13. Significant Events

COVID-19 – Coronavirus

An outbreak of coronavirus (“COVID-19”) began in China in December 2019 and subsequently spread throughout the world. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, the convenience stores and independent outside operations have continued to operate and have remained open to the public because convenience store operations and gas stations have been deemed an essential business by numerous federal and state authorities, including the US Department of Homeland Security, and therefore are exempt from many of the closure orders that were, or are currently, imposed on US businesses.

Potential Acquisition

On March 8, 2021, the Company entered into an agreement with third parties for the acquisition of approximately 60 self-operated convenience stores and gas stations located in the Midwestern US for consideration of approximately $102 million plus the value of inventory and cash in stores on the closing date. The Company intends to finance a portion of the consideration from its own sources and two US real estate funds that are unrelated third parties (the “Real Estate Funds”) will pay the purchase agreement for the seller’s real estate as described below.

At the closing of the transaction, (i) the Company will purchase and assume, among other things, certain vendor agreements, fee simple ownership in some of the sites, equipment in the sites, inventory and goodwill with regard to the acquired activity; and (ii) according to agreements between the Company and each of the Real Estate Funds, in consideration of approximately $92 million, the Real Estate Funds will purchase the fee simple ownership in most of the sites. Such sites will be leased to the Company under customary lease terms. In addition, one of the Real Estate Funds will grant the Company an option to purchase the fee simple ownership in 26 of the sites following an initial four-year period for consideration as was agreed between the parties.

The purchase agreement includes the sellers’ undertaking with regard to indemnification subject to certain scope, time and amounts limitations as determined in the purchase agreement.

The closing of the transaction is subject to fulfillment of conditions precedent which includes, among other things, obtaining the approvals required by law, including permits and licenses relating to the acquired activity. Subject to the above, the closing is planned to occur during the second quarter of 2021. There is no certainty that the transaction will close.