Now solo, VP set to expand
Convenience store stalwart Village Pantry has launched a $15 million plan to renovate 146 stores and is eyeing acquisitions that could double the chain's size in three years. The moves come as Village...
View ArticleAnderson gas-station chain sues BP after 32-store deal sours
Ricker Oil's Oct. 22 suit claims British petroleum giant BP is charging unjustified royalty fees while delivering no boost from its national advertising, its proprietary IT system or its bulk purchase...
View ArticleGreenfield chain makes gas stations a family affair
In high-turnover industry of gas stations and convenience stores, Greenfield-based GasAmerica builds loyalty under the guidance of CEO Stephanie White-Longworth.
View ArticleRising credit card fees eroding retailers' profits
Businesses say the money they must pay to provide customers the convenience to use plastic adds up. For example, Ricker Oil Co. paid a whopping $3.9 million in 2009, according President Jay Ricker.
View ArticleCanadian company buying 12 Crystal Flash stores
Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. said on Friday that it expects to complete the acquisition of a dozen Indianapolis stores this month. Couche-Tard is the largest independent convenience store operator in...
View ArticleTurkey Hill chain targets Indianapolis
A convenience-store chain called Turkey Hill Minit Markets is expanding into central Indiana. The chain opened its first Indianapolis store in October and plans to add at least five more by the end of...
View ArticleRicker rebranding 17 Indianapolis convenience stores
Anderson-based Ricker Oil Co. is changing the name on the ampm shops, which it acquired in 2008 from a division of oil giant BP, to match the remainder of its 50 Indiana stores.
View ArticleState scrutinizing Village Pantry for workers' safety
The Oct. 21 shooting of a clerk at a north-side Village Pantry came just four months after the convenience-store chain settled allegations by state inspectors that another of its Indianapolis stores...
View ArticleClosed meeting angers wounded store clerk's family
The family of a convenience store clerk critically injured in an October shooting harshly criticized an Indiana agency's decision to hold a closed-door meeting Wednesday with trade groups on efforts to...
View ArticleIndianapolis airport getting gas station
A long-awaited gas station at Indianapolis International Airport is to open by the middle of next year. Plans call for the facility to include a fast-food restaurant, service bay and car wash.
View ArticleKroger, using gas to lift market share, hits speed bump
Gas stations occupy an increasing number of Kroger parking lots, but Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. is facing opposition to a proposed gas station at its West 86th Street and Township Line Road grocery.
View ArticleKroger convinces council member of need for gas station
Kroger Co. will add a gas station to its store at West 86th Street and Township Line Road after successfully lobbying an Indianapolis City-County Council member who'd threatened to stand in its way.
View ArticleBP says dozens of local stations sold tainted gasoline
BP says the size of its gasoline recall is now more than twice as large than previously reported, with 4.7 million gallons distributed over the past week to about 200 gas stations as far as...
View ArticleBill would crack down on convenience store safety
Stores with crime problems that wanted to remain open overnight would have to do one of the following: have two employees working, install a bulletproof enclosure, have a security guard or conduct...
View ArticleHoliday sales could ride on lower gasoline prices
Many retail analysts have forecast a ho-hum sales gain of about 2 percent this year; others predict an increase of up to 3.9 percent. But steadily cheaper gas could send holiday sales shooting above...
View ArticleSpeedway stores cited for beer sales on Christmas
Indiana State Excise Police have cited 109 Speedway convenience stores in Indiana, accusing them of illegally selling beer on Christmas.
View ArticleJudge finds ‘rational’ reasons for restricting cold-beer sales
Judge Richard L. Young ruled the state has legitimately drawn a line by only allowing liquor stores to sell cold beer.
View ArticleConvenience chain going upscale as it plots new stores
Anderson-based Ricker’s new gas station and convenience store at 146th Street and Carey Road in Westfield offers made-to-order burritos and self-serve frozen yogurt. The Anderson-based company plans to...
View ArticleHistoric church once again target of demolition
Local preservationists are rallying to save the 101-year-old church from being razed to make way for a gas station and convenience store. Its congregation wants to start fresh in a new facility.
View ArticleWith moratorium looming, filings surge for new gas stations
Since early March, when city officials announced plans to establish the moratorium in commercial areas adjacent to neighborhoods, the Indianapolis Department of Code Enforcement has received 18...
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