USA: The top 100 convenience store chains of 2019

The merger between Speedway and Andeavor has boosted Marathon Petroleum to third place.

There’s a new trifecta at the helm of the 2019 Convenience Store NewsTop 100 ranking. This year, Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC) joins stalwarts 7-Eleven Inc. and Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. in the top three positions on the annual list.

These three players now control a significant portion of the U.S. convenience store market. In all, they operate 14 percent of the industry’s total stores and account for 35 percent of the stores operated by the Top 100 chains.

The new trifecta has been created as Findlay, Ohio-based MPC, parent company to the Speedway chain, moved up one spot on the Top 100 following its strategic merger with San Antonio-based Andeavor on Oct. 1, 2018. The $23.3-billion transaction created a retail powerhouse that stretches from coast to coast.

According to the latest figures compiled in partnership with TDLinx, a service of Nielsen, MPC has a total store count of 5,875 locations, with 3,319 corporate stores and 2,556 franchise/licensee stores. This count was enough to push it past last year's No. 3, Houston-based Shell Oil/Motiva Enterprises LLC, with a total store count of 4,202 locations.

Number 5 on the list is Chevron Corp. with 3,766, followed by Exxon Mobil Corp. (3,323), BP North America (3,047), Casey’s General Stores (2,138), Sunoco LP (1,769) and at number 10 CITGO Petroleum Corp with 1,383 sites.

Check the full list on Convenience Store News.