BONUS CONTENT: Convenience by Region
NATIONAL REPORT — It turns out 7-Eleven Inc. is not only the No. 1 convenience store chain by store count nationally, but the Dallas-based operator of 8,124 U.S. c-stores is also the top c-store banner in the Northeast, South and West regions of the United States.
Only in the Midwest does 7-Eleven not top the list. Here, the retailer actually ranks sixth. In this region, Casey’s General Stores Inc. is the top banner by store count as almost all of its stores reside here.
According to TDLinx, a service of Nielsen, the top 10 c-store banners regionally are:
Top 10 Banners: Northeast
1. 7-Eleven — 1,408 stores in region
2. Sunoco — 557
3. Cumberland Farms — 505
4. Wawa Foodmarket — 462
5. APlus — 411
6. Stewart's Shop — 335
7. Hess — 288
8. BP — 278
9. Turkey Hill Minit Market — 251
10. Sheetz — 246
Top 10 Banners: South
1. 7-Eleven — 3,114 stores in region
2. Shell — 2,422
3. Chevron — 1,496
4. Kangaroo Express — 1,444
5. Circle K — 1,393
6. BP — 1,080
7. Corner Store — 716
8. Stripes — 596
9. RaceTrac — 387
10. QuikTrip — 381
Top 10 Banners: Midwest
1. Casey's General Store — 1,839 stores in region
2. Speedway — 1,234
3. BP — 1,193
4. Marathon — 953
5. Circle K — 861
6. 7-Eleven — 773
7. Holiday Stationstore — 444
8. Sunoco — 428
9. Kwik Trip — 399
10. QuikTrip — 233
Top 10 Banners: West
1. 7-Eleven — 2,847 stores in region
2. Chevron — 1,372
3. Circle K — 1,292
4. Shell — 1,136
5. ampm — 948
6. 76 — 476
7. Corner Store — 324
8. Chevron ExtraMile — 303
9. Loaf 'N Jug Food Store — 148
10. QuikTrip — 105
TDLinx defines a convenience store as a small-format store of at least 800 square feet; with 500 to 1,500 SKUs; that operates at least 13 hours a day; and carries a limited selection of grocery items, including at least two of the following: toilet paper, soap, disposable diapers, pet food, breakfast cereal, tuna fish, toothpaste, ketchup and canned goods.
Editor's note: This Bonus Content story is an add-on to the Top 100 report published in the July issue of Convenience Store News. A digital edition can be accessed by clicking here.