A-Plus (store)
| Company type | Convenience store chain |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (convenience stores) |
| Predecessor | ampm (initial stores transitioned from) |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Founder | Atlantic Petroleum |
Area served | United States (Northeast and Southeast) |
| Products | Convenience store products, Gulliver's Coffee, City Deli hot food service |
| Owner | Energy Transfer Partners |
| Parent | Energy Transfer Partners |
APlus (also known as A-Plus) is a U.S.-based convenience store network owned by Energy Transfer Partners, with certain outlets managed by Seven & I Holdings (7-Eleven). It functions as the convenience store brand affiliated with Sunoco.
History
The brand was established in 1985 as the convenience store division of Atlantic Petroleum, which had been separated from ARCO. Initial stores were transitioned from the ampm brand. In 1988, Sunoco purchased Atlantic, designating APlus as its primary convenience store banner. Throughout the mid-1990s, Sunoco rebranded numerous company-operated stations in the Northeastern United States to APlus and grew the brand by converting service garages into retail convenience outlets.
In 1999, Sunoco refreshed the APlus logo to better reflect its corporate identity. The chain operates with a nearly balanced mix of corporate-owned and franchised locations.
While initially concentrated in the U.S. Northeast, APlus broadened its reach into the Southeastern United States in 2001 by acquiring 193 former Marathon Oil Speedway SuperAmerica stores situated in Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. This growth was bolstered by Sunoco’s sponsorship of NASCAR, branding APlus as the "Official Pit Stop of NASCAR."
In October 2013, Sunoco acquired Mid-Atlantic Convenience Stores, a Richmond-based franchisee of Circle K, which operated over 300 outlets in the mid-Atlantic region. These stores continued under the Circle K name until early 2016 when they were converted to APlus branding. Although under Sunoco’s management, most locations still retail Exxon fuel products.
On January 23, 2018, 7-Eleven completed the acquisition of 1,030 APlus stores across 17 states, including the affiliated chain Stripes Convenience Stores. This transaction represented 7-Eleven’s largest acquisition at that time, expanding its total store count in the U.S. and Canada to about 9,700. Numerous former APlus sites are now undergoing conversion to 7-Eleven branding.
By 2021, the rebranding process was still underway; nonetheless, Sunoco continues to own or franchise roughly 350 convenience stores, many operating under the APlus name.
Products
APlus features several core offerings:
- Gulliver's Coffee — The brand's premium coffee line intended to rival competitors such as Circle K's Millstone coffee and Sheetz's Sheetz Bros. Coffee.
- City Deli — A hot food service concept from APlus designed to compete with Sheetz’s made-to-order options and comparable to Giant Eagle’s GetGo Kitchen. This is primarily available at newer and larger store formats.