Upscale Circle K's To Return To OKC!

[writerranger]

TORONTO, March 8 (Reuters) - Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (ATDb.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) said on on Thursday it has agreed to buy 53 convenience stores in Oklahoma City, from privately-held Star Fuel Marts, as it beefs up its U.S. network of stores.
Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed, but Couche-Tard, North America's third-largest convenience store operator, said total 2006 sales for the 53 stores were about $215 million.

Couche-Tard said the deal, which will be paid with internal available cash, is expected to close in April. The stores will be converted to Couche-Tard's Circle K banner.

Shares of Couche-Tard, which currently operates a network of 5,360 convenience stores in Canada and the United States, were down 6 Canadian cents, or 0.4 percent, at C$24.91 on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Thursday morning.

($1=$1.18 Canadian)

I've read nothing but good things about Couche-Tard. One of the regular business magazines I read had a profile a year or so ago and talked of their switching their covenience stores to a more 'upscale' type store.

EDIT: Another link with a nice quote about the opportunity for growth in the Oklahoma City market:


---------------

[jbrown84]

haha what a name

Couche-Tard.

[brianinok]

I could be wrong but it sounds like they are just going to keep the stores as-is. If they do change them up, I hope they are better than Circle K's I've been in before. I wasn't impressed with those. They weren't even as nice as a 7-Eleven.

[Spartan]

Lawton was plagued with Circle K's until a few months ago when word got around Lawton that Circle K was a proud Venezuelan company. Then they changed the name to Stripes.

[Spartan]

addendum:

That would be "stripes" as in "stars and stripes" I figure.

[writerranger]

Lawton was plagued with Circle K's until a few months ago when word got around Lawton that Circle K was a proud Venezuelan company. Then they changed the name to Stripes.

That was CITGO, Spartan.
Couche-Tard is a major Canadian company which purchased the Circle K chain in 2004.
They WILL be relabeled as Circle K as per one of those articles and as I said before, the new Circle-K's are getting rave reviews. The second link quoted the CEO as saying there was opportunity for a lot of growth in Oklahoma City. I would expect to see any new stores be the 'upscale' versions and many of the current ones to be upgraded.

------------------------

[brianinok]

Yeah, I suspect the new ones will be of the upscale variety. But, I also think they will just change the sign out front on the 53 existing stores they are buying. I will be surprised if they try to remodel even a fraction of the 53 existing stores into upscale ones.

[Karried]

haha what a name

Couche-Tard.

LOL!!!! That was a spew on my keyboard near miss there.. sheesh ..

[jbrown84]

Oh good, glad I won't be getting a bill on that one.

[BDP]

What, exactly, qualifies them as "upscale"? Are their slurpees of better vintage?

[CMSturgeon]

I so hated Circle K when I was little. Until I figured out that it was 7-11 you get ICEEs from, my mom would pull in to a circle K and i'd be all excited about getting an ICEE. But no...... they don't have them. I was so glad when the one on 12th & Broadway went out of business, I thought, will they make it that ICEE place now? Nope, they didn't, now it's a place that requires you to spend at least $3 to use a debit/credit card. And I still like icees. By the way, isn't the minimum amount for cards illegal? That's what I keep hearing. If so, I'm telling.

[jbrown84]

Actually, Circle K had the actual ICEE brand slush drinks, while our local 7-11's had the creatively named "Icy Drink", which was of sub-par quality. I don't know why our 7-11's done have Slurpees like in other parts of the country.

[okieopus]

From what I know our Seven-11's are a private franchise of the parent company. The owner did not purchase the rights to "Slurpees"

Our 7-11's are subpar and not anything special.

I would LOVE to have QT's in OKC, but the owner has a gentlemans agreement with the company.

[mranderson]

From what I know our Seven-11's are a private franchise of the parent company. The owner did not purchase the rights to "Slurpees"

Our 7-11's are subpar and not anything special.

I would LOVE to have QT's in OKC, but the owner has a gentlemans agreement with the company.

Yes. Nearly all 7-11's across the nation are franchised. Plus, I think 7-11 owns Slurpee, which is similar to Icee. In fact, I think it is a corporate decision that 7-11 is not allowed to have the Icee brand.

What is an "upscale" convenience store? Probably Quick Trip.

[BDP]

What makes Quick Trip "upscale"? I've never been to one, so I don't know.

I've lived in some places where some corner stores or convenient stores sell better wines, produce, or other cooking supplies, but that doesn't seem to apply here, so I can't get a grasp on this upscale convenient store concept as it applies to Oklahoma.

[mranderson]

What makes Quick Trip "upscale"? I've never been to one, so I don't know.

I've lived in some places where some corner stores or convenient stores sell better wines, produce, or other cooking supplies, but that doesn't seem to apply here, so I can't get a grasp on this upscale convenient store concept as it applies to Oklahoma.

For starters. They look a lot nicer, plus they have a coffee bar that seems like it is larger than an Olympic swimming pool with dozens of types of coffee.

[BDP]

Ahhh, yes. I forgot about coffee (don't drink it). Upscale coffee makes sense.

[writerranger]

7-Eleven is now owned by a Japanese company. The only independently owned stores in the United States are right here in Oklahoma City.
7-Eleven - Wikipedia

-------------------------------------------

[mranderson]

7-Eleven is now owned by a Japanese company. The only independently owned stores in the United States are right here in Oklahoma City.
7-Eleven - Wikipedia

-------------------------------------------

Directly from 7-11.com: Where We Franchise

7-Eleven franchises in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington State and the District of Columbia. To see if stores are currently available for franchise in your area, view our current franchise opportunities

Granted. They did not mention Oklahoma City which is owned by Jim Brown. However, this should show you they DO franchise elsewhere.

[drumsncode]

They weren't even as nice as a 7-Eleven.

OMG, you're scaring me. Not as nice as a 7-Eleven! They'll have to import 40-year old linoleum and antique dust-bunnies to get much worse.

Everyone take a trip to Tulsa and go into a Qwik Trip. It's convenience store Heaven. The only thing missing from those stores is a butler coming out with a silver platter and serving your snacks personally.

[writerranger]

Directly from 7-11.com: Where We Franchise

7-Eleven franchises in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington State and the District of Columbia. To see if stores are currently available for franchise in your area, view our current franchise opportunities

Granted. They did not mention Oklahoma City which is owned by Jim Brown. However, this should show you they DO franchise elsewhere.

No, I didn't mean they weren't franchised and didn't mean anything regarding your post. I just think it's interesting that the only independently owned 7-Eleven's are in Oklahoma City; they have no franchise requirements, they have nothing but rights to use the name of the parent company. It's very unusual - and even mentioned in the 7-Eleven Wikipedia article.

---------------------------

[brianinok]

OMG, you're scaring me. Not as nice as a 7-Eleven! They'll have to import 40-year old linoleum and antique dust-bunnies to get much worse.

It was in indictment on how bad the Circle's K's I've been in are, not on how good the 7-Eleven's are. Although, the 7-Elevens are pretty decent in my area (Edmond/N OKC). But, none of them hold candle to a Qwik Trip or a *few* of the new Star Marts I have been to.

[mranderson]

No, I didn't mean they weren't franchised and didn't mean anything regarding your post. I just think it's interesting that the only independently owned 7-Eleven's are in Oklahoma City; they have no franchise requirements, they have nothing but rights to use the name of the parent company. It's very unusual - and even mentioned in the 7-Eleven Wikipedia article.

---------------------------

Although many companies think they own you when you franchise, independantly owned (using someone elses name like Jim Brown does), as you called it, and franchising is the same thing. He still pays royalties or franchise fees to 7-11 corp (formarly known as Southland Corp).

[jbrown84]

He still pays royalties or franchise fees to 7-11 corp (formarly known as Southland Corp).

You speak as if he's your best buddy. How would you know? Clearly that is not the case.

[BaconCheeseburgerDeluxe]

Franchise Virtual Tour

The online store tour of a typical Circle K looks just like the larger All Star stores you see around the city. All Star has converted most of there stations from the old little building between the pumps to a large store like 7-11.

I am willing to bet this will chase the nasty jrungy E-Z Marts out of the city. Most of the E-Z Marts will probaly convert over to the "teenage liquor stores". You can always spot the "teenage liquor stores" they always have bars on the windows and two dozen beer signs hanging between the bars.