LAVAL, Quebec – Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. recently set a goal of selling cage-free eggs in its company owned stores by 2025. Couche-Tard is the largest independent convenience store operator in the United States by the number of corporate stores.

The company said procurement policies regarding egg purchases have been decentralized until recently. Couche-Tard said establishing a common procurement policy for the exclusive sale of cage-free eggs in company owned stores has become a feasible goal as the company consolidates under a global brand.

“At Couche-Tard, we recognize a growing desire by consumers for a cage-free egg offer, which are sourced with animal welfare in mind,” Brian Hannasch, president and CEO of Couche-Tard, said in a statement. “While balancing the need for existing supply and economic sustainability, our commitment is to proudly sell only cage-free eggs in our global corporate stores, by the year 2025, as part of our mission to become the world’s preferred destination for convenience and fuel.”

Couche-Tard’s network of convenience stores includes 10,020 stores throughout North America as of Feb. 4. In Europe, Couche-Tard operates a broad retail network across Scandinavia, Ireland, Poland, the Baltics and Russia through 10 business units. The company operates 2,730 stores, the majority of which offer road transportation fuel and convenience products while the others are unmanned automated fuel stations.