3 Big Numbers is a weekly column that looks at a few key details from around the c-store industry.
They say if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. While following that advice may sometimes look foolhardy, circumstances often change, making it worthwhile to take a second bite at the apple.
In today’s “3 Big Numbers,” we look at three c-store retailers taking a second try at a product or initiative for their stores and how they’re setting themselves up for success.
40
The minimum number of TravelCenters of America locations that are expected to get a BP Pulse EV charging hub.
BP announced this week that as part of its plan to reach 100,000 electric vehicle charging positions in its network worldwide by 2030, it would add Pulse EV charging hubs to at least 40 TravelCenters of America locations.
The first of these sites opened last week in Jacksonville, Florida, along major East Coast artery Interstate 95. The location offers amenities for EV drivers, such as WiFi, a c-store, and Subway and Popeyes QSRs.
This isn’t TA’s first attempt at EV charging. In January 2023, just a few months before BP made an offer to acquire the more than 280-location travel center chain, the company announced plans to add roughly 1,000 charging positions across roughly 200 of its sites. While those plans were potentially more expansive, being part of the BP’s Pulse network could give TA’s EV charging network more support and improve its chances of success.
74,000
The square footage of Buc-ee’s second planned Wisconsin store.
Wisconsin currently has no Buc-ee’s locations. The company first aimed to change that with a site in DeForest, and began the permitting process in 2023.
Fast forward to January 2025 and Buc-ee’s remains in the early stages of its first Wisconsin site, but this time it’s for an entirely different store, located in Oak Creek, near Milwaukee. The DeForest store, meanwhile, has gotten bogged down in approvals and infrastructure updates.
It’s likely that both locations will eventually open. While you wouldn’t want a Buc-ee’s on every corner, there are nearly 100 miles between the two, with each store operating from a different major thoroughfare in the state.
But Oak Creek might get its chance to shine first. The aforementioned delays have pushed back DeForest’s groundbreaking as local officials say roads around the site need major work to handle the influx of drivers a Buc-ee’s brings.
5
The number of years Stewart’s Shops’ Mountain Brew beer was off shelves.
Not every product is a winner. Tastes differ, and sometimes the item just doesn't connect with enough customers to give it true staying power.
Case in point? In 2020, Stewart’s Shops stopped carrying Mountain Brew, a private label beer. The beverage had been in stores for nearly a decade, which shows it definitely had some level of success. However, it also had plenty of detractors. Stewart’s ended production of Mountain Brew and shared some memorable feedback the company had received on the beverage — including the good (“stocking our boat with it!”), the bad (“tastes like Motor oil and vinegar”) and the bizarre (“I saw a wild dog drinking a Mountain Brew at Stewart’s”).
But now, five years later, Stewart’s is bringing the brew back.
For the revival, Ballston Spa, New York-based Stewart’s partnered with fellow New York company Paradox Brewery. The companies tried a new approach that they say has received positive feedback from taste testers ahead of the broader rollout next month.
