Dive Brief:
- Maverik is expected to begin rebranding its Kum & Go convenience stores in South Dakota in November, according to the convenience retailer’s website.
- Rebrands will begin on Nov. 15 at the Kum & Go in Elk Point — about 70 miles south of Sioux Falls — which will close for four days before reopening as a Maverik.
- Once work is complete, Minnesota and North Dakota — which have just eight Kum & Go stores combined — will be the only states where Maverik hasn’t finished any rebrands.
Dive Insight:
South Dakota has never been one of Kum & Go’s major markets — the convenience retailer has had less than 10 stores in the state for years. Kum & Go entered Sioux Falls over 20 years ago with its location at 501 N Minnesota Ave., according to Minnehaha County records. C-Store Dive could not locate county records for the property in Elk Point.
Maverik, which continues progressing towards retiring the Kum & Go banner, has only outlined the rebrand for the Elk Point store. It’s unclear what will happen with the company’s Sioux Falls sites. Three stores in that city were sold to Nebraska-based retailer Mega Saver last month in a deal that also included 20 Kum & Go stores in Iowa.
A spokesperson from Maverik did not respond by press time when asked to comment on its Kum & Go rebrands in South Dakota.
Maverik acquired Kum & Go in late 2023, and began the first round of rebrands in early 2024 in Utah and Colorado. Last October, Maverik revealed plans to rebrand Kum & Go’s stores in Oklahoma, and a month later confirmed its intent to rebrand all Kum & Go locations, although a company spokesperson emphasized at the time that Maverik would take a “thoughtful, market-by-market approach” before confirming each state.
Rebrands in Arkansas commenced this past January, while those in Missouri and Michigan kicked off in the spring. Work on stores in Nebraska and Iowa — the latter being Kum & Go’s headquarters and largest market — began in July and is expected to continue through November, according to Maverik’s website.
Several former corporate Kum & Go staffers told C-Store Dive earlier this year that despite Maverik initially saying it would maintain Kum & Go’s branding and programs, the Utah-based company never considered doing so, leading to internal conflict.
