In early August, Derek Gaskins, a seasoned convenience store leader with experience at top chains like GetGo, Rutter’s, Yesway and bp, announced that he would be exiting the channel to pursue a new chapter at Mars-owned Hotel Chocolat as its head of retail.
Now, however, Gaskins has returned to the c-store space as the vice president of marketing and category management at OXXO USA.
Mexico-based OXXO entered the U.S. market in August 2024 through its parent company FEMSA’s $385 million acquisition of Delek US, adding 249 locations, primarily across the Southwest. Since then, the chain has been focused on rebranding and integrating the former Delek stores into its growing U.S. network.
CStore Decisions caught up with Gaskins to discuss his decision to return to the industry, his initial priorities and his vision for the chain’s future.
CStore Decisions (CSD): What ultimately prompted you to make the move back to the c-store industry, and what was it about OXXO that made the opportunity compelling?
Derek Gaskins (DG): Convenience retail is where I’ve done the most meaningful work of my career, and honestly, it never felt like I fully left. The pull to come back was always there.
OXXO is what made the timing right. This is a brand with deep global roots, a proven track record of building genuine consumer love and a clear ambition to earn its place in the U.S. market. The opportunity to help lead that commercial journey — at this stage, with this team — was one I simply couldn’t pass up.
CSD: What will be your initial areas of focus as you enter the role?
DG: My first priority is to listen and learn. I’m new to OXXO, new to the team, and new to what’s already been built here — and I want to honor that before I start making noise. The best leaders I’ve known have always been students first.
Beyond that, my focus will be on understanding the customer, strengthening supplier partnerships and identifying where we can move quickly to build momentum. The specifics will come into focus once I’m in the stores and with the team.
CSD: OXXO is still relatively new to the U.S. market — what do you see as its biggest opportunity to differentiate itself with American consumers?
DG: Authenticity. OXXO has built real consumer loyalty across Latin America by genuinely understanding the neighborhoods it serves — not just operating stores in them. That’s a rare capability, and it’s something American convenience consumers are hungry for.
The food and beverage program is also a real differentiator. When a brand can make a customer’s day better through a great cup of coffee or a fresh meal, that’s not just a transaction — it’s a relationship. OXXO has the foundation to build that kind of relationship here.
CSD: If we talk again a year from now, what would you like to have accomplished at OXXO?
I’d want to have built a high-performing commercial team that’s proud of the work they’re doing and clear on where they’re headed. Everything else — the sales results, the customer growth, the supplier partnerships — flows from getting the people and culture right.
I’d love for OXXO to be the brand the industry is talking about. Not because we made a lot of noise, but because we did the work and earned it.
