Yesway Enters New Territory With 35-Store Deal
DES MOINES, Iowa — Yesway is moving south with the acquisition of 35 convenience stores in Texas.
The relatively new player on the convenience retailing scene picked up 35 Wes-T-Go and Chillerz Convenience Stores in Abilene, Texas. The stores will be added to the company’s existing portfolio of 38 locations in Iowa and Kansas.
With the latest move, Yesway is on track to have more than 100 stores under management by the end of the second quarter. In addition, the company said it has a "robust" acquisition pipeline and plans to acquire, improve and rebrand approximately 500 convenience stores as Yesway in selected regions of the United States over the next several years.
“As we acquire these stores, our goal is to build on the good work of the previous owner, Don Poindexter, whose dedication and commitment to the community is legendary. Don’s is a legacy we plan to live up to,” said Brian Trout, Yesway’s senior vice president of operations.
“With Yesway, customers will enjoy great customer service and redesigned stores that are true to our brand promise — they’ll be efficient, inviting and friendly. We’re grateful to the Wes-T-Go team for building such a loyal and consistent customer base, and are eager to continue to serve, get to know and be part of the community," he added.
As CSNews Online previously reported, Yesway plans to add stores under its managements in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri this year. Along with the expansion into four new states, the convenience store brand is expected to employ more than 1,000 people by the second quarter of the year.
In March, Yesway made its first move outside of Iowa with the purchase of five Pic Quik convenience stores in Hutchinson, Kan.
Des Moines-based Yesway is the operating brand for BW Gas & Convenience. BW Gas is a division of Beverly, Mass.-based Brookwood Financial Partners.
This past summer, Convenience Store News got an up close look at Yesway and its plans to become a key player in the convenience channel. For more on CSNews' "Day in the Life of Yesway," check out the September 2016 issue.