Circle K Ireland is Ireland’s largest branded forecourt and convenience retail network, serving approximately 1.5 million customers weekly across 168 company-owned sites. The business operates in a highly competitive retail environment where cost control, operational continuity and sustainability performance are critical.
In 2014, Circle K engaged Exemplar as its strategic energy procurement partner. The objective was clear: secure competitive pricing, manage risk effectively and bring structure and transparency to energy decision-making across the organisation.
Energy represents a significant operational cost across Circle K’s national network. The business required:
This required more than a transactional broker, it required disciplined market expertise and a partner capable of managing complexity at scale.
Exemplar began by establishing a rigorous procurement framework built on transparency, competition and commercial clarity:
This created immediate clarity around pricing, exposure and supplier performance, strengthening internal governance around energy spend.
As markets evolved, we conducted periodic procurement reviews to ensure Circle K remained optimally positioned. Each review included:
This disciplined approach ensured Circle K consistently secured competitive and strategically aligned energy contracts, even during periods of heightened market volatility.
In 2021, Exemplar identified an opportunity to strengthen both cost certainty and sustainability credentials through a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA). The CPPA model offered Circle K:
Exemplar led the entire process from concept to execution:
After a three-year process of evaluation, education and stakeholder alignment, Circle K entered into a 12-year CPPA agreement in 2024. The agreement secures renewable electricity supply for its retail network and EV charging infrastructure, while delivering long-term commercial certainty.
Through a long-term procurement partnership, Circle K achieved:
Energy procurement moved from reactive contract renewal to structured, strategic market engagement.
Circle K’s partnership with Exemplar demonstrates the value of disciplined procurement strategy, structured market engagement and long-term thinking.
By combining competitive tension, active market insight and clear stakeholder communication, we have helped Circle K manage risk, secure value and strengthen its energy position for the future.
Buying energy is not just about securing a price. It is about timing, structure and risk.
For the last 16 years, we have helped businesses across sectors such as manufacturing, pharma, agri-food, retail and hospitality make procurement decisions they can stand over, especially when markets are moving fast.
What you buy is only part of the picture. How you use energy matters just as much.
At Exemplar, we have our own engineers and technical specialists who work directly on client sites, from factories and cold storage facilities to hotels, care homes and commercial buildings. We help improve performance, reduce consumption and identify practical efficiency opportunities that work in the real world.
