Circle K Corporation - Specimen Stock Certificate - Circle K Stores, Inc.

Specimen Stock printed by American Bank Note Company. Available in Green, Orange or Brown. Please specify color.

Circle K Stores, Inc. is a prominent chain of convenience stores located in North America, with its headquarters situated in Tempe, Arizona. The company is owned by Alimentation Couche-Tard, Inc., which is based in Laval, Quebec. Established in 1951 in El Paso, Texas, Circle K faced financial difficulties and filed for bankruptcy protection in 1990. After changing ownership several times, it was ultimately acquired by Alimentation Couche-Tard in 2003. As of February 2020, Circle K operates 9,799 stores across North America, 2,697 stores in Europe, and an additional 2,380 stores under franchise agreements globally.

In 2015, Circle K introduced a new logo and brand identity, with Couche-Tard announcing plans for global brand deployment. This included rebranding efforts in English-speaking Canada (transitioning from the Mac's brand), Europe (moving from the Statoil brand), and the United States (rebranding from the Kangaroo Express brand and refreshing the existing Circle K brand). Since the 1980s, Circle K has maintained its status as the largest chain of company-owned and operated convenience stores in the United States. With a total of 7,230 stores in the U.S., it ranks second to 7-Eleven, which has 9,348 stores as of July 2019. As of February 2020, the Circle K brand boasts over 14,800 stores worldwide.