3 Big Numbers is a weekly column that looks at a few key details from around the c-store industry.
As important as the forecourt is to convenience retailers, it doesn’t generate the same sort of exciting news as inside-store operations.
Environmental regulations and tech-driven additions to the pump require attention. And of course, electric vehicle charging has made a splash (or a zap?) in recent years. But while those matter, they’re just not as flashy as a new foodservice line, a branding overhaul or an exciting update to a loyalty program.
Still, we overlook forecourt news at our peril. So in today’s “3 Big Numbers,” we’re looking at Walmart’s gas station growth plans, Pilot’s EV charging milestone and what several prominent c-store retailers are seeing in fuel sales.
9.8%
The percent of Walmart’s U.S. stores that should have one of its c-store and gas stations by the end of 2025.
Walmart announced last week that it plans to open or remodel 45 fuel stations this year, bringing its total footprint to 450 sites.That’s a store count that would edge out Yesway for 18th place on the NACS top 100. But perhaps more significant is that even at 450 sites, Walmart would still have a fuel center at less than 10% of its 4,615 U.S. locations.
It’s hard to know how much of the other 90% is an opportunity. Over the years, Murphy USA has opened convenience stores adjacent to more than 1,000 Walmarts, many of which are still in operation. Still, even if all those sites are off the table, there’s still a large runway for Walmart to become more of a thorn in c-store retailers’ sides.
$17.8 million
The amount of money Pilot has been conditionally awarded from the NEVI program.
Pilot announced on Tuesday that its EV charging program, in partnership with General Motors Energy and EVgo, has reached 130 locations across more than 25 states.
While that’s a notable milestone, it’s only a little over a quarter of the company’s larger goal of 500 sites. Reaching that number is going to require time, planning and perhaps more importantly, lots of money — including help from local, state and federal governments.
The Trump Administration closed off one avenue for aid when it paused $3 million worth of National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure plan funding. However, all NEVI grants that had already been awarded are still expected to be paid out.
That’s great news for Pilot, which has almost $18 million in NEVI funding awards. While it has already received some of that money and even opened some of its NEVI-funded locations, there are dozens more on the docket.
$605.5M
The year-over-year drop in Arko’s annual fuel sales.
While not a universal problem, many publicly traded c-store retailers have noted fuel sales were down in 2024 as compared to 2023. Arko, for instance, reported its annual fuel revenue decreased by $605.5 million, or 8.1%, from last year.
Arko also recently announced a new fuel discount that can be stacked up to $2. Time will tell whether that improves the performance of its fuel business.
Other retailers also struggled. Murphy USA and Pilot both saw a decrease in annual revenue, which they attributed mainly to lower average retail fuel sales prices.
