The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that Alimentation Couche-Tard tallied a fifth straight quarter of same-store sales growth in the United States over the summer, maintaining positive momentum in its biggest market as it works to expand its footprint in Europe with an $8.7-billion deal for Polish retailer Zabka Group SA (all figures U.S.). The Globe's Nicolas Van Praet writes that the Montreal-based company, which owns the Circle K chain, on Tuesday published results for the first quarter of the company's fiscal 2027, which ended July 19. It included a 1.7-per-cent year-over-year increase in merchandise sales at comparable U.S. stores. Energy drinks and nicotine products performed particularly well, and the company is taking market share from rivals in key segments. The sales increase in the U.S. wasn't as strong as in previous quarters. Analysts had warned that a sequential slowdown was coming based on the recent performance of some competitors, such as ARKO and Murphy USA. Couche-Tard is trying to make Circle K's offerings more attractive in response, launching meal deals priced from $3 to $6 in the United States and offering rebates on gasoline on certain days in a bid to build customer loyalty.