101 East 7th Street, Fonda IA 50540
“I grew up in NW Iowa and learned early about 640 acre sections and the usual availability of a gravel or paved road every ~mile. So when I drive from say Estherville to Ames, I'm zig-zagging most of the way. What I find is the calming effect of rolling farm land, small Iowa towns, and old school buildings that have been consolidated away. At some point in my rural journeys, gas for the car, a bio break, and maybe a little nourishment are in order. Last week, this Casey's in Fonda (part of a Midwest chain) was the place I stopped for all 3. Fast gas, clean restrooms, decent junk food (or sandwiches/pizza), and a helpful clerk were all I needed. This is a state that super unleaded is cheaper than regular because of ethanol subsidies. E15 also works, but normally not E85. Anyway, the price was lower than anything I currently enjoy in Nevada or California. Onward.....”
The Iowa retailer, the third-largest convenience store operator in the country, built its new three-year plan around three priorities: store growth, food and beverage expansion, and kitchen technology upgrades. The company plans to add 120 stores during the current fiscal year. Its previous plan, launched in 2023, delivered more than 500 new stores and earned the company a spot in the S&P 500.
Read the postLove's Travel Stops is starting 2025 with ambitious growth plans, adding 20 new stores and updating 50 current locations across the country. The truck stop company will upgrade its stores through its Strategic Remodel Initiative, which started in 2022. This includes the modernization of its recently acquired turnpike location in Stroud, Oklahoma. By 2035, over half of Love's 655 stores will be either new or updated.
Read the postFood service giant Sodexo plans to open nearly 100 "Food Hive" locations on campuses nationwide by 2026. The company has already started the process, aiming to launch about 30 new college convenience stores during the current 2024-25 academic year.
Read the post7-Eleven is going big on food and "frictionless shopping." The convenience store giant plans to open 500 new "food-forward" locations across the U.S. from 2025 to 2027. The expansion builds on 7-Eleven's "Evolution" store concept, first launched in Dallas in 2019. These larger-format stores feature in-store restaurants, premium products like craft beer and cigars, and an emphasis on fresh, grab-and-go meals.
Read the postAmazon has quietly opened a new type of grocery store in downtown Chicago. Called Amazon Grocery, the 3,800-square-foot store is a testing ground for Amazon's latest experiment in brick-and-mortar retail. The first Amazon Grocery location shares a building with a Whole Foods Market, which Amazon purchased in 2017.
Read the post
