Convenience Confidential: Shell’s big bet on the future of US c-stores
Shell announced on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to acquire all equity in Tri Star Energy, a convenience store operator in the southeastern United States, increasing its stake from 33% to 100%. Upon completion of the transaction, Shell will own 320 company-operated sites in Tennessee and surrounding areas, and will have supply agreements with 552 dealer-owned sites, nearly doubling its number of company-operated convenience stores in the U.S. This marks the largest merger and acquisition in the U.S. convenience store industry since 2026. Shell previously held one-third of Tri Star's shares, and this transition from a minority shareholder to a full owner signals strong confidence in Tri Star and the prospects of the U.S. convenience store industry. Tri Star operates brands such as Twice Daily, Sudden Service, and Little General, as well as White Bison Coffee, an in-store coffee concept at Twice Daily. Analysts believe Shell's move aims to strengthen its food service capabilities to compete with fast-food chains and deepen its relationship with consumers.
Convenience Confidential: Shell’s big bet on the future of US c-stores
Shell announced on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to acquire all equity in Tri Star Energy, a convenience store operator in the southeastern United States, increasing its stake from 33% to 100%. Upon completion of the transaction, Shell will own 320 company-operated sites in Tennessee and surrounding areas, and will have supply agreements with 552 dealer-owned sites, nearly doubling its number of company-operated convenience stores in the U.S. This marks the largest merger and acquisition in the U.S. convenience store industry since 2026. Shell previously held one-third of Tri Star's shares, and this transition from a minority shareholder to a full owner signals strong confidence in Tri Star and the prospects of the U.S. convenience store industry. Tri Star operates brands such as Twice Daily, Sudden Service, and Little General, as well as White Bison Coffee, an in-store coffee concept at Twice Daily. Analysts believe Shell's move aims to strengthen its food service capabilities to compete with fast-food chains and deepen its relationship with consumers.
McCain Foods taps PepsiCo exec as chief manufacturing and operations officer
McCain Foods confirmed the hiring of Victoriano Perez Mies as Chief Manufacturing and Operations Officer, who previously worked at PepsiCo for nearly two decades.
3 Big Numbers: The biggest winners in Couche-Tard’s Q1
Convenience store giant Couche-Tard reported its first-quarter results for fiscal 2027, with total revenue up over 25% year-over-year and U.S. same-store merchandise revenue growing 1.7%. Energy drink sales increased over 10%, food service accounted for 13.2% of merchandise sales, and cigarette sales outperformed the industry by 400 basis points. This article interprets its growth strategy through three key numbers.
BP names new chair 3 months after ousting predecessor
BP announced on Wednesday the appointment of Ian Tyler as chairman, effective immediately. Tyler joined BP's board in April 2025 and became interim chairman in May after former chairman Albert Manifold was removed over oversight and conduct issues. Following an extensive search of internal and external candidates, BP has formally confirmed Tyler as the permanent successor.
Couche-Tard’s merchandise growth keeps on rolling into fiscal 2027
Alimentation Couche-Tard achieved its fifth consecutive quarter of U.S. same-store merchandise sales growth in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, with a 1.7% year-over-year increase and 1.6% global network growth. Despite economic headwinds and weak consumer confidence, the company maintained growth momentum through food service innovation and category optimization.
Is Buc-ee’s momentum slowing?
According to Numerator data, Buc-ee's annual foot traffic has doubled compared to 2019, but household penetration has slightly decreased from 33.5% to 33.3%, and the number of households purchasing private-label products has dropped by 3 million. Amid expansion and competitive pressures, its growth momentum shows signs of slowing.
Fintech Debuts Supply Chain Partner Management Hub to Modernize Traditional Scan-Based Trading | C-Store Dive
Fintech, a B2B data and payments automation provider, has launched a supply chain partner management hub designed for grocery and convenience stores with DSD shared inventory programs. The platform provides end-to-end visibility, automated payments, and a validated price book, aiming to reduce friction and improve margins in scan-based trading.
New Research Explains Why It’s Costing Brands to Undervalue Consumer Differences | C-Store Dive
In April 2026, Schaefer released three simultaneous research reports indicating that food and beverage brands commonly lump three types of consumers together in their media plans, leading to overspending on linear TV, underinvestment in streaming, and mis-measurement of social advertising. The reports separately analyze the behavioral characteristics of social-first, TV-first, and streaming-first buyers, emphasizing that these are structurally different advertising problems requiring differentiated strategies.