Wondering why some local Circle K gas stations are making the switch to MAPCO?
In late June, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission permitted the owner of Circle K to complete its acquisition of GetGo Café + Market from Giant Eagle — with a caveat.
To maintain competition among gas stations and convenience stores, the FTC decided Circle K owner Alimentation Couche-Tard, based in Laval, Quebec, Canada, must divest of 34 Circle K locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana and one GetGo location in Columbus by selling them to MAPCO owner Majors Management, according to an FTC filing and news releases from Couche-Tard and Majors Management.
Majors Management, based in Lawrenceville, Georgia, announced July 1 that it completed its acquisition of the 35 gas station and convenience store locations and is rebranding them as MAPCO stores “over the coming months.” They include 12 Circle K locations in Summit County, two in Portage County and two in Medina County, per the FTC filing.
“These stores are an exciting strategic addition for Majors Management, and we are thrilled to expand the MAPCO brand into Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania,” Majors Management President Ben Smith said in a prepared statement. “We are honored to serve customers in three new states and welcome them to the MAPCO experience, which combines quality fuel, great food and beverage selections, and the convenience and rewards customers love.”
MAPCO plans to “retain existing employees wherever possible” and make investments into facility upgrades at the 35 stores, the Majors Management news release said.
How Circle K gained its fuel foothold in Akron area
Couche-Tard’s acquisition of two legacy Akron-area brands in the 2000s paved the way for Circle K’s prevalence in the market.
In 2002, Couche-Tard acquired the Dairy Mart convenience store chain, which got its start in Cuyahoga Falls in 1939 as Lawson’s Milk Co. In 2006, Couche-Tard bought the Akron-based Holland Oil Co., which operated 54 stores.
Is my Circle K a MAPCO now?
Here are the Circle K stores in Summit, Portage and Medina counties that are changing to MAPCO:
Summit County
Portage County
Medina County
What does MAPCO offer customers?
MAPCO stores offer shoppers “grab-and-go meals, fresh coffee, quality fuel” and a savings program called MYReward$, the July 1 Majors Management release said. Through the rewards program, customers earn points on all of their purchases and redeem them for discounts in the store or at the gas pump.
MAPCO was founded in 2001 and acquired by Majors Management in 2023. The bulk of its stores are in the southeastern United States.
As for the recently acquired stores, the Majors Management release said they “will feature clean, modern environments, grab-and-go meals, fresh coffee, and a customer-first approach that has earned MAPCO recognition as one of the premier convenience retailers in the Southeast.”
Patrick Williams covers growth and development for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at pwilliams@gannett.com or on X @pwilliamsOH. Sign up for the Beacon Journal’s business and consumer newsletter, “What’s The Deal?”
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Gas station shuffle brings MAPCO to some former Circle K spots following GetGo deal
Reporting by Patrick Williams, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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