#The Cult of Buc-ee

[cult-of-buc-ee-official]

CULTISTS! MY CHILDREN! WE CORDIALLY INVITE YE TO JOIN US AT YOUR LOCAL BASILICA AS I, BUCEPHOROS IMMANUBUK ABD-IL-BUKKIH KREATOKAPNISTIS, POPE, PATRIARCH, AND CALIPH OF THE CULT OF LORD BUC-EE, CELEBRATE MIDNIGHT MASS. THERE WILL BE MUCH JUBILATION AND SNAKE HANDLING, AND SUCKLING OF LORD BUC-EE'S MUCH-SWOLLEN BEAVER BLESSINGS! AND ALSO THERE WILL BE FUDGE. FREEESH BRISKET ON THE BOOAAARD 🙏🦫

#Buc-ee's #Texas #The Cult of Buc-ee #FREEESH BRISKET ON THE BOOAAARD 🙏🦫

[mangopossum]

Ehehehe look at this sweet commission I got from @saintbullart huehuehuehuehue @cult-of-buc-ee-official

#Buc-ee's #The Cult of Buc-ee

[nickgerlich]

A Convenient Truth

Next time you are in your vehicle, take a look around and start counting how many convenience stores you pass en route to your destination. They are on practically every street corner, and there are often two or more sharing the same intersection. C-stores are among the most necessary of retail establishments today, especially since most now sell gasoline.

It wasn’t always this way. The first 7-Eleven opened in 1927. It and the ones that followed were tiny by today’s standards, did not sell gas, and were not beholden to street corner locations. Often they were in the middle of a block, which now seems ill-conceived in that it could not attract people from two streets.

Today, c-stores are much larger, have much broader selections of merchandise, sit on two or more acres, and may have a bank and/or fast food co-branded outlet inside. There are more than 150,000 of these today, and without them, most of us would find our lives increasingly inconvenient.

But there’s a growing chain that is spreading out of Texas that challenges the notion of what a c-store is. Buc-ee’s, with 58 units spread between here and Florida, considers itself a c-store. It’s just that their stores don’t look at all like a 7-Eleven. Oh, and they’re going to break ground soon in Amarillo.

The new store here will be 74,000 square feet and sit on 20 acres. Need gas? An array of 120 pumps will be there from which to choose. While it is not quite the biggest unit in the chain—the biggest is in Sevierville Tennessee with 74,700 square feet—it’s not far behind. But an even bigger one—75,000 square feet—is planned for near Ocala Florida.

Is it truly a c-store, though? One for thing for certain, it is not a truck stop, because trucks are not allowed. RVs are welcome, but you can’t spend the night. How about we just call them travel centers then? Given the location on Amarillo’s east side (near where US 287 branches off I-40), it will be among eight legitimate truck stops, meaning that travelers will have a plethora of choices. It’s little wonder why some people consider Amarillo to be a truck stop town.

As a marketing prof, I stand in amazement every time I stop at Buc-ee’s. No, it’s not because I am buying food or merchandise. To me it is crazy how Buc-ee’s has developed a cult-like following, and people will interrupt their travels for an hour to shop and dine there. They have shopping carts, something you don’t see in a c-store. Perhaps their biggest claim to fame is clean rest rooms. They are immaculate.

Although the chain dates to 1982, it is only in the last five years or so that it started its explosive growth, as well as venturing out of state. A large portion of the merchandise is private label foods, along with a wide variety of souvenirs ranging from t-shirts to plush toys.

And umbrellas. I confess. I bought one, not because I wanted to show my allegiance, but rather because I was trapped inside their St Augustine Florida store when a downpour broke out. It was either buy an umbrella, wait it out, or get drenched. I gladly forked over $15.

So powerful is the Buc-ee’s brand that it sometimes spawns other retail, hotels, and dining in proximity. Take the Terrell Texas store, for example, which is situated near where US 80 breaks off I-20 east of Dallas. The area has blossomed from just Buc-ee’s to three hotels and a variety of fast food and retail choices. All because of a c-store that attracts hundreds of customers each hour.

Given their popularity, I am surprised they have not adopted e-commerce. Their website is pretty basic, much like you would have seen in the late-1990s. This is a golden opportunity missed, because specialty clothing, toys, and packaged foods can easily be sold this way to folks not lucky (I suppose) to have a Buc-ee’s nearby. Then again, Trader Joe’s has followed a similarly austere marketing program with great success.

I have monitored social media reactions lately concerning the groundbreaking, and noted that some folks wondered why Buc-ee’s did not build on the west side, closer to where much of Amarillo lives. But Buc-ee’s is not building this for Amarillo people. No, it is building it for travelers. And all this at a time when QT has arrived in Amarillo, along with the return of Circle K, adding even more c-stores—and more in keeping with the typical size—to the mix.

I am pretty sure that when c-stores arrived on the scene nearly a century ago, no one could ever imagine how the genre has evolved, especially with Buc-ee’s. I’ll be watching for them to open in Amarillo, and will no doubt pay a visit. I won’t be going to shop but rather to people-watch. I’ll bring the umbrella just in case.

Dr “Fill ‘Er Up” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[awellrespectedcavetroll]

On the drive back Tuesday I stopped at Buc-ee’s for the first time to see what the hype is about and…I don’t get it. Like I get the appeal of this bigass convenience store that’s open 24/7 and has all this shit available, but I don’t get the cult following or the creepy amount of merchandising. Would I stop there again on a road trip, absolutely, but you’re not seeing a Buc-ee’s sticker on my car anytime soon.

#cave troll hits the road

[justafryingpan]

buc-ee's feels like a cult

i am afraid

[miralia]

Omg theyre putting a buc ees like an hour away from me and im in the south and everyone is shitting themselves theyre so excited. Bucees is like a cult i think bc i have an aunt who has like 6 bucees shirts, only uses a bucees mug and even her lighter is bucees

southerners really do not play when it comes to buc-ee's, that little beaver is a cultural icon down here and i cannot understand why

[frodo-of-the-nine-fingers]

i do not and will not ever trust people that are super into buc-ee's

#buc-ee's for the uninitiated is this gas station chain in texas that is known for it's very clean bathrooms and it's merch #all of the stuff is over priced #it's supposed to look like a truck stop but im pretty sure you can't even go there in 18 wheelers #it's the dumbest thing #i know they have them in other states but they have a cult following here

[spookyboywhump]

🌻 🌻

1. Here in Texas we got what’s known as Buc-ee’s. They’re these huge gas stations/truck stops that sell everything from regular convenience store snacks to barbecue sandwiches to fudge, clothing and Home decor and even camping gear. My friends jokingly call it a Beaver Cult cuz the mascot is a beaver and it’s plastered on all sorts of merch inside but they are actually kinda great cuz they have the cleanest restrooms and even showers and stopping there is always kinda fun

2. I have this song on my current playlist called Living Dead Boy by Graveyardguy. It’s a good song and I really like it but the problem is that it starts off with this fucking ear piercing sound and is for some reason louder than any other song on my playlist so even when I have the volume low it still hurts

#these two things are unrelated #stupid shit #unicornscotty

[girlvinland]

I fucking love Buc-ee’s

“THE BEAVER AT NIGHT IS BRILLIANT AND BRIGHT”

like some A+ advertising

#by bug #i just love buc ees anyway #i am officially part of their cult following now

[theboysfromaustin]

Next on Ian's travelling circus of hatred: Buc-Ees

I hate this little beaver bastard and his cult of dumbasses but I need water and the bathrooms are usually clean

[bisluthq]

In the Northeast, there is a massive rivalry between Sheetz and Wawa.

And in The South, there's a whole cult around Buc-ees.

America is weird.

Lmfaoooo

#nat talks world cultures lmao

[cult-of-buc-ee-official]

GREETINGS BRETHREN, LORD BUC-EE SMILES ON US THIS SABBATH DAY. LET US MAKE SACRIFICE TO OUR LORD BUC-EE

FOR HE IS GOOD, FOR HE IS GOOD. PRAISE BUC FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW 🦫

#Buc-ee's #The Cult of Buc-ee #Texas

[mangopossum]

Anyways huehuehuehue thanks to @saintbullart I now have in my possession a Buc-ee army @cult-of-buc-ee-official :3c

#Buc-ee's

[nickgerlich]

Fill ‘Er Up

When the first gas stations started appearing around 1905, they were tiny. Sometimes they were stand-alone structures with a couple of gravity-fed pumps. In other cases there were simply a couple of pumps curbside in front of a small store.

And no one, even in their wildest dreams, could ever begin to imagine what would happen more than a century later with the arrival of gas stations larger than modern supermarkets.

We can thank Buc-ee’s in large part for this bigger-is-better push. Founded in 1982 in Lake Jackson Texas, it is only in the last decade that it has exploded across the south, both in markets served and size of their properties. And now Amarillo will be joining a growing number of these massive travel centers.

At present, Buc-ee’s operates 41 stores in Texas, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, but there are new locations in progress in six other states, including Colorado, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Missouri. The largest Buc-ee’s, at 72,000 square feet, will be built in eastern Tennessee near the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It will be the world’s largest convenience store, surpassing only the Buc-ee’s in New Braunfels Texas.

In contrast, the Amarillo location will be a more standard Buc-ee’s: 53,000 square feet, 120 gas pumps, all on 20 acres.

Buc-ee’s has built a near-cult following. It’s the only convenience store I know that has shopping carts, because many people plan their travel stops around a shopping expedition there. Beef jerky, kolaches, and BBQ sandwiches are among the favorite items, although they have enough non-food merch to fill that cart.

Buc-ee’s is a disruptor. They do not allow trucks. There are no diesel pumps available. And they have addressed one of the biggest concerns among travelers: clean restrooms. The entire property is well-lit at night, and it becomes obvious to this marketer that the primary target is women, whether traveling solo or as a family. I am pretty sure there are no better selling points to women than clean restrooms and safety, and traditional truck stops just don’t fit that bill.

You won’t find lot lizards at Buc-ee’s.

Naturally, not everyone is enamored of them. Truckers hate that they are not welcomed. There was even a community in North Carolina that came together to quash plans for a new Buc-ee’s there along I-40. And then there are concerns that Buc-ee’s owner Arch “Beaver” Aplin III has been a major contributor to Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the state GOP.

And, of course, local competitors fear the Beaver, which becomes the 800-pound-gorilla along the freeway. In Amarillo, I can especially guess the fears that local companies Toot-N-Totum, with its new travel center one mile west of the new Buc-ee’s location, and CEFCO, with a major new travel center under construction between Amarillo and Canyon, must be feeling.

While Amarilloans appear to be ecstatic over the Buc-ee’s announcement, as revealed by hundreds of social media comments, we must remember that Buc-ee’s is really not targeting local customers. They are looking to lure travelers, and their location along I-40 is strategic. It’s not just a kind gesture to Amarillo. Buc-ee’s estimates that more than 50% of its customers here will be from more than 50 miles away. I bet it will be much more than that, especially after the novelty wears off.

I routinely stop at Buc-ee’s when on long haul trips across the south. I can usually count on competitively priced gas, no waiting, a huge coffee station, and restrooms big enough to accommodate dozens of people at once. I can be in and out in about 12 minutes, but I have also been known to people watch on occasion. You can’t stop a marketing prof from simply standing in awe.

If only those first gas station operators could have seen what became of their idea more than a century ago. There wasn’t a need then for such extravagance, the likes of which today find some people comparing Buc-ee’s to a carnival. But if they had even half an inkling, I bet they would have done things differently.

Like maybe have four pumps.

Dr “Kolaches For Everyone“ Gerlich

Audio Blog

#marketing #Buc-ee's #gas #travel #tourism #convenience #store #retail

[4xplay-or-2not]

[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/floridas-first-buc-ees-travel-center-opens-at-world-golf-village/

Florida’s first Buc-ee’s travel center opens at World Golf Village

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – It’s known for touting the world’s largest convenience store. The national travel center chain, Buc-ee’s, opened its first-ever location in Florida on Monday.

The chain carries a cult-following with it. Dozens of people were in-line outside the store before 5:15 a.m. Monday morning. As the doors opened at 6 a.m., people were cheering as they walked through. At least two people excitedly ran inside the new store.

The new location on World Commerce Parkway in St. Augustine is 52,600 square feet and has 104 fueling positions.

Stores are usually split into the gift side, which features items such as clothing, home décor, sporting goods and more — and the food service and convenience store side.

Many people living in the area were concerned about how the gas station would affect property values. More than 2,000 people signed a petition opposing the development in 2019, citing traffic concerns and a worse quality of life.

Copyright 2021 by WJXT News4Jax – All rights reserved.

#first #florida #World