Dive brief:
- Sheetz held a grand opening for its 700th store Tuesday in the Columbus, Ohio, area, according to a press release Thursday.
- A company spokesman said in an email that the company will continue to expand in Ohio and Michigan, while President and CEO Travis Sheetz noted that the c-store retailer aims to eventually open more than 1,000 premises.
- Sheetzthe 10th largest US C-store chain by number of locations, according to NACS, is one of only two companies in the top 10 that operate fewer than 1,000 stores. Wawa and QuikTrip, seventh and eighth respectively, reached that milestone earlier this year.
Diving knowledge:
Sheetz has plans for new stores in several states, including its first Michigan locations planned for 2025 in the Detroit area. It also plans to grow in several parts of Ohio, including its first stores in Toledo and additional locations in the Columbus and Dayton markets, the Sheetz the spokesman said in an email.
To support these growth plans, Sheetz is also building a new distribution center in Findlay, Ohio. The location is expected to create 700 jobs over the next five years and is set to open in 2026.
“Driven by the mission to constantly reinvent ourselves and put the Sheetz as we know it today outside of the business, I couldn’t be more excited about the future and our path to 1,000 stores,” said Travis. Sheetzpresident and CEO of Sheetz.
He did not provide a timeline for when Sheetz plans to reach the 1,000-store mark.
Sheetz donated a tractor trailer worth of food to mark the grand opening of its 700th store. He also held raffles at the event for a variety of prizes.
In addition to growing its footprint, Sheetz has also been developing other parts of its business, including the reach the milestone of offering 2 million electric vehicle charges and expanding its food service offering with a line of new gourmet donuts.
Headquartered in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Sheetz owns and operates 700 stores in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and Maryland and employs more than 25,000 people. The 70-year-old company’s locations are open all day, every day.