Dive Brief:
- EG Group has completed its first conversions of Tom Thumb convenience stores to the Cumberland Farms brand in its c-store network on the Gulf Coast, according to a Thursday announcement.
- The c-store operator first announced the two-year, $50 million rebrand project in February, saying at the time it will include the rebranding of 113 Tom Thumb locations.
- EG Group plans to open more than 50 of these rebranded Cumberland Farms locations by the end of the year, the company said in the announcement.
Dive Insight:
EG Group has already officially rebranded three Tom Thumb c-stores to Cumberland Farms locations, starting with the store at 7074 State Hwy 59 in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Each new c-store will feature Cumberland Farms' latest design and updated equipment and foods, including “a menu of hot-and-ready items and premium Farmhouse Blend coffee.” Customers can also join Cumberland Farms’ SmartPay Rewards program to save 10 cents per gallon of fuel each time they fill their tank.
The rebrand will not affect the status of current Tom Thumb employees, who will remain employed under the Cumberland Farms brand.
EG Group said the decision to rebrand Tom Thumb stores to Cumberland Farms came after observing market and consumer trends and realizing the growth potential of having the Cumberland Farms brand on the Gulf Coast.
EG America, a subsidiary of EG Group, operates over 1,700 locations across ten brands throughout the U.S., including Cumberland Farms, Certified Oil, Fastrac Café, KwikShop and others. In 2018, EG Group acquired Tom Thumb as part of its acquisition of Kroger’s 762-site c-store network, which it purchased for over $2 billion.
Earlier this month, EG Group announced a nationwide delivery partnership with DoorDash. By the end of October, more than 1,300 EG-owned stores, representing more than three quarters of the company’s footprint, will offer delivery through the e-commerce provider.
