The Largest Convenience Store Chains in the US – Location Analysis

Convenience store chains in the US will grow faster than all other retailers over the next five years. This is because convenience stores are located close to consumers’ homes, and typically have smaller crowds than large supermarkets or hypermarkets, both of which are necessary measures in the wake of the pandemic.

We took a look at the largest convenience store chains in the US – Shell, Exxon, 7-Eleven, Chevron, Circle K, BP, Speedway, and Casey’s.

How Many Convenience Stores are there in the US

We analyzed a total of 54,126 stores from eight convenience stores in the US.

Shell is the largest convenience store chain with 11,563 stores across 49 states. Exxon has the second-largest presence, with 10,131 stores in 46 states. 7-Eleven comes third with 8,845 stores in 35 states.

Convenience Store Chains with Most Locations Per State

The map above shows the reigning convenience store in each state.

Exxon stores dominate in 12 states. Chevron comes second with the most number of stores in 11 states, majority of those are in the west coast region. Even though Shell has the highest store count for convenience stores, it only dominates in 7 states of which five are in the southeast.

Casey’s, which is only present in 16 states in the US, reigns in 5 midwest states. Convenience stores are so common that 93% of Americans live within just a few minutes of one.

Shell Convenience Stores

There are 11,563 Shell stores in the US. Texas (1,574), California (1,166), and Florida (1,029) are the states with the most number of Shell stores. Shell convenience stores are ubiquitous nationwide and present in all states except Montana.

Shell has a grocery rewards programs that can be redeemed at participating Shell stores. Customers can shop at their local grocery stores such as Stop and Shop, Hy-Vee, Fred Meyers, Dillions, Jewel Osco, Kroger and its other subsidiaries. The reward program is available in more than 25% of Shell stores.

Exxon Convenience Stores

There are 10,131 Exxon stores in the US. Texas (1,565), Florida (797), and New York (600) are the states with the most number of Exxon stores.

7-Eleven Convenience Stores

There are 8,845 7-Eleven stores present in 35 states in the US. California (1,783), Texas (1,258), and Florida (932) are the states with the most number of 7-Eleven stores.

A typical 7-Eleven outlet is small in size and carries a limited stock of food, drinks, and other high-turnover products. Contrary to its name, 82% of 7-Eleven stores are open 24/7.

Chevron Convenience Stores

There are 7,433 Chevron stores in the US. California (2574), Texas (1,115), and Georgia (623) are the states with the most number of Chevron stores.

Chevron’s well-stocked ExtraMile services are available in 77% of Chevron stores. 16% of Chevron stores also sell beer and wine.

Circle K Convenience Stores

There are 6,437 Circle K stores present in 41 US states. Florida (879), Texas (801), and Arizona (604) are the states with the most number of Circle K stores.

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., owner of Circle K stores, acquired franchises such as Kangaroo Express, On the Run, Corner Store and Flash Foods and rebranded them as Circle K stores. Currently, 20% of Circle K stores were franchise stores that were rebranded.

BP Convenience stores

There are 4,101 BP stores in 31 states in the US. North Carolina (601), Wisconsin (572), and Illinois (567) are the states with the most number of BP stores. BP stores are concentrated along the east coast and in Midwestern regions.

Speedway Convenience Stores

There are 3,399 Speedway stores in the US. Ohio (472), New York (326), and Indiana (301) are the states with the most number of Speedway stores. Speedway is only present in 31 states, with stores more concentrated in the Midwest and along the east coast regions.

Casey’s Convenience Stores

Casey’s, the Midwest dominated convenience store, has 2,217 locations in 16 states. Iowa (533), Illinois (451), and Missouri (328) are the states with the most number of Casey’s stores.

Based on store footprint, Casey’s is not far behind giants like Circle K and 7-Eleven. This popular Midwest store goes beyond the requirements of a typical c-store by serving good pizza, bakery, and soft-serve items. 35% of Casey’s stores provide online ordering and pizza delivery.

States with Highest Number of Convenience Store Chains

California has the most number of convenience stores with 6,440 stores, followed by Texas (6.2K) and Florida (4.6K).

How many Convenience Stores are open 24 hours?

Circle K has the highest percentage of convenience stores open 24 hours with 89.2% of stores open 24/7. Speedway comes second with 65% of stores, followed by Shell, with 54.2% of stores open  24 hours a day.

The convenience store with the least percentage of stores open 24/7 is Chevron (18.8%). The stacked column chart below shows the percentage of stores that are open 24 hours.

Future of Convenience Store Chains

As the convenience store industry continues to show steady growth with sufficient government support and capital investment, it has already become a key focus of the retail market. One issue is the increased competition from dollar stores and discount stores opened by larger grocery and pharmacy chains. Cars have also become more fuel-efficient and Americans are slowing turning toward electric and hybrid vehicles, which don’t require as much, or any, gasoline. In order to stay competitive in an evolving retail environment, c-stores need to be destinations where customers want to shop, not just a place to go when there isn’t a better option.

The ScrapeHero Data Store tracks store closures and openings, that focuses on retail, grocery, fast food, finance, and healthcare. You can subscribe to our store data plans and get datasets with data points such as store openings, store closures, parking availability, in-store pickup option, services, subsidiaries, nearest competitor stores, and much more.