours in the night and customers are not reluctant to shop during those times. In Malaysia , 7-Eleven is the market leader in convenience shops, with over 2,000 shops. Other convenience shops in
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#17327912248684992-739: The United States. The Froster , which was introduced to Mac's stores in 1998, became very popular throughout Western Canada and Ontario . The American version of the Froster was introduced in 1999. Circle K was a part-time primary sponsor of the No. 28 IndyCar Series racecar driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport between 2011 and 2013. In 2014, it switched to KVSH Racing driver Sébastien Bourdais . Circle K, along with Oberto Sausage Company , currently sponsors Marco Andretti . In 2017, Circle K went to NASCAR , sponsoring Matt Kenseth and Joe Gibbs Racing with full livery for six races. It
5088-479: The United States. With 7,230 stores overall in the United States, Circle K is second to 7-Eleven 's 9,348 stores (as of July 2019). As of February 2020, there are more than 14,800 stores with the Circle K brand worldwide. Within the United States, Circle K owns and operates stores in 48 states (the two states without being Nebraska and Utah), with the largest concentration of stores found in Louisiana. Fuel
5184-475: The business needed to sustain food spoilage rates typical of grocery stores or supermarkets . As such, products with a long shelf life are the rule, unless a product is specifically aimed at attracting customers on the chance they may buy something profitable, too. Although larger, newer convenience stores may have a wide range of items, the selection is still limited compared to supermarkets, and in many stores only one or two choices are available. Prices in
5280-536: The checkout, the consumer receives a unique transaction code with an expiration date. Depending on the brand (i.e. 7–11 is slightly different from Family Mart), consumers will have to go to any convenience store and finalise the purchase, which can be either at the cashier or at the kiosk. Multiple providers offer konbini as checkout option for foreign companies selling online in Japan, such as Adyen , Degica and Ingenico ePayments. In 1974, Japan had 1,000 convenience stores. In 1996, Japan had 47,000 convenience stores and
5376-615: The city has been awarded the title of the "Slurpee Capital of the World" for many years running. Marketing itself as "more than just a convenience store", there are over 260 Hasty Market locations throughout Ontario and one in British Columbia . In addition to chain convenience stores, there are also many independently owned convenience stores in Canada. Convenience stores are also commonly referred to as "corner stores", "mini-marts" or "variety stores" in some regions of Canada. In
5472-534: The city. It also eases the burden of families. Many Malaysians also enjoy the seasonal food that these stores provide. These stores can be found almost anywhere, especially in areas with a higher population density, such as city centres, condominiums, apartment complexes, office areas, residential areas, shop lots and petrol stations, although the store density is as high as Taiwan or Japan. Items sold at such convenience shops usually range from pre-made local food like nasi lemak, onigiri, buns, snacks, toiletries, drinks,
5568-610: The company sent a letter to its over 8,000 employees announcing that it will cut off the medical coverage of those who become sick or injured as a result of AIDS, alcohol, drug abuse or self-inflicted wounds. The company stated that "There are certain lifestyle decisions that we are just not going to assure the results of." Fortunes declined in the late 1980s as the U.S. economy began to slow down, and Circle K filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 1990; Eller resigned as CEO. Some underperforming locations were sold or closed. In 1993
5664-476: The company was purchased by Investcorp , an international investment group, and emerged from bankruptcy. In 1996, Circle K was acquired by Tosco Corporation , an independent petroleum refiner and marketer, but kept its headquarters in Phoenix. Tosco was purchased in 2001 by Phillips Petroleum, which, in 2002, merged with Conoco to form ConocoPhillips. In 2003, Circle K was purchased by Alimentation Couche-Tard ,
5760-494: The company's CEO from 1983 to 1990. During that time, Eller built Circle K into the second largest convenience store operation and the largest publicly owned convenience store chain in the U.S. with 4,631 stores in 32 states and an additional 1,300 or so licensed or joint venture stores in 13 foreign countries. Under Eller's leadership, the company grew from annual sales of $ 747 million ($ 2.29 billion in 2023 dollars ) to over $ 3 billion ($ 7 billion in 2023 dollars ). In 1988,
5856-510: The company's home base since 1957. (Hervey would go on to serve two terms as mayor of El Paso.) By 1975, there were 1,000 Circle K stores across the U.S. In 1979, Circle K first expanded its reach into foreign markets via a licensing agreement which established the first Circle K stores in Japan by UNY . Until 2018, Circle K stores in Japan were run by the FamilyMart Company, that was named Circle K Sunkus Company until 2016 and
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#17327912248685952-423: The corner", due to many Arabic-speaking immigrants form Northwest Africa who work in this sector of the economy. These shops often stay open later than the "épiceries" or groceries, even on public holidays. Shop owners consider the name improper, especially those who come from other ethnic groups, including Imazighen . (See Arabe du coin for more details on their ethnic origins.) Berliners lovingly refer to
6048-593: The country are myNEWS.com , 99 Speedmart , KK Super Mart , Quick and Easy and MyMart (owned by Mydin ). FamilyMart is also found in Malaysia and as of July 2020, has opened its 200th store in Malaysia with the goal of opening 1,000 stores by 2025, bringing the 'konbini' concept to Malaysia. CU 147SHOPS & E-MART25 Convenience stores are very popular among Malaysians, especially urban dwellers in Kuala Lumpur or other populated towns like Penang where
6144-417: The country with around 22,000 and 18,000 stores in 2023, respectively. Foreign chains like Family Mart , Circle K or Lawson , on the other hand, have their stores in big cities and cater to a specific lifestyle instead of focusing on "convenience". To be classified as a convenience store, the store should occupy no more than 100 square meters (1,100 sq ft) of service area; in some local residences,
6240-446: The customer experience. The rebranding occurred over the following five years and as of March 2020, all of Europe and 85% of North America had been updated with the Circle K brand and logo. Entrepreneur Fred Hervey purchased three Kay's Food Stores in El Paso, Texas , in 1951. Hervey renamed the stores as "Circle K Food Stores, Inc." rather than "Kay." He grew the Circle K chain into neighboring New Mexico and Arizona, which has been
6336-401: The importance of creating destinations within the store that require additional space—whether coffee islands, food service areas with seating, or financial services kiosks. Convenience stores have expanded their offerings over the last few years, with stores becoming a part-supermarket, restaurant, gas station and even a bank or drug store. In the United States, convenience stores are sometimes
6432-451: The limit is 250 square meters (2,700 sq ft). The Indonesian government also regulates the convenience store license process, so it can only be bought by franchisees, using a different name and different brand, or classifying it as cafeteria . A convenience store with a cafeteria license is only allowed to sell a maximum 10% of its service space for non-food/beverages product. This type of convenience store often puts lawn chairs and
6528-411: The locally-owned Coen Markets in the Pittsburgh market, as well as competing with Sheetz, Speedway, & Circle K in both Cleveland and Columbus, while also competing with United Dairy Farmers , Turkey Hill / Certified , and the locally-owned Duchess Shoppe in Columbus. There are two GetGo locations in West Virginia (in Morgantown ) and three in Maryland (in Frederick ). In 2007, Giant Eagle released
6624-481: The merging of the Cross Roads chain and the "Giant Eagle Fuel" sites into GetGo, all fueling locations now sold fuel under the GetGo banner without being cobranded with a Big Oil brand. For the most part, this has largely stayed the same to this day. Due to fueling contracts, the former Ricker's sites as well as a GetGo in Dublin, Ohio sell BP fuel. GetGo also offers over 40 locations with car washes called WetGo . Some of these sites, referred to as WetGo Pro , use
6720-463: The name, but sold back to Couche-Tard in 2020. Circle K had 387 franchised locations throughout Hong Kong as of May 2020. The Circle K brand entered the Canadian market in 2008, in connection with Couche-Tard's acquisition of Irving Oil 's convenience store network. By 2019, more than 800 Mac's branded stores had been rebranded to Circle K throughout central and western Canada. In September 2015, Couche-Tard announced that Circle K would become
6816-617: The nearest traditional market. This allows traditional markets to continue selling local goods, but also greatly lowers the opportunities for profit by those who seek to build or own a convenience store by reducing the eligibility of property to be developed into a convenience store. This is especially true in small towns and rural areas. As a result, convenience stores in rural areas are often built side-by-side or at maximum within 50 meters (160 ft) of each other. The two major national convenience store chains in Indonesia are Indomaret and Alfamart , both of which serve almost all areas within
6912-489: The neighbourhood Späti -type shops, petrol station shops nowadays are usually part of large retail chains. " Tante-Emma-Laden [ de ] " (aunt-Emma-shop) is used as a nostalgic term for old-fashioned general stores (typically family owned), the historic predecessors of modern discounters and supermarkets which they were replaced by (similar to mom-and-pop stores). In India , "mom-and-pop" convenience stores are called kirana stores and constitute part of
7008-530: The new ConocoPhillips unified canopy design and ProClean fuels. These stores were spun off as Phillips 66 in May 2012. Another oil company, Canada -based Irving Oil , leased out its convenience stores operating under the Bluecanoe and Mainway banners in the United States and Atlantic Canada to Couche-Tard, which rebranded the locations to Circle K in July 2008, while still selling Irving-branded fuel. However,
7104-494: The number was increasing by 1,500 annually. Peter Landers of the Associated Press said that the computerised distribution system allows Japanese convenience stores to stock a wider variety of products, allowing them to be more competitive in the marketplace. Because of this technology and the consequent ease of maintaining the right amount of stock, Japan can support one convenience store for every 2,000 people, while in
7200-599: The only businesses near an interstate highway exit where drivers can buy any kind of food or drink for miles. Most of the profit margin from these stores comes from beer, liquor and cigarettes. Although those three categories themselves usually yield lower margins per item, the sales volume in them generally compensates for it. Profits per item are much higher on deli items (bags of ice, chicken, etc.), but sales are generally lower. In some countries, convenience stores have longer shopping hours , some being open 24 hours. The Australasian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS),
7296-1172: The outlet is a liquor store , the range of alcoholic beverages is likely to be limited (i.e. beer and wine) or non-existent. Most stores sell cigarettes and other tobacco products (e.g. cigarette papers , pipe tobacco, cigars and e-liquid for e-cigarettes ). In many North American jurisdictions, tobacco products comprise the greatest portion of gross sales at convenience stores, between 25% and 35%. Varying degrees of food and grocery supplies are usually available, from household products to prepackaged foods like sandwiches and frozen burritos . Automobile-related items—such as motor oil, maps and car kits—may be sold. Often toiletries and other hygiene products are stocked, as well as sanitary products and contraception . Stores may carry apparel, home furnishings, CDs, and DVDs. Some stores offer money orders and wire transfer services. They may carry small appliances, as well as other household items such as coolers and backpacks. Convenience stores have also been known to carry candles, stationery, artwork, and crockery. Many convenience shops offer ready-to-eat food, such as breakfast sandwiches and fry-ups. Throughout Europe , it
7392-431: The parent chain which has several older privately owned locations; GetGo's that are at independently owned Giant Eagle locations are owned and operated by Giant Eagle itself, not the franchisee. In 2015, GetGo began to open up several more locations in its home market in response to a similar expansion plan by its main rival Sheetz as well as an organic expansion into the area by Speedway. The new locations, which required
7488-559: The parent chain. Up to 20% off can be used at one time, and up to $ 60 ($ 300 worth of groceries) is redeemable under the Foodperks! program, leaving the remainder for a future order. The program was launched in other markets after the Columbus market was used as a test market for the program in Fall 2008. Soon after, it was introduced to the Pittsburgh and Cleveland markets. In February 2013, Giant Eagle announced that they would be discontinuing
7584-621: The peak body for Australian convenience stores, defines a convenience store as a "retail business with the primary emphasis placed on providing the public with a convenient location to quickly purchase from an array of consumable products, predominantly food and beverages, services as well as petrol." The product mix includes: food to go, beverages, dispensed/barista coffee, snacks (including confectionery), tobacco, basic groceries, ice, petrol and carwash. Stores may offer services such as ATMs, "click & collect", gas bottle exchange, money transfer and lottery tickets. A key feature of convenience stores
7680-489: The point of sale. Customers' ages and gender, as well as tomorrow's weather forecast, are important data. Stores place all orders online. As store floor space is limited, they must be careful in choosing what brands to sell. In many cases, several stores from the same chain do business in neighboring areas. This strategy makes distribution to each store cheaper, as well as making multiple deliveries per day possible. Generally, food goods are delivered to each store two to five times
7776-503: The population density is higher. Its 24/7 policy allows Malaysians to have easy access to necessities or as an alternative hang-out area, especially since Malaysians love to go out for midnight supper at mamaks and eateries that also open late at night, as more and more Malaysians are beginning to work or go out late. The availability of fresh hot food or cold premade food is popular among young workers with less time to prepare food for themselves, as many have irregular work hours, especially in
7872-665: The purchase of 10 convenience and food stores from the Griffin Group in Ireland. All the stores being bought are in Dublin and located in busy areas such as O’Connell Street, College Green, Grafton Street and Sandyford. In February 2022, Couche-Tard announced that it would rebrand 12 Holiday Stationstores locations in Sioux Falls, South Dakota , to Circle K. In April 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that Couche-Tard
7968-686: The selection is usually smaller. As well, the following additional services are also commonly available: Some stores also sell charging service for electronic money and ATM services for credit card or consumer finance . Items not commonly sold include: Slurpees , lottery tickets, car supplies and gasoline . Konbini also offer customers the option of making konbini payments (often also referred to as just konbini ), an offline payment solution that allows customers without credit or debit cards to make online purchases. A consumer can buy online services or goods, such as video games on Steam or tickets for events. By selecting konbini as payment method at
8064-594: The small neighbourhood shops with late opening times found throughout the city (often operated by families with immigrant roots, akin to France) as Späti (translating to "Lat(e)y", derived from Spätkauf , "late purchase"). In North Rhine-Westfalia people call the same kind of shop either Kiosk , like the Finnish, (using the word in a way differing from the rest of Germany, where "Kiosk" usually means only stall-like buildings or other very small window-selling shops which are not entered by customers and which sell either newspapers and magazines or snacks and cigarettes, or
8160-650: The station's parent oil company such as Shell or by either of the two major retail corporations in Finland, Kesko or S Group . Virtually all staffed service stations have a small convenience store. In France chain convenience stores are referred to as "supérettes", implying they are mini-supermarkets. Brands include Carrefour City, Casino Shop, Coccimarket, Daily Monop', Franprix, G20, Leader Price Express, Marché Plus, Sherpa, Sitis, Spar, Utile, Vival... (see Magasin de proximité ). Some other, independent convenience shops are referred to as " Arabe du coin " – "Arab on
8256-514: The store shelves. This reduces the apparent cost differences between full-size packaging in supermarkets. Reduced packaging also reduces waste when a traveller such as a hotel guest does not want to or cannot carry leftover product with them when they depart. The average U.S. convenience store has a sales area of 2,768 square feet (257.2 m ). New stores average about 2,800 square feet (260 m ) of sales area and about 1,900 square feet (180 m ) of non-sales area—a nod to retailers recognising
8352-533: The traditional food retail system. Kirana are typically family-owned stores that operate in fixed locations and carry both basic food and non-food items. Supermarket-styled convenience stores in Indonesia (commonly known as "minimarket") are mostly scattered around the towns. Due to local government restrictions in Indonesia, usually convenience stores may only be built at least 500 meters (1,600 ft) from
8448-403: The use of a fax machine or photocopier for a small per-copy cost. Some also sell tickets or recharge smart cards, e.g. Opus cards in Montreal , Canada, or include a small deli . They differ from general stores and village shops in that they are not in a rural location and are used as a convenient (hence their common name) supplement to larger stores. A convenience store may be part of
8544-650: The worldwide brand of all of its convenience stores, replacing Mac's , Kangaroo Express , Statoil , and Holiday Stationstores brands (except the Couche-Tard brand in Quebec and the INGO brand in Europe). This global rebrand included the introduction of a new logo incorporating elements of its existing brands, improvements to its product offerings and technology, and investing in store-level improvements aimed at improving
8640-847: Was a chain of convenience stores operating in Anderson, Indiana . Founded by Jay and Nancy Ricker in 1979, the chain grew to 56 stores across Indiana. On September 27, 2018, Giant Eagle announced it would purchase the 56-store Ricker's convenience store chain in Indiana, marking the largest acquisition for GetGo since the chain's launch. No immediate changes were planned for the Ricker's chain. Much as it has done in Pennsylvania alongside Sheetz, GetGo plans to join Ricker's in having Indiana change their laws regarding alcohol sales. By January 2020, all Ricker's locations were converted to GetGo. The GetGo concept
8736-638: Was considering the British convenience store and restaurant operator EG Group , which would have given it a larger presence in Australia , Western Europe , and EG Group's home market of the United Kingdom , as well as the U.S. (where it had bought Kroger 's convenience store business, as well as Cumberland Farms ), especially in Florida , New England , and Ohio . EG Group would instead enter into
8832-402: Was named Circle K Japan Company until 2004, which licensed the Circle K brand from Alimentation Couche-Tard. In 2018, all Circle K stores in Japan were converted to FamilyMart stores. In 1983, the number of stores increased to 2,180 with the purchase of the 960-store UtoteM chain in the western and southern United States. Karl Eller , a prominent Phoenix, Arizona businessman, served as
8928-565: Was on the car when Kenseth won his final NASCAR Cup Race at that year's fall race at Phoenix Raceway . Also in 2017, Circle K became the official shirt sponsor of United Soccer League side North Carolina FC and signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with the Lithuanian Basketball League . Due to its sizable presence in Greater Cleveland , from the former Lawson/Dairy Mart stores, Circle K sponsors
9024-718: Was originally Don Pablo's. It was located across the street from the McIntyre Square Giant Eagle store and is on the Ross Township side of the Ross- McCandless border. Due to the pandemic, corporate team members began reporting remotely, and the office at McIntyre Square was closed in 2023. The test kitchen was moved to an existing Giant Eagle–owned warehouse in Pittsburgh. Convenience store A convenience store , convenience shop , bodega , corner store , corner shop , or superette
9120-424: Was owned by Petrobras), Va y Ven ( Terpel ), Upa!, Upita! and Select (from Shell ). Other brands operating mostly in downtowns and middle- to upper-class neighborhoods are Ok! Market (owned by Unimarc), Big John and Oxxo (owned by FEMSA ) and some small-scale "minisupermercados" akin to mom and pop stores . In Costa Rica , family-owned and operated convenience stores called pulperías have been common since
9216-507: Was purchased for GetGo; notably, this happened years before 7-Eleven purchased Speedway outright from Marathon. Following these acquisitions, most GetGo's have been built from the ground up by Giant Eagle. Guttman Oil continues to supply GetGo today, initially having had an ownership stake in GetGo, but sold this stake to Giant Eagle in 2005, making GetGo a wholly owned subsidiary of Giant Eagle. Since gaining 100% control of GetGo, all GetGo locations are owned and operated by Giant Eagle, unlike
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