Dive Brief:
- Yesway is scaling back its Allsup’s Express c-store concept amid efforts to refocus its broader strategy.
- A company spokesperson confirmed that Yesway recently shuttered its first-ever Allsup’s Express c-store in Lubbock, Texas, which opened in 2022. According to public information, two other Allsup’s Express c-stores have also closed.
- A source familiar with the situation told C-Store Dive that Yesway plans to end its Allsup’s Express concept completely. The spokesperson did not respond by press time when asked to confirm this information.
Dive Insight:
Yesway, which operates over 400 c-stores across 10 states, launched the small-format Allsup’s Express concept as a means to target on-the-go college students. The 3,000-square-foot bodega-style c-stores offered standard merchandise such as energy drinks, bottled water, coffee and soda, as well as Allsup’s flagship burritos. Some locations were even open 24 hours a day.
It’s unclear how many Allsup’s Express locations Yesway had at its peak. The only three such stores Yesway had publicly revealed are now shuttered, and Yesway no longer lists any Allsup’s Express on its roster of locations.
Besides the Lubbock store near Texas Tech University, those included an Allsup’s Express in Denton, Texas near the University of North Texas and one in Waco near Baylor University. Both locations closed in 2024 after less than a year in business.
Yesway also operates an Allsup’s Express Grab & Go store at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. A spokesperson from the speedway said last week that this location is still open, although it only operates on race days.
Yesway minimizing its Allsup’s Express efforts coincides with the company’s plans to sell all of its c-stores in Iowa and Kansas by the end of this year, which C-Store Dive first reported in February. At the time, Yesway’s spokesperson said this initiative was intended to help the company reinvest in locations that would provide a better customer experience.
A source familiar with Yesway’s operations told C-Store Dive last week that both the Allsup’s Express closings and the company’s looming exits in Iowa and Kansas are part of a retrenchment strategy.
In a statement to C-Store Dive, Yesway’s spokesperson said the Lubbock store didn’t match the company’s strategy, and — as with the Iowa and Kansas exits — that Yesway intends to reinvest in locations that allow the company to offer “a better customer experience.” They added that this location’s employees will remain with the company and have moved to a nearby store.
“We plan to continue our growth in Texas and are focused on building the best network of store locations in the state, currently at 248 strong, to meet the needs of our valued customers,” Yesway’s spokesperson said.
