Murphy USA Highlights Post-Integration QuickChek Synergies

EL DORADO, Ark. — More than two years after closing its acquisition of QuickChek Corp. for $645 million, Murphy USA Inc. is seeing significant benefits across the enterprise, President and CEO Andrew Clyde shared during the company's recent earnings call.

Not only did QuickChek stores post record food and beverage sales during the second quarter of 2023 with record margin months in May and June, but the company is yielding positive results from product and menu innovation along with enhanced promotional and marketing activities to help improve store performance.

"The combined learnings of both companies are coalescing into sustainable and material performance drivers of the business," Clyde said.

[Read more: Murphy USA Maintains Its Growth Focus for 2023]

As an example, he pointed to QuickChek seeing strong sales from a limited-time, made-to-order watermelon smoothie, which was subsequently reimagined and introduced as a limited-time offer Sour Patch Kids-branded frozen slushie product at Murphy USA convenience stores. Likewise, edible cookie dough and brownie bites cups that were first introduced in QuickChek's open coolers were quickly followed up at Murphy stores.

On the promotional front, after increasing awareness of QuickChek's two-for-$5 breakfast sandwiches, the operator introduced similar two-for promotions for Murphy grab-and-go items across multiple categories.

"We expect to accelerate the use of promotions and limited-time offers across the enterprise in the second half of 2023, giving customers even more reason to come inside our stores," the chief executive said.

Clyde noted that the QuickChek store format is the perfect test-and-learn environment to identify high-potential products that strongly overlap with Murphy USA customers. By developing products in partnership with well-known national brands, such as Red Bull's iced and QuickChek-exclusive frozen flavored infusions, the retailer drives traffic and builds baskets.

[Read more: QuickChek Rolls Out Refreshed Summer Menu]

Murphy USA continues to innovate in its growing core categories where the made-to-order QuickChek menu is being realigned with consumer insights and fresh product preferences, he continued. This will lead to the introduction of new signature sandwiches in the second half of the year.

"Maintaining a differentiated offer is vital not only to customer engagement, but to encourage customer retention. We need to give customers more reason to come into our stores and even more reasons to want to come back," Clyde said. "As we incubate and unleash this innovative mindset across the enterprise, we are increasingly excited about the future opportunities to impact store performance."

Murphy USA is No. 6 on the 2023 Convenience Store News Top 100 ranking.

El Dorado-based Murphy USA's network comprises more than 1,500 stations primarily in the Southwest, Southeast, Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States. The majority of Murphy USA's sites are located in close proximity to Walmart stores. The company also markets gasoline and other products at standalone stores under the Murphy Express and QuickChek brands.