Murphy USA on track for up to 55 new stores in 2026

The expansion comes as Murphy USA reported sharply higher first-quarter earnings.

Murphy USA opened six new stores in the first quarter of 2026 and had 18 further locations under construction by the end of March, the US fuel and convenience retailer reported this week.

The El Dorado, Arkansas-based company said it remains on pace to open between 45 and 55 new stores across the full year, maintaining an aggressive expansion programme that pushed its total network to 1,803 sites at the end of Q1, up from 1,761 a year earlier.

The new openings were all Murphy USA or Murphy Express formats. The QuickChek banner, which Murphy acquired in 2021, saw three closures during the period and no new additions, bringing that sub-chain to 148 locations.

One raze-and-rebuild, where an existing site is demolished and replaced with a newer format, also reopened during the quarter. At period end, the company had nine additional raze-and-rebuilds under construction alongside 13 Murphy USA/Express new-to-industry builds and six QuickChek projects, totalling 28 sites in the pipeline.

"We are on pace to open between 45 and 55 new stores in 2026, with six stores opened in the first quarter and 18 stores currently under construction," said President and CEO Mindy West.

The expansion comes as Murphy USA reported sharply higher first-quarter earnings, with net income rising to $136.3 million compared to $53.2 million in Q1 2025, driven by stronger fuel margins and a 7.3% increase in merchandise contribution.