C-stores Dominate STORES Top 100 Retailer List

NEW YORK -- Wal-Mart maintained its top spot on STORES' list of Top 100 Retailers for 2008, but the c-store industry made its presence known, as companies within the channel made up more than 10 percent of the rankings.

Combined, the STORES Top 100 Retailers rang up sales of $1.74 trillion last year, in part by tapping into the trends coursing through the economy.

Leading the c-store group is 7-Eleven, at No. 29 with $13 billion in sales volume -- the measurement used to determine rank on the list. 7-Eleven fell four spots from last year, when it placed 25th.

Closely behind is Alimentation Couche-Tard, which jumped three spots from 2007 to No. 31. The Laval, Quebec-based company saw more than $12 billion in sales volume, according to the magazine.

The only major oil company on the list, Valero, ranked 39th with $8.8 billion in sales volume.

Love's Travel Stops gained the most spots for c-stores on the list, catapulting to 49th, from No. 83 in 2007. The company saw $7 billion in sales volume.

Rounding out the top 50 retailers is Sanford, N.C.-based the Pantry Inc., which secured its spot with $6.9 billion in sales volume. Last year, the company placed in the same spot, which was a gain of 10 spots from the 2006 list.

Next up was TravelCenters of America, which jumped five spots from 63rd to No. 58 with $6.1 billion in sales volume.

Falling seven spots to No. 68 went to RaceTrac Petroleum of Atlanta, with $5 billion in sales volume.

Casey's General recouped much of its rank it lost in 2007, coming in at No. 70, after falling four spots in 2007 to No. 77. In 2008, it saw $4.8 billion in sales volume.

Tulsa, Okla.-based QuikTrip Corp. landed at No. 75, with $4.5 billion in sales, and with sales at $3.9 billion, Sheetz Inc. grabbed the 84th spot on the list, dropping two spots from 2007.

Rounding out the list, and the final c-store operator to make the list is Wawa, with $3.3 billion in sales, at No. 97, falling five spots from its 2007 rank of No. 92.
X
This ad will auto-close in 10 seconds