Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc (ANCUF)

Description:

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc is a convenience store operator incorporated under the Business Corporations Act in Canada by certificate of amalgamation dated May 1, 1988. On December 15, 1994, the Corporation changed its corporate name from Actidev Inc., to Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. The Company is engaged in the sale of goods for immediate consumption, road transportation fuel and other products through corporate stores and franchise operations. The Company operates its convenience store and road transportation fuel retailing chain under several banners, including Circle K, Statoil, Couche-Tard and Mac's. The Company operates & licenses approximately 8,499 convenience stores across North America, Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden and Denmark), Poland, the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), and Russia, of which 6,236 are company-operated, and sells tobacco products, grocery items, beverages, fresh food offerings, including quick service restaurants, car wash services, other retail products and services, road transportation fuel, stationary energy, marine and aviation fuel, lubricants and chemicals. The Company's network is comprised of 6,243 convenience stores throughout North America, including 4,756 stores with road transportation fuel dispensing. Its North-American network consists of 13 business units, including nine in the United States covering 39 states and the District of Columbia and four in Canada covering all ten provinces. In Europe, the Company operates a broad retail network across Scandinavia, Poland, the Baltic States, and Russia with 2,258 stores. In addition, under licensing agreements, about 4,600 stores are operated under the Circle K banner in 12 other countries and territories worldwide. The Company store network competes with a number of national, regional, local and independent retailers, including grocery chains and supermarkets, other convenience store chains, mini-convenience stores integrated to oil companies' gas stations and pharmacies, quick service restaurants and dollar stores. The Company's operating activities require certain government permits and licences, in particular pertaining to the sale of alcoholic beverages, tobacco and lottery tickets; and is also subject to antitrust and competition laws and regulations relating to, among other things, the size of its operations and pricing of its products and services.