California had the most expensive price for gasoline on Oct. 12 at $6.31 a gallon, based on AAA’s list of average state prices.
You can often find prices lower than the state average at convenience store gas stations, as I paid $6.09 a gallon at a nearby AM PM minimart in Northern California on Oct. 11.
Consumers in other states, such as those in the South, can find gasoline at convenience store gas stations, such as RaceTrac, for about $2 to $2.50 less than California stations, with state gas averages of about $3.80 in Georgia, $3.82 in Texas, and $4.07 in Florida.
While gasoline might be the biggest draw for convenience store gas stations, consumers like me will run into these shops to quickly grab items to save time, such as a bag of ice, beverages, a pack of gum, or maybe a losing Lotto ticket.
Convenience store gas station chain sales were stable in 2025, as foodservice and merchandise sales in the U.S. convenience retail industry totaled $341.2 billion for a 1.7% increase, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores. It was the 23rd consecutive year of inside sales growth.
RaceTrac expands into the Columbus, Ohio, metropolitan market as it opens a location in West Jefferson.
RaceTrac expands in central Ohio
Stability in the industry is also prompting growth in locations as 92-year-old convenience store and gas station chain RaceTrac is expanding into a major metropolitan market in October as it opens its first location in the Columbus, Ohio, area at 2 Commerce Parkway in West Jefferson, Ohio.
RaceTrac will open the West Jefferson store on Oct. 15 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:30 a.m. and a $25 gift card giveaway to the first 100 guests at the store, according to an email to TheStreet from a RaceTrac spokesperson.
Company will expand further in Columbus
The company has plans to open more Columbus-area locations and will reveal more details about those openings by Oct. 16, the spokesperson said.
RaceTrac opened its first Ohio gas station and convenience store in Findlay, Ohio, in December 2024. The chain had planned to open a store in Delaware, Ohio, prior to the Findlay location and received city council approval in August 2023 for the Delaware location, according to WCMH-TV NBC4.
No reason for the Delaware delay was mentioned, and the company has not scheduled an opening date for that store. RaceTrac was not immediately available for comment.
“RaceTrac’s first store in Ohio is a significant milestone for our growing company,” RaceTrac chief brand officer Melanie Isbill told WCMH at the time. “The region’s vibrant economy and welcoming communities present a tremendous opportunity for our innovative approach and dedication to delivering convenience that we trust will resonate well with Ohioans.”
Chain purchased land for future stores
RaceTrac has plans to expand further into Ohio as it purchased three sites between June 2024 and May 2025, totaling $13.3 million, according to WCMH.
The company has not revealed specific plans for the sites at 30 Rathmell Road, Winchester Pike, and along US 23 in Circleville, Ohio.
The Atlanta-based chain operates 855 gas stations and convenience stores in 14 states in the Southeast and Midwest. The chain operates 307 locations in Florida, 166 in Georgia, and 136 in Texas.
The gas and convenience store chain was established in Missouri in 1934 as Carl Bloch Trackside Stations and pioneered self-service gas stations in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, according to the company’s website. The company relocated its headquarters to Atlanta in 1976 and adopted the RaceTrac brand.
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