PHOTO GALLERY: Sheetz Names Detroit as Its Next New Market
ALTOONA, Pa. — Sheetz is heading further west.
The convenience store operator will expand into Michigan, with the first store location projected to open in 2025 starting in the Detroit market.
"We are thrilled to continue our growth into Michigan and bring the ultimate one-stop-shop to people across the state," said Travis Sheetz, president and CEO of Sheetz. "Sheetz is dedicated to being a great employer and neighbor and we cannot wait to put those values into action as we expand into our first new state in two decades."
The move into Michigan will mark the first time Sheetz has expanded into a new state in nearly two decades — when it opened its first convenience store in North Carolina in 2004.
Each Sheetz location employs approximately 30 individuals. In 2022, Sheetz was ranked 33rd on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list, as Convenience Store News reported. The recognition follows Sheetz's recent investment of more than $70 million in store employee wages in 2021 as well as an investment doubling the tuition assistance offered to employees through the company's College Tuition Reimbursement program.
Additionally in 2022, Sheetz was ranked #3 as a Best Workplace in Retail by Fortune.
It was also selected as one of the "Companies That Care" in 2022 by People magazine and Great Place to Work for its commitment to supporting the local communities it serves through several charitable organizations and activities.
Altoona-based Sheetz operates 669 store locations across its six-state footprint, which includes Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland. Sheetz provides an menu of made-to-order sandwiches and salads, which are ordered through touchscreen order point terminals. All its c-stores are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Detroit: Next C-store Hotspot?
Sheetz is the second convenience channel player this month to announce it was targeting the Detroit area as its next market.
On Nov. 17, Kum & Go LC said it would cut the ribbon on a set of Detroit-area stores in 2024, with plans to open more than 50 stores in the market over the next several years. The Des Moines, Iowa-based retailer made news last year with announcements it would enter Utah and Michigan, and earlier this year it revealed it would also set up shop in Idaho.