Dive Brief:
- Southwest Georgia Oil has acquired the retail, commercial and wholesale fuel, and warehouse operations of regional competitor Big Boss Stores for an undisclosed amount, according to a company announcement.
- The deal includes Big Boss’ 10 convenience stores in the Florida Panhandle, nine of which will be converted to Southwest Georgia Oil’s SunStop banner, according to the announcement.
- This marks yet another example of a small, regional convenience retailer selling many or all of its assets as the industry’s profitability troubles persist in a difficult operating environment.
Dive Insight:
According to Big Boss’ website, its 10 convenience stores are scattered across five cities on the far western edge of the Florida Panhandle: Destin, Crestview, Niceville, Ponce de Leon and DeFuniak Springs. Each location offers 76-branded fuel in the forecourt and three sites have a Big Boss Cafe or Big Boss Grill restaurant on site, while the Ponce de Leon location also has a Contigo Taqueria and Red Seal Pizzeria. It’s not clear if Southwest Georgia Oil intends to keep those restaurants as it rebrands the sites to SunStop.
On the fuel side, Southwest Georgia Oil is incorporating Big Boss’ commercial and wholesale fuel and warehouse operations into its Total Petroleum wholesale division. Total Petroleum includes branded fuel, lubricants and fleet services.
The announcement also noted that the deal includes “additional real estate sites.” A spokesperson from Southwest Georgia Oil did not respond by press time when asked to clarify what these are.
The deal comes as Southwest Georgia Oil approaches 100 convenience stores in its network, a milestone for regional banners. According to the announcement, the company plans to open its 92nd location later this year. Its stores are located across Florida, Georgia and Alabama.
“The acquisition expands Southwest Georgia Oil’s retail presence while reinforcing its commitment to delivering reliable fuel supply, convenient retail experiences, and responsive service across the communities it serves,” the company said in the announcement.
Big Boss’ sale continues the wave of smaller convenience retailers — many with less than 100 locations — selling their assets. Industry experts have said they expect this trend to continue throughout 2026, with customer visits dropping and transaction counts inside c-stores in recent years mostly flat.
A spokesperson from Big Boss did not respond by press time when asked to comment on the company’s sale.
