Alimentation Couche-Tard

By Dave Weinberger, CBX

Have you read any 2015 retail trend forecasts lately? Let’s face it, many so-called trends for the year ahead — the need to focus on things like mobile payment, customization, foodservice, smaller formats or millennial shoppers, to name a few — are at this point just the cost of doing business.

Cary, N.C. – Canadian convenience store conglomerate Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., which operates stores under the Circle K banner in the U.S., has agreed to purchase The Pantry Inc., operator of the Kangaroo Express convenience/fuel chain, for $1.7 billion. Purchase price includes $861 million in cash and about $840 million in assumed debt.  

Cary, N.C. – Things are hopping at convenience store/gas station chain The Pantry Inc. According to the Wall Street Journal, the operator of Kangaroo Express and other convenience store banners is preparing to sell itself and already took bids in an auction run by a private investment bank the week of Dec. 8.  

San Antonio, Texas - CST Brands Inc and CrossAmerica Partners LP have agreed to jointly purchase 22 convenience stores in San Antonio and Austin, Texas from Landmark Industries, their third combined acquisition in less than three months. The 22 stores operate under the Timewise brand name and provide Shell-branded fuel.   

Cary, N.C. – The Pantry Inc. beat Wall Street expectations with net income but missed on revenue in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014. Net income dramatically shot up to $14.7 million from $1 million in the same period a year earlier, aided by costs and expenses that remained level or dropped.   Revenue fell 3% to $1.95 billion from $2.02 billion, with declining fuel sales offsetting rising merchandising sales.   

As part of its continued long-term profitable growth strategy, Toys“R”Us has appointed a number of executives to key leadership roles.
 

Wayne, N.J. – Toys “R” Us on Tuesday announced several executive appointments. The retailer named Debbie Lentz as senior VP, chief supply chain officer, with responsibility for U.S. distribution and customs compliance, global importing and exporting, fleet operations and domestic transportation, reporting to Hank Mullany, president, Toys “R” Us, U.S.

Clearwater, Fla. – AccuStore, a provider of site profiling technology and services, announced The Pantry, a chain of 1,500 plus convenience stores, has licensed AccuStore’s site profile management platform with plans to reduce operating costs and improve execution.