Dive Brief:
- Alimentation Couche-Tard is in the process of remodeling 80% of its Circle K convenience stores in the U.S. and Canada, Chief Operating Officer Alex Miller said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call last month.
- The upgrades are part of Couche-Tard’s “one-touch” remodel program, Miller said. A Couche-Tard spokesperson said this program aims to make “slight changes” to the inside of Circle K’s c-stores without having to close each location.
- About 1,000 of these remodels have been completed to date, the spokesperson said. These remodels complement Couche-Tard’s growth plans for its c-store network, which includes building 500 new-to-industry locations by fiscal 2028.
Dive Insight:
During Couche-Tard’s earnings call, Miller — who will become president and CEO of Couche-Tard in September — pointed to these “one-touch” remodels as a way for the c-store retailer to continue growing its foodservice margins. The spokesperson said these upgrades may include new shelving configurations or revamped store layouts.
“I think as we look to the future, we've got a couple of other things that we think will continue to help us grow margins… we are seeing nice food growth on the back of those remodels,” Miller said during the earnings call.
According to its website, Couche-Tard operates a combined 9,273 c-stores across the U.S. and Canada. If all goes according to plan, the retailer will have made these “one-touch” upgrades to more than 7,400 locations. Neither Miller nor Couche-Tard’s spokesperson offered a timeline for when these remodels are expected to be finished.
Although Couche-Tard’s remodel program is fairly new, this isn’t the first time the company has used the “one-touch” name for a construction project. About six years ago, Couche-Tard launched a “one-touch” energy program that added energy efficient improvements to its stores, such as lighting retrofits and new HVAC systems. Despite the common name, the two are unrelated, Couche-Tard’s spokesperson said.
Laval, Quebec-based Couche-Tard operates more than 7,100 c-stores in the U.S. It is the second-largest c-store company in North America behind 7-Eleven.
