Convenience Stores in the USA
The number of convenience stores in the USA has been decreasing steadily for several years. This decline is mostly due to a decrease in the number of single-store operators, which account for more than half of the industry. This trend is particularly noticeable in the non-fuel convenience stores. However, it has slowed recently.
Cumberland Farms USA Convenience Stores
The Cumberland Farms USA convenience store chain offers a variety of packaged snacks, hot & cold beverages, and prepared foods. The stores are located in many states and are easily accessible by car. These stores also have plenty of parking. Many of the locations offer free Wi-Fi.
The company began as a single dairy farm in 1939 and has grown into a billion dollar convenience store empire. It now operates over 1,100 convenience stores and gas stations across the Northeast. It also owns two-thirds of the gas station company Gulf Oil L.P. and hundreds of Exxon stations. The company also conducts grocery and beverage warehousing, and bakery operations.
As of late 2003, the Cumberland Farms convenience store chain surpassed 1,000 locations. Its parent company Gulf Oil supplied gasoline and diesel to thousands of independent petroleum dealers in the Mid-Atlantic states and Florida. After acquiring Gulf, Cumberland Farms shifted its focus to integrate its management pool while maintaining its high quality of service. This included the appointment of Harry Brener as the company’s president and chief operating officer. He brought over 20 years of experience at Cumberland Farms. He restructured the company’s structure and retrofitted convenience stores, making aisles wider and centrally located registers.
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet USA is a discount chain with a quirky logo. The logo is a caricature of the company’s founder, Oliver Rosenberg. The store has several semi-lovely branches around the country, but it does not sell online. It is known for poking fun at itself to attract customers.
Ollie’s has been in business since 1982 and offers discount brand-name merchandise. Many of its locations feature a variety of items at up to 70% off. Products include apparel, home furnishings, kitchen and bath products, and hardware and electronics. These stores also offer seasonal items.
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet has been expanding rapidly in recent years. It recently opened stores in Barkhamsted, Conn., Coshocton, Ohio, Poplar Bluff, Mo., and Huntington, Pa. The company currently employs more than ten thousand associates. In the first quarter of 2011, the company reported a net profit of $406.7 million. The company expects to grow by another 50 to 55 stores a year, bringing the total to over one thousand outlets.
BP America USA Convenience Stores
BP America is expanding its convenience store portfolio through the acquisition of Thorntons, a consumer goods company. The deal will make bp America the largest convenience store operator in the Midwest. The company will have 208 locations in six states, including Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The company will retain the Thorntons brand.
The company is experimenting with automated checkout technology at convenience stores. It is aimed at alleviating frustration for busy consumers and may improve sales. The technology uses artificial intelligence, cameras, and sensors to identify items and automatically charge them when the shopper leaves the store. The company has partnered with Grabango to test the technology in select stores.
EG America
EG America is one of the largest convenience store chains in the United States. With more than 1,700 locations throughout the country, the company is one of the fastest growing in the industry. Its operations include fuel, grocery, merchandise, food, and service. It serves customers from New York to Florida. Founded in 1973, EG America is a subsidiary of the EG Group, which is based in Blackburn, England.
EG America’s North American headquarters are located in Westborough, Massachusetts, after moving from Cincinnati, Ohio. It currently operates 762 convenience stores under five different banners, including Turkey Hill Minit Markets.
Murphy USA Convenience Stores
The El Dorado, California-based Murphy USA Inc. recently reported its first-quarter net income at $152.4 million, compared to $55.3 million in the same quarter last year. The company said its diluted earnings per share grew by 7.5% to $6.08 in the first quarter of 2022, exceeding the Thomson Reuters average estimate of $3.02. The company plans to continue expanding through acquisitions and new store development in the years ahead.
The three men are accused of stealing two vans on Feb. 14, and ramming them into the Murphy USA convenience store. A witness reported that a male wearing a black hoodie was in the van, and that the man ran toward the nearby Walmart Supercenter. The suspects’ vehicle was later discovered abandoned on the side of the road with the engine running but the ignition punched. The van had been stolen from M&A Wrecker Service, which is located on Hathaway Drive.