Holiday Stationstores: Leading the Way in Convenience and Fuel Services

Holiday Stationstores has established itself as a well-known brand in the convenience store and fuel sector across the United States. Founded in Minnesota in 1928, the company has seen remarkable growth over the years. Its acquisition by Alimentation Couche-Tard in 2017 integrated Holiday Stationstores into the Circle K family, aligning it with one of the world’s largest convenience retail networks.

The brand offers a robust franchise program, equipping business owners with the tools and resources needed to successfully launch and manage their own Holiday Stationstores locations.

What sets Holiday Stationstores apart is its wide array of products and services — from gasoline and fresh food to beverages and everyday essentials — all designed to meet the varied needs of its customers. With the added advantage of Alimentation Couche-Tard’s international experience, Holiday Stationstores maintains a st

Training

Holiday Stationstores provides its franchisees with a structured and multi-layered training program designed to ensure proper operations and compliance. Here’s a breakdown of the key training programs:

1. Initial Training Program
   Holiday Stationstores offers an Initial Training Program for the franchisee and managers, which includes at least 50 hours of classroom, computer, and on-the-job instruction, plus 300 hours of in-store field training. This program covers essential topics like employee scheduling, pricing, customer service, inventory control, merchandising, and use of the POS and Back Office systems.
2. Ongoing Training Program
   Franchisees receive access to ongoing training materials, which include new-hire training curricula for each employee position. This also covers government-required certifications like Class C Operator, Food Certification, and Alcohol Certification, ensuring continuous compliance and operational consistency.
3. On-the-Job and Field Training
   Franchisees and managers participate in a minimum of 300 hours of in-store on-the-job training at an HSI-owned Holiday Stationstore, followed by 50 hours of field training at their own location. Certified Holiday Stationstore training managers and HDS field representatives conduct this hands-on training to reinforce practical skills and store readiness.

Territory Protection

Holiday stationstores does not provide franchisees with exclusive territory protection. The franchisor and its parent companies reserve the absolute right to own, operate, develop, and franchise other Holiday Stationstores or competing brands such as Circle K, On the Run, and Kangaroo Express, even within close proximity to an existing franchisee.

This means a franchisee may face direct competition from both corporate-owned and franchised locations, as well as other distribution channels. Additionally, Holiday Stationstores clarifies that the rights granted to a franchisee are strictly limited to the operation of one store at the approved location, without any guarantee of additional territorial rights.

Franchisees explicitly acknowledge that the franchisor’s ability to open or authorize nearby locations will not be limited by any competitive concerns. This setup emphasizes a highly competitive environment where growth and customer capture depend largely on individual store performance rather than protected geographic zones.