Dive Brief:
- Sheetz’s first convenience store in Indiana will be located in Indianapolis’ North Central neighborhood and is expected to open to the public in late summer 2027, the company announced on Tuesday.
- Sheetz, which revealed plans to enter Indiana in April, said it will break ground on its convenience store at 1505 East 86th Street next spring. Once construction begins, Sheetz will start hiring for this store..
- Indiana will become Sheetz’s eighth state of operation as the Pennsylvania-based c-store retailer expands westward into competitive c-store markets.
Dive Insight:
When Sheetz first announced its $1 billion investment to open 100 stores in Indiana in the next decade, the only details it shared were that the first locations would debut in 2027.
Many of those plans remain under wraps, with Sheetz saying Tuesday that further locations and opening dates will be announced as development progresses. President and CEO Travis Sheetz said in April that the retailer has drawn “a significant number of inquiries” from residents eager to see the retailer enter the state.
Sheetz’s first Indiana site will be in a highly competitive market, opening in the area of a Thorntons gas station, Circle K, Shell, GetGo Cafe + Market and fellow Pennsylvania competitor Wawa. The retailer’s move to Indiana underscores the industry’s growing interest in the Hoosier State as many operators plant their flags in the Midwest.
Beyond revealing its first Indiana location, Sheetz on Tuesday also opened its new food preparation and distribution center in Findlay, Ohio, which has been in the works for three years. The facility will support the retailer’s continued expansion across Indiana and the Midwest, including Michigan, where Sheetz expects to operate 16 stores by the end of the year, per the announcement.
