SuperAmerica won CSD’s Chain of the Year award in 1991, and Speedway was recognized with that honor six years later. In 1998, the two convenience store chains merged to form Speedway SuperAmerica LLC, which is owned by Marathon Oil Corp.
Today, Speedway SuperAmerica, which is based in Enon, Ohio, is made up of more than 1,500 convenience stores. Speedway and SuperAmerica convenience stores are similar, with the only significant difference being the names. The Speedway brand is used in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The SuperAmerica name is used exclusively in Minnesota, one company-owned and one franchised location in South Dakota and a few stores in Wisconsin. Approximately 4% of SuperAmerica stores are franchise locations. Together, the stores serve more than 2.4 million shoppers daily.
The chain is a strong advocate of rewarding customers who patronize their business. One way they say “thank you” is through the company’s Speedy Rewards program that allows customers to earn points when they buy fuel and merchandise. Points can be redeemed for gift cards, gasoline discounts or free merchandise via the company’s in-store redemption terminals. The company has established Frequent Purchase clubs through its Speedy Rewards program that allow consumers of hot or cold sandwiches, pizza slices, roller grill items, nachos, salads and fruit cups to accumulate additional Speedy Rewards points. Fans of special Speedy beverages also may earn extra drink items.
Fueling New Business
This year, Speedway SuperAmerica gasoline was named the best gasoline brand in the nation, according to the 2009 EquiTrend Brand Study conducted by Harris Interactive. This annual online study measures consumers’ perceptions of various brands based upon familiarity, quality, purchase consideration, brand expectations, distinctiveness, perceived value and trust.
“Speedway SuperAmerica is proud to be the gasoline brand that U.S. consumers equate with a consistent exceptional customer experience,” said Tony Kenney, president of Speedway SuperAmerica. “There are many highly respected brands within the gasoline industry and to be ranked as the very best in the place where it matters most—in the eyes of the customer—is truly a great honor.”
In the first quarter of 2008, Speedway was named No. 1 in overall customer satisfaction as a result of an investigation by market research firm Corporate Research International. Speedway beat out 19 convenience store competitors to top the list of c-stores providing superior customer satisfaction, according to CRI.
Speedway SuperAmerica is also regarded as the convenience industry’s major contributor to the Children’s Miracle Network, which supports more than 170 children’s hospitals. The stores raise money through a number of fundraising activities, including the sale of “miracle balloons” to customers. In February, the company presented a check for $3 million to the international non-profit organization as a follow up to the chain’s 2008 fund-raising campaign.
At the corporate level, employees work hard throughout the year on behalf of the United Way of Champaign, Clark and Montgomery Counties. The company has chosen to support these organizations because the funds collected stay within the communities where they were raised.