Circle K Investing in New Stores & Remodels in Northwest Florida

TEMPE, Ariz. — Circle K Stores Inc. is rejuvenating its presence in Northwest Florida with plans to break ground on new convenience stores, as well as remodels.

"Circle K is proud to serve the great communities in Northwest Florida for the better part of four decades," Gulf Coast Business Unit Vice President Trey Powell told the Pensacola News Journal. "We felt the time was right to start investing in new, ground-up stores for our valued customers, which really hadn't been done here, at least with any scale, since the late '80s."

The retailer recently broke ground on new locations in Niceville, Perdido Key and Pace that should be completed by early 2021. It is also moving forward with another ground-up store in the growing Cantonment/Northwest Pensacola area.

The locations will bring Circle K's Northwest Florida store count to 50, the news outlet reported.

"We couldn't be more excited about our future in northwest Florida," Powell said. "Having recently opened two new stores, one in the growing Beulah market, and one at the corner of Olive Road & Davis Highway in Pensacola, we've been delighted by the tremendous customer response to our new facilities and offers."

Walk-in beer caves, an expanded variety of products, updated bathrooms and open floor plans are just some of the upgrades the new and remodeled Circle K locations will feature.

"Circle K's ambition is to be the world's preferred destination for convenience and fuel, and we endeavor to make peoples' lives just a little bit easier, every day," Powell said. "We've worked hard to deliver a truly differentiated customer experience in each of our new builds, one that includes large restrooms featuring touchless fixtures, glove and sanitizer dispensers at all fueling stations."

According to Powell, Circle K's strong local presence in the communities is what sets the retailer apart from competitors in the area.

"By having an everyday local management presence in the panhandle, we get a first-hand view of the opportunities for growth. It also permits an intimate knowledge of the various local communities and their needs," he told the news outlet. "We are privileged to serve more than 10 million customers, globally, every single day so we have a unique window into the needs of modern consumers. Those needs are always evolving, particularly in the age of COVID19."

Circle K is a subsidiary Canada-based Alimentation Couche-Tard, whose total network of 14,500 stores include 9,414 stores in North America; 2,710 stores in Europe, including Scandinavia, Baltics, Poland, Russia and Ireland; and licensing agreements for approximately 2,350 stores operated under the Circle K banner in 15 other countries and territories.