On The Run (convenience Store)

On The Run (convenience Store)

On the Run is a flagship convenience store brand developed by ExxonMobil, used at Exxon and Mobil stations in the United States, and at Esso and Mobil stations internationally. Alimentation Couche-Tard is in the process of acquiring the On the Run franchise network in the U.S.; ExxonMobil retains its corporate-owned On the Run stores in that country, as well as full ownership of the brand in the rest of the world.

After several failed attempts to have its own convenience store chain since the 1970s, Mobil introduced the On the Run brand in 1994. The chain not only finally gave Mobil some success in the convenience store business, but the chain did so well that when the company was bought by Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil, the newly merged oil giant chose Mobil's On the Run over Exxon's own TigerMart (which still continues to a lesser extent) for both brands to use. On the Run is available with franchises, though most of the locations are corporate-owned-and-operated.

On the Run stores are described as larger and having more products than ExxonMobil's older-model convenience stores, featuring "fresh snacks, fill-in groceries, health & beauty supplies, plus quick meal options". Most feature either Exxon's in-house Bengal Traders coffee brand or, in Canada, a Tim Hortons kiosk or counter. In practice, newly renovated On the Run locations in Canada are often small, former Tiger Express locations with little change other than new signage.

The name "On the Run" is used, untranslated, around the world, except in the Canadian province of Quebec, where opposition from its French-speaking population, despite government sanction, forced Exxon's local subsidiary to retain the Marché Express brand (absorbing Tigre Express).

On April 29, 2009, Canada-based convenience store company Alimentation Couche-Tard, which operates stores in the United States under the Circle K name, announced it was acquiring the 450-store On the Run franchise network (the stores themselves remain with local franchisees) plus 43 ExxonMobil-owned and operated stores in the Phoenix, Arizona area. The deal does not affect any other corporate-owned On the Run locations in the U.S. or internationally. In November 2010, many of the On the Run stores were converted to Hop In stores. Hop In is a small chain of convenience stores based in Dothan, Alabama.

In August 2011, 7-Eleven announced it was acquiring 51 ExxonMobil-owned and operated On the Run locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area; the convenience stores are to be re-branded as 7-Eleven, but will still sell Exxon-branded gasoline. Houston-area On The Run locations were rebadged either as a Timewise or Star Stop convenience store since 7-Eleven does not operate franchises in the Houston Metro area.