7-Eleven buys over 1,000 units, beefs up East Coast presence

The parent company of 7-Eleven announced last month that it had agreed to acquire 1,108 Sunoco-operated gas stations and convenience stores for $3.3 billion (nearly $3 million per store). The deal, which does not include Sunoco's A-Plus stores operated by franchisees, would provide 7-Eleven with heavy concentrations of stores in Texas and the East Coast. 

At about the same time as the announcement, the National Association of Convenience Stores said that non-gasoline sales at U.S. units increased 3.2% in fiscal 2016, led by robust sales in the foodservice category. In addition, C-stores saw significant increases in sales of packaged beverages and center store offerings like salty snacks and sweets.

As part of the agreement, 7-Eleven said it would buy gas for these sites from Sunoco for the next 15 years. 

Nonprofit grocery store to open in Chester, PA

Hunger relief organization Philabundance will open Fare & Square, a nonprofit grocery store, next spring in Chester, PA. The store will provide greater food access to local residents, who live in one of 35 food deserts in the Delaware Valley, according to the USDA.

According to the organization, Fare & Square will carry nutritious food staples, with a focus on fresh produce, meats, dairy, seafood and frozen foods. The 13,000 square foot store will be located at the site of the last supermarket within Chester's city limits, which closed 11 years ago.

Philabundance, which hopes to replicate the concept in other Delaware Valley communities, received support for the project from Sunoco, the Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, the Delaware Valley Regional Economic Development Fund, the Chester Economic Development Authority, the Nonprofit Finance Fund, the Reinvestment Fund, and TD Bank.