Convenience shops have lengthy drawn regional followers.
East Coast shoppers are loyal to Wawa and Sheetz. The West Coast, to 7-Eleven. In the Midwest, there is a combine of in style chains with various levels of devotion, however Iowa-based Casey’s General Stores, or Casey’s, has grow to be the third-largest comfort retailer chain within the U.S. by going after clients in small cities, largely in that area.
According to the corporate, 72% of its shops are positioned in cities with populations beneath 20,000 individuals, or communities that Casey’s CEO, President and Chairman Darren Rebelez referred to as “underserved.”
“There’s literally thousands and thousands of communities in our footprint and around the country that need a Casey’s and don’t have one yet,” Rebelez mentioned.
Casey’s is usually one of the few retailers in cities of that measurement, in response to monetary companies agency Stephens, which has made its meals service enterprise so vital. Its most well-known merchandise is its pizza, which the corporate makes daily from scratch.
“People love Casey’s pizza. And so I think that affordability and that quality is something that drives their success,” mentioned Pooran Sharma, managing director of fairness analysis at Stephens.
In its fiscal first quarter 2026 earnings posted Monday, Casey’s internet income rose 19.5% from the identical quarter the 12 months prior, whereas complete inside gross sales grew 14.2%. That refers to income generated from purchases made inside the shop, not together with fuel.
Overall, the corporate’s inventory has climbed greater than 190% since Sept. 11, 2020.
Casey’s has expanded its enterprise by constructing new shops and buying others from smaller opponents. In July 2024, it introduced it had purchased Fikes Wholesale, proprietor of CEFCO Convenience Stores, in an all money transaction for $1.15 billion, its greatest deal so far.
Now it’ll enter two new markets, Alabama and Florida, and develop its footprint in Texas. Yet that comes as consultants say competitors amongst comfort shops is stiffening.
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