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{{Infobox_Company |
image = Family_Express_Location;_La_Porte,_IN.jpg |
company_name=Family Express Corporation |
company_type=Private |
foundation={{start date and age|1975}} |
location=[[Valparaiso, Indiana]] |
locations = 74 (2019)<ref name="top-2019"/>|
industry=[[Retailer|Retail]] |
homepage={{Official site|www.familyexpress.com}}
}}
'''Family Express''' is a privately-held United States [[convenience store]] chain headquartered in [[Valparaiso, Indiana]], with more than 70 locations across northern and central Indiana.<ref name="top-2019"/>

Family Express is known for its pursuit of [[vertical integration]], following an approach similar to [[Kwik Trip]].<ref name="csd-2019">{{Cite web
| url = https://cstoredecisions.com/2019/09/19/30-years-of-c-store-industry-evolution/
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = 30 Years of C-Store Industry Evolution - CStore Decisions
| author = Erin Del Conte
| date = 2019-09-19}}</ref> The Family Express logistics model consolidates what would otherwise be 25 [[direct store delivery|direct store deliveries]] by different vendors to each store weekly into one combined daily delivery by Family Express itself.<ref name="aatac"/> One result of the company's centralized logistics, according to the company, has been increased freshness.<ref name="focusing">{{Cite news
| url = https://nwindianabusiness.com/community/leader-ceo-profiles/ceo-profile-focusing-on-the-customer/
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = CEO Profile: Focusing On the Customer
| magazine = Northwest Indiana Business Magazine
| author = Rick Richards
| date = 2011-01-27
}}</ref>

The company's use of a centralized [[commissary]] has been a core aspect of its approach to logistics. In 2004, the company announced plans for its first centralized commissary and bakery at a former warehouse site in Valparaiso.<ref name="revolution">{{Cite news
| newspaper = Times of Northwest Indiana
| url = https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/family-express-plans-convenience-store-revolution/article_7372bd36-c2c8-5ccb-b011-cea7d8d8e1ac.html
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = Family Express plans convenience store revolution
| author = Phil Wieland
| date = 2004-07-10
| quote =Gus Olympidis, president and chief executive officer of the Valparaiso-based Family Express, said he is planning a central commissary and bakery for supplying pastries and sandwiches to the company's 43 convenience stores in the region.}}</ref> The commissary opened in late 2006.<ref>{{Cite news
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=2QctAQAAMAAJ
| title = Commissioning a Commissary
| magazine = Convenience Store News
| volume = 44
| year = 2008
| page = 57
| quote = . . . Family Express, a 50-unit chain of c-stores headquartered in Valparaiso, Ind., built a commissary in the fourth quarter of 2006 to handle its Cravin's Market line of prepared foods . . . .}}</ref> Prior to the launch of the company's commissary, the bakery products were shipped from a manufacturer in Chicago and [[cross docking|cross docked]] for delivery to stores.<ref name="revolution"/> In 2010, the company built a new {{convert|150000|sqft|m2}} distribution center, which includes a bakery.<ref name="lands"/>

The company has attracted attention for its use of its own proprietary [[brand]]ing, including the Cravin's Market brand for bakery items, Java Wave for hot beverages, and square donuts. Branding has extended to the company's delivery trucks as well, which are festooned with upside-down cows and emit a "moo" sound when arriving and leaving each location.<ref name="named">{{Cite web
| url = https://indiana105.com/uncategorized/family-express-named-2015-convenience-store-chain-of-the-year/
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = Family Express Named 2015 Convenience Store Chain of the Year
| work = Indiana 105
| author = Karen Fletcher
| date = 2015-08-01
}}</ref> In 2016, the company launched a "hot foodservice" brand called Cravin's Kitchen at some locations.<ref name="aatac">{{Cite web
| url = https://aatac.co/family-express-unveils-cravins-kitchen/
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = Family Express Unveils Made-To-Order Foodservice Program - AATAC
| publisher = Asian American Trade Associations Council
| date = 2016-10-19}}</ref> Offering kiosk, mobile and app-based ordering, the brand included breakfast sandwiches and "made-to-order" pizzas.<ref name="aatac"/>

Family Express has placed a high emphasis on attracting and retaining "high-quality employees".<ref name="csd-2019"/>
The Family Express turnover rate is among the lowest in the convenience store industry.<ref name="makes">{{Cite web
| url = https://valpo.life/article/what-makes-gus-go-inside-the-leaders-mind1/
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = What Makes Gus Go? Inside the Leader's Mind
| work = ValpoLife
| author =
| date = 2011-05-03}}</ref> According to CEO Gus Olympidis, the company uses "personal and institutional behavior and performance tools" and selects only one candidate out of fifty.<ref name="makes"/> In 2011, Olympidis announced that half of the company's stores had zero turnover the previous year.<ref name="serves"/> As of 2018, the company's starting wage was [[US$]]11 per hour.<ref name="top-2019"/>

The company released a [[customer loyalty]] app in 2019.<ref name="unveils">{{Cite web
| url = https://www.cspdailynews.com/technologyservices/family-express-unveils-loyalty-app
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = Family Express Unveils Loyalty App
| author = Jackson Lewis
| date = 2019-04-23
}}</ref> Developed by retail industry [[software as a service]] provider [[Paytronix]], the app included online ordering for hot foodservice items as well as more traditional [[customer engagement]] features.<ref name="unveils"/> According to Paytronix, the Family Express app was the first convenience-store customer loyalty app to include online ordering.<ref name="unveils"/>

The company's Valparaiso headquarters includes a "full-scale, functioning store" for employee training and product testing.<ref name="lands"/>

== Origin and expansion ==
[[File:Springville northward 39.jpg|thumb|A Family Express at [[Springville, LaPorte County, Indiana|Springville]] on [[US Route 20]].]]
The company was started by Gus Olympidis with a single location on Valparaiso's west side in 1975.<ref name="serves">{{Cite web
| url = https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/gus-olympidis-family-express-serves-customers/article_e41a7c6d-2e4e-58c7-bdbc-737b1624d107.html
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| date = 2010-02-21
| newspaper = Times of Northwest Indiana
| title = Gus Olympidis' Family Express serves customers
| author = Lu Ann Franklin}}</ref> The initial name of the stores was "Time Low", which changed to "Family Express" in 1987.<ref name="named"/>

Originally a [[Northwest Indiana]] company, in 1999 the company purchased Carter Oil, giving it access to the [[Lafayette, Indiana|Lafayette]] market and improved exposure on [[Interstate 65]].<ref name="serves"/> It entered the suburban [[Indianapolis]] market in 2018.<ref name="enters">{{Cite web
| url = https://www.indianachamber.com/family-express-company-enters-indianapolis-suburbs-valparaiso/
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = Family Express: Company Enters Indianapolis Suburbs (Valparaiso)
| publisher = Indiana Chamber of Commerce
| author = Charlee Beasor
| date = 2018-10-03
}}</ref> Plans for the Indianapolis expansion included new sites in [[Zionsville, Indiana|Zionsville]], [[Whitestown, Indiana|Whitestown]], and [[Carmel, Indiana|Carmel]], with the Carmel location to be designed [[Art Deco]] style in conformity with local zoning standards.<ref name="enters"/>

== Controversies ==
[[File: Square Donuts Family Express.jpg|thumb|Family Express square donuts]]
From 2006 to 2018, Family Express was involved in a [[trademark]] dispute with Square Donuts of [[Terre Haute, Indiana|Terre Haute]] over Family Express's use of the phrase "square donuts" to describe its square donuts.<ref name="still">{{Cite web
| url = https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180426/10295539726/stupid-square-donuts-trademark-dispute-still-going-strong-despite-mark-being-purely-descriptive.shtml
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = Stupid Square Donuts Trademark Dispute Still Going Strong Despite The Mark Being Purely Descriptive
| website = Techdirt
| author = Timothy Geigner
| date = 2018-05-03
}}</ref> Square Donuts sent a [[cease and desist letter]] to Family Express in 2006, which Family Express opposed on the ground that referring to a square donut as a "square donut" is purely [[descriptive mark|descriptive]].<ref>{{Cite web
| url = https://www.chicagobusinesslitigationlawyerblog.com/square-donut-fight-ends-court/
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = Square Donut Fight Ends up in Court
| website = Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer Blog
| author1 = Peter S. Lubin
| author2 = Patrick Austermuehle
| date = 2016-04-08}}</ref> Square Donuts obtained state and federal trademark protection in 2012 and 2013, and the [[United States Patent and Trademark Office]] subsequently rejected Family Express's own trademark application due to [[likelihood of confusion]] with the Square Donuts mark.<ref>{{Cite news
| url = https://www.theindianalawyer.com/articles/40915-whats-in-a-name-litigation-if-its-square-donuts
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = What's in a name? Litigation, if it's Square Donuts
| magazine = The Indiana Lawyer
| author = Dave Stafford
| date = 2016-07-18
}}</ref>

In 2016, Family Express brought a [[declaratory judgment]] action in federal court to have the Square Donuts trademark invalidated on grounds of descriptiveness.<ref name="still"/> In 2018, Family Express added a new argument, that Square Donuts had abandoned its mark by allowing third parties to use it.<ref name="pursues">{{Cite web
| url = https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/family-express-pursues-new-legal-angle-in-square-donuts-square/article_62785ca4-0f40-52d6-a890-2a8b8647edd3.html
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| newspaper = Times of Northwest Indiana
| title = Family Express pursues new legal angle in square donuts square-off
| author = Joseph S. Pete
| date = 2018-04-25
}}</ref> Later in 2018, the parties reached a [[settlement (litigation)|settlement]].<ref>{{Cite web
| url = https://www.lexblog.com/2018/12/13/update-square-donuts-dispute-headed-to-settlement/
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = Update: "Square Donuts" Dispute Headed to Settlement
| work = LexBlog
| author = Tucker Chambers
| date = 2018-12-13
}}</ref>

In 2019, after revelations of severe animal abuse at a [[confined animal feeding operation]] operated by [[Fair Oaks Farms]], Family Express discontinued all [[Fairlife]] products, replacing them with [[Organic Valley]].<ref name="goes">{{Cite news
| url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-fair-oaks-video-st-0606-story.html
| newspaper = Chicago Tribune
| author = Amy Lavalley
| date = 2019-06-05
| title = Fair Oaks founder: Animal rights group's video 'goes against everything we stand for'}}</ref> Family Express, which was joined by other companies including [[Jewel-Osco]] in withdrawing Fairlife products, issued a statement describing the abuse as "chilling".<ref>{{Cite web
| url = https://www.today.com/food/fairlife-dairy-products-pulled-store-shelves-amid-animal-cruelty-controversy-t155783
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = Fairlife milk pulled from store shelves amid animal abuse video controversy
| author = Michelle Gant
| date = 2019-06-09
| work = Today.com
| publisher = NBC News
}}</ref>

== Recognition ==

In 2015, the company received the Convenience Store Decisions "Chain of the Year" award, described as "one of the most prestigious convenience retail awards in the United States."<ref name="lands">{{Cite web
| url = https://www.insideindianabusiness.com/story/30290407/family-express-lands-national-award
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = Family Express Lands National Award - Inside INdiana Business
| author = Andy Ober
| date = 2015-10-18}}</ref> The award was presented by the CEO of [[RaceTrac Petroleum]], who praised the company's "outstanding operations" and "ongoing commitment to convenience retail".<ref name="lands"/>

In 2019, [[Delish]] named Family Express the best local convenience store in Indiana.<ref>{{Cite web
| url = https://www.nwitimes.com/family-express-named-best-local-convenience-store-in-indiana/article_a7183c40-b552-54b3-a932-64fd137bffbe.html
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = Family Express named best local convenience store in Indiana
| newspaper = Times of Northwest Indiana
| author = Joseph S. Pete
| date = 2019-09-25}}</ref>

In 2019, the [[National Advisory Group]] trade association gave Family Express CEO Gus Olympidis its NAG Lifetime Award for Convenience Retailing.<ref>{{Cite web
| url = https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/family-express-founder-gus-olympidis-wins-lifetime-achievement-award/article_642d90df-ef57-5869-acb9-91c53b4d89b8.html
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = Family Express founder Gus Olympidis wins lifetime achievement award
| newspaper = Times of Northwest Indiana
| author = Joseph S. Pete}}</ref> The association cited his "indelible mark on the convenience retailing industry".<ref>{{Cite web
| url = https://cstoredecisions.com/2019/07/05/gus-olympidis-to-receive-nags-lifetime-award-for-convenience-retailing/
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = Gus Olympidis to Receive NAG's Lifetime Award for Convenience Retailing
| work = CStore Decisions
| author = CSD Staff
| date = 2019-07-05}}</ref>

As of 2019, trade publication ''CSP Magazine'' ranked Family Express 91st in its "Top 202" convenience store listing, up from 99th place the previous year.<ref name="top-2019">{{Cite web
| url = https://www.cspdailynews.com/top-202-convenience-stores-2019/family-express-corp
| access-date = 2020-02-09
| title = Family Express Corp.
| author = CSP Daily News
| date = 2019}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{Official site|www.familyexpress.com}}

{{Convenience stores}}

[[Category:Valparaiso, Indiana]]
[[Category:Privately held companies based in Indiana]]
[[Category:American companies established in 1975]]
[[Category:Retail companies established in 1975]]
[[Category:Energy companies established in 1975]]
[[Category:Non-renewable resource companies established in 1975]]
[[Category:Convenience stores of the United States]]
[[Category:Gas stations in the United States]]
[[Category:1975 establishments in Indiana]]

Family Express - Revision history

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