3 Big Numbers is a weekly column that looks at a few key details from around the c-store industry.
Iowa is an interesting state for convenience stores. 7-Eleven, the biggest convenience retailer in the U.S., has just one Speedway location in the state. Alimentation Couche-Tard, the second-largest, only has five Circle K’s there.
Iowa’s c-store landscape is instead best known for super-regional standouts. Casey’s General Stores calls the state home and boasted over 550 locations there in its 2025 annual report — the most it has in any state. Kwik Trip sports well over 100 locations, and Kum & Go called the state home and boasted about 100 stores before those sites began their transformation to Maveriks.
And more companies are moving in, promising to further shake things up in the Midwestern state. In this week’s “3 Big Numbers,” we examine three retailers making waves in Iowa.
96
The number of Kum & Go locations in Iowa when Maverik announced their rebranding.
The “will they, won’t they?” tension around Maverik rebranding Kum & Go was mostly resolved in October 2024, when Maverik confirmed that it would likely update all of the Des Moines-based chain’s locations. But the nail in the coffin came when Maverik began rebranding Kum & Go stores in Iowa, a move that introduced the Maverik brand to the state.
Just as the industry had gotten used to the end of the Kum & Go banner, former CEO Kyle Krause fueled the fire once more. He told the the Des Moines Register late last month that when the two sides were in talks in 2023, Maverik told him it planned to retain the Kum & Go name.
Will every one of those 96 former Kum & Go stores become Maverik locations in the coming months? It’s hard to tell. Maverik has been offloading sites in several markets this year — including Iowa.
29
The number of stores Mega Saver agreed to buy from Yesway in Iowa and Kansas.
When Yesway announced in February that it would be selling its stores in Iowa and Kansas, the industry took notice. This was a significant chunk of stores, but few enough that a swath of retailers would likely make a bid.
By June, word had spread among Yesway’s store-level employees that Nebraska-based Mega Saver was in talks to purchase the stores.
At that time, the addition of those sites would have increased Mega Saver’s footprint by about 50%. But by the time they confirmed the Yesway deal this week, Mega Saver officials had also bought 26 Kum & Go stores from Maverik. This means the retailer has grown from 45 stores to around 100 this year.
So if you’re looking for a fast-growing convenience retailer, Mega Saver shouldn’t be left out of the conversation.
5%
The percentage of Fast Stop of Louisiana’s stores that are in Iowa.
Fast Stop of Louisiana recently picked up three stores in Iowa from an undisclosed real estate investment trust, marking its first foray into the state.
This might not be a household name for most people. The chain has 57 locations in just three states, so even though the Iowa pickup was small, it now makes up a not-insubstantial part of the company’s footprint. And leadership has been in growth mode, adding at least seven stores so far this year while also looking to bring Fast Stop’s menu to a QSR setting.
It’ll be interesting to see how Iowa residents respond to Fast Stop’s Southern comfort food, which includes fried chicken and po boys.
One other thing to watch: Residents can already buy fuel at a different Fast Stop in Iowa, including locations near where Fast Stop of Louisiana is planting its flag. We’ve already seen QuikTrip vs. Wawa. Maybe next we’ll see Fast Stop vs. Fast Stop.
