The women-led retailer that rose from the ashes of Mountain Express is growing its brand outside of Iowa as it looks to build its Midwest footprint.
Published Oct. 4, 2024 by C-Store Dive
As InConvenience grows, it’s taking things slow to avoid making the same mistakes as a company like Mountain Express.
The building housing the first Gas Spot in Missouri received several renovations before opening, including fresh paint and signage, new restrooms and display fixtures, and a walk–in beer cave, said Alicia LaFollette, brand director for InConvenience.
Additionally, InConvenience gutted the small kitchen that was previously inside the store and created what it calls the “Gathering Spot,” which will house soda fountains and frozen beverages, as well as a cooler for grab-and-go items, LaFollette said. It also includes a freezer, which will eventually include frozen food items that customers can heat in a microwave.
The store also now has tables and chairs for customers to relax during their visit.
“Hopefully it’s just a warm, friendly and inviting place to be,” LaFollette said.
InConvenience opened its first company-operated convenience stores earlier this year in Davenport and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Those stores were formerly leased to Mountain Express Oil, which lost its assets amid a tumultuous Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing. InConvenience’s parent company, InCommercial Property Group, owned the locations.
InConvenience is taking another play from that same playbook with its stores in Missouri and Arkansas. All of those locations were formerly leased by InCommercial to SQRL Service Stations, which continues to spiral out of control amid multiple bankruptcy filings and legal battles with its landlords.
A common thread between Mountain Express and SQRL was that they tried to grow too quickly — acquiring hundreds of c-stores in a short span — without establishing a foundation for their retail operations.
Fraley said InConvenience, which operates 13 c-stores, is taking its expansion slowly to avoid similar pitfalls. The Missouri stores are expected to open in the next six to nine months, while the Arkansas locations should debut in the second half of 2025, Fraley said.
“We want to make sure that the stores are safe, clean, up to code, ready to operate, that we’ve got all of our proper licensing, [and that] we’ve passed all inspections,” she said.
