Narrow-Moat Couche-Tard’s Global Scale and Fuel Economics Reinforce Its Competitive Advantage

Alimentation Couche-Tard’s strategy centers on using its global fuel and convenience network to drive frequent customer visits, then monetizing that traffic through higher-margin merchandise, foodservice, and ancillary offerings. With more than 17,200 stores across North America and Europe, primarily under the Circle K banner, Couche-Tard is the world’s second-largest convenience retailer. Fuel remains the traffic anchor (74% of fiscal 2026 revenue), but we believe long-term earnings growth will increasingly depend on improving in-store productivity and mix.