History of Circle K in Timeline
"Circle K Stores, Inc. is an American convenience store chain headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, and owned by the Canadian company Alimentation Couche-Tard. Founded in 1951 in El Paso, Texas, Circle K experienced financial troubles in the 1990s before being acquired by its current owner in 2003. As of February 2020, Circle K operates and franchises over 14,000 stores globally, with a significant presence in North America and Europe."
1951: Circle K is Founded
Circle K was founded in 1951 by Fred Hervey in El Paso, Texas, when he purchased three Kay's Food Stores and renamed them "Circle K Food Stores, Inc."
1957: Circle K Moves to Arizona
In 1957, Circle K shifted its base of operations to Arizona, which has remained the company's home state ever since.
1975: Circle K Reaches 1,000 Stores
Circle K reached a significant milestone in 1975 by expanding its footprint to 1,000 stores across the United States, marking a period of substantial growth for the company.
1979: Circle K Expands to Japan
In 1979, Circle K embarked on its first international expansion by signing a licensing agreement that established its presence in Japan, marking the brand's entry into the Asian market.
1983: Circle K Acquires UtoteM Chain
In a strategic move to expand its presence in the western and southern United States, Circle K acquired the 960-store UtoteM chain in 1983, significantly increasing its store count to 2,180.
1983: Karl Eller Becomes CEO
Prominent Phoenix businessman Karl Eller took the helm as CEO of Circle K in 1983, ushering in a period of significant growth and expansion for the company.
1985: Circle K Enters Hong Kong
In 1985, Circle K expanded its operations into Hong Kong through a licensing agreement with Li & Fung Retailing, marking its entry into the Asian market.
1988: Circle K Announces Controversial Policy Change
In 1988, Circle K sparked controversy when it announced a change to its employee benefits policy, stating that it would no longer provide medical coverage for illnesses or injuries resulting from AIDS, alcohol or drug abuse, or self-inflicted wounds, raising concerns about discrimination and employee well-being.
May 1990: Circle K Files for Bankruptcy
Facing economic challenges in the late 1980s, Circle K filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 1990, leading to the resignation of CEO Karl Eller and the closure or sale of underperforming stores.
1990: Circle K Files for Bankruptcy
Facing economic challenges in the late 1980s, Circle K filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 1990, leading to the resignation of CEO Karl Eller and the closure or sale of underperforming stores.
1990: Eller Resigns as CEO
Following Circle K's filing for bankruptcy protection in 1990, Karl Eller stepped down from his role as CEO, marking the end of his tenure at the company.
1993: Investcorp Acquires Circle K
In 1993, Circle K emerged from bankruptcy after being acquired by Investcorp, an international investment group, marking a new chapter for the company.
1996: Tosco Corporation Acquires Circle K
In 1996, Circle K was acquired by Tosco Corporation, an independent petroleum refiner and marketer, marking another ownership change for the convenience store chain.
1998: The Froster Introduced to Mac's Stores
In 1998, The Froster was introduced to Mac's stores and became very popular throughout Western Canada and Ontario.
1999: American Version of The Froster Introduced
In 1999, the American version of The Froster was introduced.
2001: Phillips Petroleum Acquires Tosco
Tosco Corporation, which owned Circle K, was acquired by Phillips Petroleum in 2001, leading to further changes in the ownership structure of the convenience store chain.
2002: Phillips Petroleum and Conoco Merge
In 2002, Phillips Petroleum, the owner of Circle K, merged with Conoco to form ConocoPhillips, creating a larger energy company.
2003: Acquisition by Alimentation Couche-Tard
In 2003, Circle K was acquired by Alimentation Couche-Tard, a multinational convenience store operator based in Montreal, for US$830 million, marking a turning point for the company.
2004: Circle K Japan Changes Name
In 2004, Circle K Japan Company, as it was previously known, underwent a name change, marking a shift in its branding strategy within the Japanese market.
2005: Couche-Tard Rebrands Stores to Circle K
In 2005, Couche-Tard undertook a rebranding effort, unifying its various convenience store brands, including Mac's, Bigfoot, Dairy Mart, and Handy Andy, under the more nationally recognized Circle K brand.
2005: Taiwan's OK Convenience Store Terminates Franchise Agreement
In 2005, Taiwan's OK Convenience Store chain ended its franchise agreement with Circle K, leading to the brand's withdrawal from the Taiwanese market.
2006: Circle K Enters Franchising Agreement with ConocoPhillips
In mid-2006, Alimentation Couche-Tard entered into a franchising agreement with ConocoPhillips, allowing the oil company to brand some of its company-owned stores as Circle K in the western United States.
July 2008: Circle K Takes Over Irving Oil's Convenience Stores
In July 2008, Circle K expanded its presence in the United States and Atlantic Canada by taking over the operation of convenience stores previously leased by Irving Oil under the Bluecanoe and Mainway banners, rebranding them as Circle K while continuing to sell Irving-branded fuel.
2008: Circle K Enters Canada
Circle K made its foray into the Canadian market in 2008 when Couche-Tard acquired Irving Oil's network of convenience stores, setting the stage for the brand's expansion across the country.
April 2009: Circle K Acquires ExxonMobil Stores
In April 2009, Circle K's parent company, Couche-Tard, acquired 43 ExxonMobil stores in Phoenix as part of a larger sale of the On the Run franchise, with plans to rebrand these locations as Circle K.
July 2010: Circle K Ranks Fourth in Store Count
By July 2010, Circle K's ranking in terms of store count had slipped to fourth place in the United States, with 3,455 stores, trailing behind industry giants 7-Eleven, BP, and Shell.
2010: Mainway Stores in Newfoundland and Labrador Rebranded
The rebranding of Irving Oil's Mainway convenience stores to Circle K extended to Newfoundland and Labrador in the summer of 2010, completing the transition of these locations.
2011: Circle K Sponsors Ryan Hunter-Reay
Circle K was a part-time primary sponsor of the No. 28 IndyCar Series racecar driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport between 2011 and 2013.
May 2012: Phillips 66 Spins Off from ConocoPhillips
In May 2012, Phillips 66 was spun off from ConocoPhillips, becoming an independent energy company and taking over the operation of ConocoPhillips-branded convenience stores that had been remodeled as Circle K locations.
2013: Circle K Continues Sponsorship of Ryan Hunter-Reay
Up until 2013, Circle K continued its sponsorship of the No. 28 IndyCar Series racecar driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport.
February 10, 2014: Circle K Acquires Tiendas Extra
On February 10, 2014, Modelo Group sold the Tiendas Extra brand of stores to the Mexican franchise of Circle K, Circulo K.
December 18, 2014: Couche-Tard Acquires The Pantry
On December 18, 2014, Couche-Tard announced its acquisition of The Pantry for $860 million. Following the closing in March 2015, all stores owned by The Pantry were expected to be rebranded under the Circle K banner.
2014: Circle K Sponsors Sébastien Bourdais
In 2014, Circle K switched its IndyCar sponsorship to KVSH Racing driver Sébastien Bourdais.
2014: Class-Action Lawsuit Against Circle K
In 2014, a class-action lawsuit was brought against Circle K for wage theft, resulting in a settlement in 2019.
March 2015: Couche-Tard Completes Acquisition of The Pantry
In March 2015, Couche-Tard completed its acquisition of The Pantry. The acquisition included the rebranding of many stores under the Circle K banner.
August 12, 2015: Circle K Expands to Costa Rica
On August 12, 2015, Circle K opened its first five convenience stores in Costa Rica, Central America, after buying and rebranding the local convenience store chain Delimart.
September 2015: Circle K Unveiled as Global Brand
In a strategic move to unify its brand identity, Couche-Tard announced in September 2015 that Circle K would become the global brand for all its convenience stores, gradually replacing brands like Mac's, Kangaroo Express, Statoil, and Holiday Stationstores.
September 23, 2015: Couche-Tard Unveils Refreshed Circle K Brand
On September 23, 2015, Couche-Tard unveiled a refreshed brand identity for Circle K and announced that the Statoil and Mac's brands would be converted to Circle K.
2015: Circle K Settles Another Class-Action Lawsuit
In 2015, Circle K settled a similar class-action lawsuit related to wage theft.
2015: Circle K Embraces Global Expansion
In 2015, Circle K underwent a significant brand transformation with a new logo and a global expansion strategy. Couche-Tard announced plans to replace its various convenience store brands worldwide, including Mac's in Canada, Statoil in Europe, and Kangaroo Express in the United States, with the Circle K brand.
2016: Circle K Sunkus Becomes FamilyMart
In 2016, Circle K Sunkus, as the company was known in Japan, underwent a name change to FamilyMart, reflecting the evolving brand landscape in the Japanese convenience store market.
2016: Couche-Tard Acquires Topaz and Imperial Oil's Esso Retail Locations
In 2016, Couche-Tard acquired the Irish service station chain Topaz and Imperial Oil's Esso retail locations in Ontario and Quebec, rebranding them to Circle K.
May 2017: Circle K Power Cube Introduced in Ingress
In May 2017, a sponsored Circle K Power Cube was introduced into the online game Ingress.
2017: Circle K Sponsors North Carolina FC and Lithuanian Basketball League
In 2017, Circle K became the official shirt sponsor of United Soccer League's North Carolina FC and signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with the Lithuanian Basketball League.
2017: Circle K Sponsors Matt Kenseth in NASCAR
In 2017, Circle K sponsored Matt Kenseth and Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR, with Kenseth winning his final NASCAR Cup Race at that year's fall race at Phoenix Raceway.
2017: Couche-Tard Acquires Holiday Stationstores
In 2017, Couche-Tard bought Holiday Stationstores, a Minnesota-based chain of fuel stations in the Midwestern United States, and extended Holiday's business practices to its North American stores.
2017: Couche-Tard Acquires CST Brands and Ultramar Chain
In 2017, Couche-Tard completed its acquisition of CST Brands, adding stores formerly owned by Valero Energy and part of the Ultramar chain in Canada to Circle K.
April 2018: Couche-Tard Rebrands Topaz and Esso Retail Locations to Circle K
In April 2018, Couche-Tard announced that the Irish service station chain Topaz and Imperial Oil's Esso retail locations acquired in 2016 would be rebranded to Circle K.
November 2018: Circle K Opens First Store in New Zealand
In November 2018, Circle K opened its first store in New Zealand through master franchisee Pamma Retail Group.
2018: Circle K Exits Japan
After a long presence in Japan, Circle K ended its operations in the country in 2018, with all stores converted to the FamilyMart brand, ending a chapter in the company's global history.
2018: Circle K Sells 17 Polar Pops Every Second
As of 2018, Circle K sells 17 Polar Pops every second in the United States. The popular drink was first introduced in Bigfoot convenience stores before being rebranded by Couche-Tard.
July 2019: Circle K Trails 7-Eleven in U.S. Store Count
As of July 2019, Circle K held the second-place position among convenience store chains in the United States, with 7,230 stores, trailing behind industry leader 7-Eleven, which boasted 9,348 stores.
2019: Mac's Stores Converted to Circle K in Canada
By 2019, a significant rebranding effort saw over 800 Mac's convenience stores in central and western Canada transition to the Circle K brand, expanding the company's presence in the country.
2019: Circle K Settles Wage Theft Lawsuit
In 2019, Circle K agreed to pay an $8.3 million settlement for a wage theft class-action lawsuit filed in 2014.
February 2020: Circle K Reaches Nearly 10,000 Stores in North America
By February 2020, Circle K had expanded its presence to 9,799 stores across North America and a total of 14,800 stores globally, including those operating under franchise agreements.
February 2020: Circle K's Global Presence Expands to Over 14,800 Stores
By February 2020, Circle K's global footprint had expanded to encompass over 14,800 stores, solidifying its position as a leading convenience store chain worldwide.
March 2020: Circle K Completes Rebranding in Europe and North America
As of March 2020, Circle K's global rebranding initiative, which began in 2015, had successfully transformed all stores in Europe and 85% of stores in North America to the Circle K brand, unifying the company's image across multiple continents.
May 2020: Circle K Hong Kong Expands Franchise Network
By May 2020, Circle K had established a significant presence in Hong Kong, with 387 franchised locations operating under the brand name "OK."
September 2021: Circle K Purchases 10 Stores from Griffin Group in Ireland
In September 2021, Circle K announced the purchase of 10 convenience and food stores from the Griffin Group in Dublin, Ireland. The stores are located in busy areas such as O’Connell Street, College Green, and Grafton Street.
2021: Circle K Named as 'Worst Offender' in Wage Theft Report
In 2021, Circle K was named one of the 'worst offenders' in a wage theft report by the Center for Public Integrity. A class-action lawsuit in 2014 led to an $8.3 million settlement in 2019.
February 2022: Circle K to Rebrand Holiday Stationstores
In February 2022, Couche-Tard announced that it would rebrand 12 Holiday Stationstores locations in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Circle K.
May 2022: Couche-Tard in Talks to Buy EG Group
A May 2022 report in The Wall Street Journal indicated that Circle K parent Alimentation Couche-Tard is in talks to buy EG Group, which would significantly enhance Circle K's presence in the U.S. and internationally.
2023: Couche-Tard's Acquisition of The Pantry Recalculated
In 2023, the value of Couche-Tard's acquisition of The Pantry was recalculated to be $1.11 billion in today's dollars.
