Couche-Tard Launches Global Circle K Brand

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Sep 22, 2015, 08:30 ET

LAVAL, QC, Sept. 22, 2015 /PRNewswire/ - Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. ("Couche-Tard") (TSX: ATD.A / ATD.B) consolidates its Circle K^®, Statoil^®, Mac's^® and Kangaroo Express^® retail brands under one refreshed global banner.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150915/266888LOGO)

Couche-Tard, one of the world's leading convenience retailers, announces the creation of a new, global convenience brand, "Circle K". The new Circle K brand will replace Couche-Tard's existing Circle K^®, Statoil^®, Mac's^® and Kangaroo Express^® branding on stores and service stations across Canada, the USA, Scandinavia, and Central and Eastern Europe. The new Circle K brand will also appear on licensed stores across Asia and will be a fundamental part of Couche-Tard's future growth.

Couche-Tard has chosen to retain the company's founding Couche-Tard^® retail brand in the Province of Québec in Canada due to the specifics of that market. The global Circle K brand will begin rolling out to stores in the USA from January 2016. It will be seen on service stations in Europe from May 2016, while Canadian customers outside Québec will see the new Circle K brand starting in May 2017.

Couche-Tard President & CEO Brian Hannasch says "Circle K is a brand that is already popular with huge numbers of our customers and employees. Today we are setting out to make it easy for existing and new customers in more countries than ever before to prefer Circle K as their destination for convenience and fuel, with a fresh new look and feel and even better products for people on the go, always combined with fast and friendly service."

Circle K^® is already Couche-Tard's largest and most international brand. It can be seen today on thousands of stores and service stations in 14 countries around the world and is Couche-Tard's best-positioned brand for carrying into new markets. Adopting a single global brand for Couche-Tard's convenience business and much of its fuel retail business will strengthen its perception by customers and help to align and reinforce Couche-Tard's culture of operational excellence. Best practice sharing and benchmarking across international boundaries will be enhanced and the business will have opportunities to benefit further from economies of scale and a simplified brand portfolio.

Press conference

Media is invited to attend an Alimentation Couche-Tard press conference with Alain Bouchard, Founder & Executive Chairman of the Board and President & CEO, Brian Hannasch. Come get a first-hand look at the logo and hear more about the brand.

Tuesday, 22 September, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Sheraton Laval Hotel
2440 Autoroute des Laurentides, Laval, Quebec, Canada

(Refreshments will be served)

RSVP: Pascale Gagnon, Cell: +1 514 346-3376, [email protected]

To join the press conference by telephone
please call the conference line on one of these numbers:

Operator Assisted, Toll-Free Dial-In Number: +1 866 865-3087
Local Dial-In #: 647 427-7450 or 514 807-9895

You will need the Conference ID: 45702768
Lines will be available 30 minutes in advance to allow for registration of participants.

About Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.

Couche-Tard is the leader in the Canadian convenience store industry. In the United States, it is the largest independent convenience store operator in terms of number of company-operated stores. In Europe, Couche-Tard is a leader in convenience store and road transportation fuel retail in Scandinavian and the Baltic countries with a significant presence in Poland.

As of July 19, 2015, Couche-Tard's network comprised 7,987 convenience stores throughout North America, including 6,556 stores offering road transportation fuel. Its North American network consists of 15 business units, including 11 in the United States covering 41 States and four in Canada covering all ten provinces. About 80,000 people are employed throughout its network and at its service offices in North America.

In Europe, Couche-Tard operates a broad retail network across Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden and Denmark), Poland, the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and Russia. As at July 19, 2015, it comprised 2,229 stores, the majority of which offer road transportation fuel and convenience products while the others are unmanned automated service-stations which offer road transportation fuel only. The Corporation also offers other products, including stationary energy, marine fuel, lubricants and chemicals. Couche-Tard operates key fuel terminals and fuel depots in six countries. Including employees at Statoil branded franchise stations, about 19,000 people work in its retail network, terminals and service offices across Europe.

In addition, about 4,700 stores are operated by independent operators under the Circle K banner in 12 other countries or regions worldwide (China, Guam, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam) which brings to more than 14,900 the number of sites in Couche-Tard's network.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements set forth in this press release, which describe Couche-Tard's objectives, projections, estimates, expectations or forecasts, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation. Positive or negative verbs such as "will", "plan", "evaluate", "estimate", "believe", "expect" and other related expressions are used to identify such statements. Couche-Tard would like to point out that, by their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties such that its results, or the measures it adopts, could differ materially from those indicated or underlying these statements, or could have an impact on the degree of realization of a particular projection. Major factors that may lead to a material difference between Couche-Tard's actual results and the projections or expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements include the effects of the integration of acquired businesses and the ability to achieve projected synergies, fluctuations in margins on motor fuel sales, competition in the convenience store and retail motor fuel industries, exchange rate variations, and such other risks as described in detail from time to time in documents filed by Couche-Tard with securities regulatory authorities in Canada. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Couche-Tard disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information in this press release is based on information available as of the date of the release.

SOURCE Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.