Prefab! It’s a fun term, and the meaning might seem ambiguous. Does it imply moments right before fabulousness? Well, it might, but more conventionally, “prefab” refers to prefabrication, or the process of building the components of a structure off-site, before assembling the parts at a final location.

For Family Express, a chain of convenience stores and gas stations, the goal is to embrace both these meanings. By leveraging this efficient construction technique, it hopes to establish and open a substantial number of modular convenience stores, representing a fabulous new approach to corporate expansion. Already, it has committed to at least 20 new prefabricated sites, which it will serve from a distribution center in Indiana.

The first location will be near the chain’s headquarters, also in Indiana, and it will feature a 7,200-square-foot store, a car wash, and food service. All of the prefabricated locations will also sport redesigned exterior displays. Whereas Family Express has long been known for its colonial-inspired look, the fab new structures will have a more modern design, reflecting the chain’s goal of attracting younger demographics of customers.

These buildings are part of a broader growth strategy; Family Express has announced plans to invest $100 million in additional locations. To make this substantial investment go further, modular construction seems especially appealing. Its efficiency is substantial for an expansion of this scale. Some future locations might be assembled in less than a week. The off-site manufacturing of components also allows a greater degree of control over external factors, such as weather delays, which often slow down—and increase the costs of—traditional construction efforts.

Although the scope of its ambition is notable, Family Express is not the first convenience store chain to have experimented with and embraced modular construction. Wawa is a notable forerunner; it built its first prefabricated location in 2023, assembling the structure in just 20 business days.

Discussion Questions

1. Why is the efficiency offered by prefab construction particularly appealing for convenience store chains?
2. The convenience store market is pretty crowded. How can Family Express sustain its viability as it continues to grow?

Sources: Angel Abcede, “Family Express Focuses on Innovation, Growth,” CSP Daily News, June 17, 2024; “Family Express Builds First Modular Convenience Store,” National Association of Convenience Stores, March 5, 2025; Jessica Loder, “Family Express Joins Modular Construction Trend,” C-Store Dive, March 6, 2025