LAVAL, QC, Aug. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ – Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. (“Couche-Tard“) (TSX: ATD.A ATD.B) announces that it has signed, through its wholly-owned indirect subsidiary Circle K Stores Inc., an agreement with Comercializadora Círculo CCK, S.A. DE C.V., (“CCK“) to rebrand over 700 of CCK's already existing Extra convenience stores located throughout Mexico to the Circle K brand by August 2017.
CCK has been the master licensee operating under the banner Circle K in Mexico since 2005 and operates or sublicenses over 275 Circle K stores there. These stores will offer Circle K's marketing programs, including Polar Pop®, Froster® and Circle K Premium Coffee®.
Under this agreement, the number of Circle K stores in Mexico will grow to 1,100 by August 2017 and minimum 2,400 by 2030.
“We are very excited to expand the presence of the Circle K brand in Mexico with CCK, our master licensee of 10 years, and demonstrate to the c-store customers in Mexico that Circle K is the place to shop for convenience. We are looking forward to continued development throughout the country,” said Matt McCure, Vice‑President of Worldwide Franchise and Wholesale Fuels. Furthermore, we will be placing in-country resources to assist CCK in the growth of the c-stores operating under licensing agreements.”
About Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
Couche-Tard is the leader in the Canadian convenience store industry. In the United States, it is the largest independent convenience store operator in terms of number of company-operated stores. In Europe, Couche-Tard is a leader in convenience store and road transportation fuel in Scandinavian countries and in the Baltic States while it has a growing presence in Poland.
As of April 26, 2015, Couche-Tard's network comprised 7,848 convenience stores throughout North America, including 6,404 stores with road transportation fuel dispensing. Its North American network consists of 14 business units, including ten in the United States covering 41 states and the District of Columbia and four in Canada covering all ten provinces. About 80,000 people are employed throughout its network and at the service offices in North America.
In Europe, Couche-Tard operates a broad retail network across Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark), Poland, the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) and Russia, which comprised 2,230 stores as at April 26, 2015, the majority of which offer road transportation fuel and convenience products while the others are unmanned automated service-stations which offer road transportation fuel only. The Corporation also offers other products, including stationary energy, marine fuel, lubricants and chemicals. Couche-Tard operates key fuel terminals and fuel depots in six countries. Including employees at Statoil branded franchise stations, about 19,000 people work in its retail network, terminals and service offices across Europe.
In addition, under licensing agreements, about 4,700 stores are operated under the Circle K banner in 12 other countries worldwide (China, Guam, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam) which brings to more than 14,700 the number of sites in Couche-Tard's network.
For more information on Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., please visit: http://corpo.couche-tard.com.
The statements set forth in this press release, which describe Couche-Tard's objectives, projections, estimates, expectations or forecasts, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation. Positive or negative verbs such as “will”, “plan”, “evaluate”, “estimate”, “believe”, “expect” and other related expressions are used to identify such statements. Couche-Tard would like to point out that, by their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties such that its results, or the measures it adopts, could differ materially from those indicated or underlying these statements, or could have an impact on the degree of realization of a particular projection. Major factors that may lead to a material difference between Couche-Tard's actual results and the projections or expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements include the effects of the integration of acquired businesses and the ability to achieve projected synergies, fluctuations in margins on motor fuel sales, competition in the convenience store and retail motor fuel industries, exchange rate variations, and such other risks as described in detail from time to time in documents filed by Couche-Tard with securities regulatory authorities in Canada. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Couche-Tard disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information in this press release is based on information available as of the date of the release.
SOURCE Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
