Recently, Buc-ee's has brought lawsuits against three smaller convenience store brands that have caught national attention. Two in Ohio and one in Georgia.
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| Teddy's Market's logo is the key to a legal battle between Buc-ee's and the small Georgia chain. Teddy's is fighting back, calling Buc-ee's a "trademark bully." (Image Source: Atlanta First News) |
In Georgia, Buc-ee's is suing Teddy's Market - a small three-store convenience store chain near Atlanta. In Ohio, Buc-ee's first sued Northern Ohio's Mickey's and then later Beaver's Mini Mart in Beavercreek, Ohio. Mickey's has 42 locations in Ohio, while Beaver's is a one-store operation at a suburban intersection southeast of Dayton.
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| Buc-ee's claims that Mickey's recent rebrand infringes on their trademark. (Image source: Mickey's) |
In all cases, Buc-ee's is asking all to cease use of their logos, any profits from the use of said logos, attorney fees, and other legal items.
The lawsuit against Beaver's Mini-Mart has drawn the most ire and national attention. Beavercreek residents, its mayor, even the Governor of Ohio, have spoken out against Buc-ee's suit against Beaver's Mini-Mart. Some have even called for a boycott.
Beaver's Mini-Mart, in operation for over 20 years, is a suburban convenience mart east of Dayton and about 13 miles south of a Buc-ee's at OH 235 and I-70. Beaver's is more like the convenience store in Clerks - doesn't even sell gas - than it is a direct competitor of Buc-ee's.
You really would have to be lost to end up at Beaver's Mini Mart instead of Buc-ee's.
The three cases are just the latest in a long line of legal proceedings involving Buc-ee's and competitor logos.
Future Targets?:
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| Sam's Mart and Sam's Express are located in North and South Carolina. Buc-ee's has recently broken ground on a new location in Mebane, NC. (Adam Prince) |
Further, as Buc-ee's expands into North Carolina and elsewhere, new targets for the Buc-ee's legal team will appear. Here in North Carolina, that means watch out Sam's Xpress/Sam's Mart. Your logo and that you have a car wash, some locations also sell gas and have a convenience store may confuse John Q. Public who wants to experience a wall of beef jerky and a brisket sandwich. Yes, you have been operating in North and South Carolina since 2012. But that smiling cartoon bear is too similar to our beaver. And most likely, Buc-ee's had their trademark first, so that's going to be a big hurdle.
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| Busy Beaver Home Improvement Center in Washington, PA (Jason Gilbert) |
Busy Beaver Home Improvement Centers in Western Pennsylvania. Yes, you are a hardware store; you have had a trademarked logo since the 1960s, but you sell grills, and so does Buc-ee's. Your mascot is a beaver, the background is red, and again that driver may be looking for Buc-ee's Beaver Nuggets and end up being upset that they only sell hammers and a plumb bob. (Busy Beaver most likely is safe for numerous reasons, including having a trademark first, but Buc-ee's has a reputation to live up to.)
It's All About the Brand:
What causes Buc-ee's to sue? Trademarks and trademark requests. In the three recent cases (Teddy's, Mickey's, Beaver's Mini-Mart), all three have recently filed trademark requests. In fact, Buc-ee's owner, Arch "Beaver" Alvin III, has hinted that they would drop the lawsuit against Beaver's if the one-store operation withdrew their trademark request. However, Beaver's Mini Mart filed for an Ohio trademark and not a federal (national) one. Buc-ee's also wants protection if Beaver's Mini Mart expands nationally.
And they have been successful; some competitors have been definite rip-offs of the brand. Others not so much.
But there comes a point where the general public's perception of Buc-ee's is that of an overzealous bully knocking down sizably smaller, and honestly insignificant, businesses to protect its brand.
Their recent lawsuits caught the attention of HBO's Last Week Tonight host John Oliver, who has called out Buc-ee's frequent legal filings. His direct knockoff "Buc-off" trolled Buc-ee's, as he challenged them to sue. So far, Buc-ee's has not.
A Bad Taste in Consumers' Mouths:
An opinion by Peter Economy in Inc. Magazine put it best: "Customers rarely remember the legal reasons behind a company’s decisions. Instead, they remember the story those decisions seemed to tell about the company itself."
The outcry against Buc-ee's latest legal pursuits won't close the business, most likely won't impact profits, and won't stop new locations from opening. The new Ohio location will continue to serve the Interstate 70 traveler going from Pittsburgh to Missouri who has the faintest idea of these lawsuits. However, there will be, and now are, customers who, when they see that grinning beaver high above the highway, are going to give pause and take their business elsewhere.
Sources & Links:
- Fueling a Trademark Fight: Buc-ee's and Mickey's Gas Station Dispute ---University of Cincinnati Law Review Blog
- Don't mess with Texas trademarks: How Buc-ee's protects its branding ---Dallas Morning News
- Buc-ee's Lesson: Customers Remember More Than You Think ---Inc. Magazine
- North Georgia convenience store chain fights Buc-ee's trademark infringement lawsuit ---Atlanta News First
- Buc-ee's sued a small Ohio mini mart. Its neighbors are fighting back. ---Houston Chronicle
- #BoycottBucees trends as Ohio rallies behind corner store in trademark lawsuit ---Cleveland Plain Dealer
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