Dive Brief:
- East Coast convenience retailer Legacy Markets has acquired 10 c-stores from regional competitor PowerTrac for an undisclosed amount, according to a Tuesday announcement.
- The PowerTrac stores included in the deal are located along the western edge of South Carolina, with multiple sites concentrated in the Anderson and Piedmont areas.
- This marks North Carolina-based Legacy’s expansion into South Carolina, further cementing the convenience retailer as a competitive threat in the region.
Dive Insight:
Legacy plans to rebrand every store included in the deal to its Triangle Food Stop convenience store banner, bringing the company’s store count to about 20 locations across North and South Carolina, according to the announcement. Legacy will also integrate Triangle’s loyalty program and mobile app into the new locations.
Additionally, Legacy is adding Marathon-branded fuel to the forecourt of each location, according to the announcement. According to images of stores, these locations previously used PowerTrac’s private-label fuel brand.
PowerTrac was founded by Ankur and Krishna Patel, who opened their first store in Piedmont. The company’s exit from the industry continues the wave of small convenience retailers — many with between 10 and 50 locations — selling their assets amid a difficult operating environment. Industry experts previously said they expected this trend to continue in 2026. So far, that has held up.
“We are excited to welcome [PowerTrac’s] team members to the Legacy Markets family,” Jack Helmick, CEO of Legacy Markets said in the announcement. “We look forward to bringing our fast, friendly, and local philosophy to the Piedmont area.”
Legacy is the second convenience retailer this month to reveal its expansion into South Carolina. Last week, Baltimore-based Royal Farms, which has about 300 convenience stores across several East Coast states, announced that it’s opening its first location in South Carolina this summer in Myrtle Beach.
