Couche-Tard Acquires 28 Stores in Ohio

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. announces that it has signed, through its subsidiary Mac’s Convenience Stores LLC, an agreement to acquire 28 stores in northwest Ohio from Sterling Stores, LLC. Should the transaction close as anticipated in May 2007, these assets would add sales to Couche-Tard’s revenues and contribute to its earnings on an annualized basis. Sterling’s total 2006 sales for the subject stores were approximately US $ 170 Million. The transaction is subject to standard regulatory approvals and closing conditions. According to a confidentiality agreement, the purchase price cannot be disclosed at this time. Internal available cash dollars will pay for the transaction.

The 28 convenience stores currently operate under the Sterling banner and are all company-operated. Twenty-four of the stores sell unbranded gasoline and the remaining four locations sell BP branded fuel. The stores would be converted to the Circle K(R) banner and would be operated by the Circle K Great Lakes division. The unbranded fuel would be sold under the Circle K(R) brand and the BP gasoline brand would remain unchanged. Pursuant to this transaction, the company would buy the land and buildings for 26 locations and would purchase the buildings and assume the third-party land leases for the other two locations. According to the agreement, a long-term land lease would be in place for one of the latter properties while the other lease agreement contains a purchase option.

“Subsequent to this transaction, our network in the Circle K Great Lakes division would include a total of 302 company-operated stores. The 28 stores are located on highly visible and well-traveled roads and occupy strategic locations within their respective trade areas. In addition, these sites are well operated and have a strong management team in place. Strategically, this acquisition would be an excellent fit with our network and would complement our expansion and growth plans for the Great Lakes division,” indicated Paul Rodriguez, Vice-President Operations, Great Lakes Division.

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Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is the leader in the Canadian convenience store industry. In North America, Couche-Tard is the second largest independent convenience store operator (whether integrated or not with a petroleum company) in terms of number of stores. Couche-Tard currently operates a network of 5,360 convenience stores, 3,308 of which include motor fuel dispensing, located in nine large geographic markets, including six in the United States covering 27 States and three in Canada covering six provinces. Some 39,500 people are employed throughout Couche-Tard’s retail convenience network and executive offices.

The statements set for the in this press release, which describes Couche-Tard’s objectives, projections, estimates, expectations or forecasts, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation. Positive or negative verbs such as “plan”, “evaluate”, “estimate”, “believe”, “expect” and other related expressions are used to identify such statements. Couche-Tard would like to point out that, by their very natures, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties such that its results, or the measures it adopts, could differ materially from those indicated or underlying these statements, or could have an impact on the degree of realization of a particular projections. Major factors that may lead to a material difference between Couche-Tard’s actual results and the projections or expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements include the effects of the integration of acquired businesses and the ability to achieve projected synergies, fluctuations in margins on motor fuel sales, competition in the convenience store and retail motor fuel industries, exchange rate variations, and such other risks as described in detail from time to time in the reports filed by Couche-Tard with securities authorities in Canada and the United States. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Couche-Tard disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information in this release is based on information available as of the date of the release.

For further information
Richard Fortin, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, (450) 662-3272
Paul Rodriguez, Vice-President Operations, Great Lakes, (812) 379-9227, (ext. 1016), info@couche-tard.com, www.couche-tard.com

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