Convenience stores used to be a regional thing. While 7-Eleven had a national profile, most chains were ubiquitous in the markets they covered, but non-existent elsewhere.
That actually built mystique for brands, People had a loyalty to major regional players like Sheetz and Wawa. Residents of New England watched local chains like Lil' Peach, Richdale's, and others give way to Cumberland Farms.
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Every regional convenience store does things a little differently. 7-Eleven has made having a coffee station, on-demand soda, and some sort of frozen Slurpee-style beverage tablestakes, but food programs can vary widely.
Some chains offer the questionable rolling heater hot dogs, while brands like Wawa have full food programs. Many Wawa customers believe it offers better food than fast-food chains, and people actually stop their for meals when they're not driving and actually have other options.
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The convenience store market, however, has been consolidating. Like any other business, there are benefits to being bigger and larger chains have been swallowing smaller ones.
When that happens, the smaller brand usually gets absorbed into the larger one. That process is not always easy as customers have intense loyalty in this space.
Maverick has been slowly ending the Kum & Go brand
While Kum & Go may seem like an unfortunate name, the convenience store brand has built a huge following across 20 states. In 2023, the iconic brand was purchased by the owner of rival convenience store, Maverik.
At the time, it was unclear what would happen with the Kum & Go brand.
“We are excited to welcome Kum & Go and Solar Transport Team Members to Maverik,” said Maverik CEO Chuck Maggelet. “Together, we’ll offer our customers an adventurous and differentiated convenience store experience across fuel, foodservice, and inside-store offerings. We look forward to using our combined resources to grow our business and further elevate our product offerings to provide the best service to our customers.”
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At the time, Kum & Go was the bigger brand with 800 stores to Maverik's 400, That meant it might make sense for the smaller company to keep the name of the brand it was buying.
That ended up not being what happened. Maverik has slowly been changing all Kum & Go locations to Maverik branding.
Kum & Go stores are all getting Maverik makeovers
Maverik has been working to sell Kum & Go fans that the new branding and end of the iconic name will be a positive.
“Adventure Calling! Your Kum & Go is becoming a Maverik! We're remodeling your store to bring you the full Maverik experience. From exclusive deals to fuel savings, now's the perfect time to explore what Maverik has to offer. Thanks for your patience as we work to upgrade your store,” it shared on its website.
The new owner has begun rebranding Kum & Go stores in Iowa and Nebraska, That's especially meaningful because the chain was started in Iowa.
Maverik has been working methodically and has been slowly converting Kum & Go stores with only North and South Dakota, and Minnesota locations as yet untouched.
That will change as Maverik plans to fully “retire” the Kum & Go name.
The new owner has been open about the changes and has tried to get Kum & Go fans excited about the transition.
“We know change can be a lot, but we think you'll love what's coming – exclusive weekly deals, epic sweepstakes, and award-winning restrooms,” it shared on its website.
Hanging your hat on “award-winning restrooms,” seems like a pretty low bar (and who exactly gives out restroom awards?) but the new owner also has other changes planned.
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Maverik has also been promoting its food program which was adapted to include some of Kum & Go's offerings.
“Our BonFire Menu features delicious burritos, salads, wraps, pizzas, sandwiches and countless other meal items to start your day and keep it going. Combine that with Maverik's huge selection of drinks and goodies, and your options are endless,” the new owner shared.
The Kum & Go loyalty program, however, will also ending.
“Your Kum & Go &Rewards won't roll over, so keep the rewards rolling with Adventure Club, or take it up a notch with Nitro – for even bigger savings, exclusive perks, and a few surprises along the way. It's all part of making every stop an adventure,” Maverik added.
