Franchise FAQ

is circle k a franchise

by Federico Koch Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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What is Circle K?

In September 2015, Couche-Tard announced that Circle K would become the worldwide brand of all of its convenience stores, replacing Mac's, Kangaroo Express, and Statoil brands (except the Couche-Tard brand in Quebec and the INGO brand in Europe).

How many Circle K franchises are there in Hong Kong?

Circle K had 387 franchised locations throughout Hong Kong as of May 2020. The Circle K brand entered the Canadian market in 2008, in connection with Couche-Tard's acquisition of Irving Oil 's convenience store network.

What size are fountain drinks at Circle K?

Fountain drinks at Circle K are sold in Polar Pop cups, previously called Thirst Busters, are available in expanded polystyrene cups. In areas where polystyrene containers are illegal, plastic cups are offered. The 52-ounce cups are plastic. Most American locations offer any size, 32 ounce or under for under one American dollar. 52-ounce or above cups are priced at over a dollar. The price point of its 44 ounce size (marketed as "Epic XL" in some regions) may vary, as it may be under or over $1, depending on region.

How many states does Circle K have?

Within the United States, Circle K owns and operates stores in 48 states, with the largest concentration of stores found in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, and Texas.

How many Circle K stores are there in 2020?

As of February 2020, Circle K has 9,799 stores in North America (primarily in the United States and Canada), 2,697 stores in Europe, and an additional 2,380 stores operating under franchise agreements worldwide.

What brands of fuel are sold at Circle K?

Other brands of fuel sold at Circle K stores include Valero, BP, Exxon, Marathon, Irving, Mobil, and Phillips 66. Approximately 13% of stores worldwide do not sell gasoline.

Where are Circle K stores located?

Circle K operates stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe (the Nordics, Baltics, Poland, Russia, Ireland and the United Kingdom), and has franchises in Mexico (it partners with the Mexican stores " Tiendas Extra " created by Modelo Group), Cambodia, China, Egypt, Guam, Honduras, Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, Jamaica, Mongolia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. In Hong Kong and Macau, the stores are called OK in reference to the circle around the K. Circle K Hong Kong was founded in 1985 by Li & Fung Retailing (later Fung Retailing) as licensee of the name, but sold back to Couche-Tard in 2020. Circle K had 387 franchised locations throughout Hong Kong as of May 2020.

What is franchise territory?

Territory Granted: The Franchise Agreement grants franchisees the right to operate one convenience store only at the location specified. Franchisees will not receive an exclusive territory. Franchisees may face competition from other franchisees, from outlets that owned by the franchisor, or from other channels of distribution or competitive brands that the franchisor controls.

How long does a franchise last?

Term of Agreement and Renewal: The length of the initial franchise term is for 10 years from the date the store is deemed by the franchisor to be open for business. If franchisees are in good standing, they can renew for one renewal term. Franchisees must execute the then-current form of Franchise Agreement at renewal.

How long does franchising training take?

Franchisees will receive two weeks of classroom training and up to two weeks of in-store training, which may overlap with the two weeks of classroom training. All classroom training will take place in Tempe, Arizona and/or at other locations as specified by the franchisor. The franchisor will offer periodic training for franchisees or their operations manager and their store manager in specialized fields. The franchisor may hold additional or refresher training courses from time to time, and may require that franchisees and their store managers (or, if they are a multi-site operator, their designated trainer) attend these courses.

How long is a convenience store franchise?

An amount equal to royalty payments for a period of 48 months or the remaining term of the Convenience Store Franchise Agreement based on the monthly gross sales for the most recent 12-month period or for a shorter period if the Convenience Store Franchise Agreement hasn't been in effect for 12 months.

What is financial assistance for franchisors?

Financial Assistance: The franchisor offers to qualified franchisees a funding program for business improvements/construction/equipment/conversion costs. The amount of the funding offered will be determined by the franchisor, and will depend on the condition of the premises, including the necessary improvements and branding requirements.

Does Circle K have to offer all products?

The franchisor requires franchisees to offer and sell at their convenience store only those products and services specified or approved, which will include those products and services generally offered at Circle K stores. Franchisees must offer for sale all products and services designated as required for all franchisees.

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What is Circle K?

Circle K is one of the largest convenience store chains in the United States, and has store locations worldwide. Circle K stores offer everything needed by customers on the go, including a beverage fountain, coffee bar, frozen and refrigerated foods, packaged and dry goods and other groceries, and some locations offer gasoline.

What is Palm Beach Sandals?

Palm Beach Sandals is a luxury footwear franchise that specializes in hand-crafted, premium sandals. Each sandal is made to last with supple leather soles and meticulous hand-stitched detailing. Their niche business model has kept them successful for over 10 years.

How many Circle K locations are there?

By 1984, Circle K had topped $1 billion system-wide in annual sales. The company began franchising in 1999, and has since grown to more than 6,000 locations in the United States and seven other countries, including Mexico, Honduras, Japan, China, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. Circle K is one of the most widely recognized convenience ...

How much does Circle K franchise cost?

The franchise fee for Circle K is $25,000. The total investment to open and operate a Circle K franchise ranges from $171,000 to $1.9 million. A royalty fee of 4.5% of gross sales is paid to the company (franchisees who forgo funding from the company will pay a royalty fee of 3.7% of gross sales.

What is a pet well?

PetWell is a walk-in veterinary clinic offering basic health and wellness services to dogs and cats. PetWell is the first vet clinic brand offering franchises to multi-unit franchisees.

Where is Circle K located?

Circle K convenience stores are located mostly in the Southern, Western, Southwestern and Midwestern United States. With its many locations around the world and its full service of food and other items, Circle K is synonymous with convenience. Start your business!

Is Circle K a franchise?

Circle K is a widely respected leader in the convenience store industry with a loyal customer base, a recognized brand, high-quality products and excellent service. The company is seeking franchise agreements coast to coast in the United States.

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Summary

Circle K Stores, Inc. an American chain of convenience stores, owned by the multinational company Couche-Tard and headquartered in Laval, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1951 in El Paso, Texas, the company filed for bankruptcy protection in 1990 and went through several owners, before being acquired by Alimentation Couche-Tard in 2003. As of February 2020, Circle K has 9,799 stores in North …

Overview

Since the 1980s, Circle K has been the largest chain of company-owned and operated (non-franchised) convenience stores in the United States. With 7,230 stores overall in the United States, Circle K is second to 7-Eleven's 9,348 stores (as of July 2019),. As of February 2020, there are more than 14,800 stores with the Circle K brand worldwide.

History

Entrepreneur Fred Hervey purchased three Kay's Food Stores in El Paso, Texas, in 1951. Hervey renamed the stores as "Circle K Food Stores, Inc." rather than "Kay." He grew the Circle K chain into neighboring New Mexico and Arizona, which has been the company's home base since 1957. (Hervey would go on to serve two terms as mayor of El Paso.)

Wage violations

A 2021 report on wage theft by the Center for Public Integrity named Circle K as one of the "worst offenders" in the United States. A class-action lawsuit was brought against the company in 2014, for which the company agreed in 2019 to pay a settlement of US$8.3 million. Circle K settled a similar class-action lawsuit in 2015 as well.

Frosters and Polar Pops

Fountain drinks at Circle K are sold in Polar Pop cups, previously called Thirst Busters, are available in expanded polystyrene cups. In areas where polystyrene containers are illegal, plastic or paper cups are offered. The 52-ounce cups are plastic. Most American locations offer any size, 32 ounce or under for under one American dollar. 52-ounce or above cups are priced at over a dollar. The price point of its 44-ounce size (marketed as "Epic XL" in some regions) may vary, as …

Sponsorship

Circle K was a part-time primary sponsor of the No. 28 IndyCar Series racecar driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport between 2011 and 2013. In 2014, it switched to KVSH Racing driver Sébastien Bourdais. Circle K, along with Oberto Sausage Company, currently sponsors Marco Andretti.
In 2017, Circle K went to NASCAR, sponsoring Matt Kenseth and Joe Gibbs Racing with …

See also

• Circle K Sunkus
• List of automotive fuel brands
• List of convenience stores

External links

• Official website USA and Canada site
• Official website Ireland site

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