Dive Brief:
- Walmart plans to open or remodel at least 45 fuel stations across the U.S. this year, a company spokesperson confirmed on Thursday.
- The big-box retailer said it’s investing more in its c-store footprint, “further cementing itself as a leader in convenience and savings.” Once it opens all of these locations, the company will operate more than 450 Walmart fuel centers across 34 states.
- If it reaches 450 fuel stations, Walmart will become one of the 20 largest c-store retailers in the country.
Dive Insight:
For decades, Walmart’s c-store presence was largely seen through Murphy USA, which started in the late 1990s opening fuel centers adjacent to traditional Walmarts. In the years following, Murphy opened over a thousand c-stores near Walmart parking lots.
But that changed in 2016 when Murphy separated its growth from the big box retailer’s sites, allowing both companies to build their c-store footprints independently. At the time, Murphy said that Walmart would be able to develop its own proprietary gasoline program at its supercenter locations that wouldn’t be supplied or committed to be supplied by Murphy.
Fast forward nearly a decade, and Walmart appears to be set on becoming a threat in the c-store industry. Its latest initiative comes just a few months after the company opened its 400th fuel center in December 2024.
Walmart did not disclose where it intends to open and remodel fuel centers amid this c-store push.
