Urban Value Corner Store Adds Autonomous Coolers to Footprint
Plus, TA opened a new TA Express location in Arkansas.
Mar 30, 2026 | 2 min read
Texas retailer Urban Value Corner Store (UVCS) is expanding its autonomous coolers—the company added its newest SMART Store Cooler at the Eastpark Apartments in Denton, Texas, according to a press release. This is the company’s third autonomous SMART Store Cooler deployment and brings its total footprint to 12 locations across North Texas, including both full-service stores and autonomous units, the company said.
Urban Value Corner Store is known for its retail model located in apartment communities, providing an on-site amenity for residents and helping multifamily building owners with tenant retention, said Steve McKinley, CEO and founder of Urban Value Corner Store, in a 2025 interview with NACS Daily.
“This is exactly why we created the SMART Store Cooler platform option,” said McKinley. “Not every community has the footprint or density for a full-service store, but every community has residents who value convenience. Our ability to scale the model ensures we deliver the same elevated experience regardless of size. At the end of the day, it’s about improving the living experience of the resident, one transaction at a time.”
McKinley said UVCS’s SMART Store Cooler platform “offers a curated product selection, real-time inventory management and a seamless, technology-enabled checkout process,” and allows “developers to introduce a premium amenity with minimal space requirements and efficient deployment timelines.”
In Arkansas, TravelCenters of America (TA), part of the bp portfolio, opened a TA Express location in Judsonia, along I-57.
The site features eight diesel lanes with DEF and 12 gasoline lanes, 92 truck parking spaces and nine Reserve-It spaces, truck service, a CAT scale, showers, laundry facilities, a driver’s lounge and a pet area. Dining options include Sbarro, Bojangles (coming soon), an on-site deli, and a convenience store with snacks, beverages and merchandise.
In other industry openings, last week, Alltown Fresh opened its 17th location in Framingham, Massachusetts; ExtraMile Convenience Stores opened its 10th store of 2026 in Hiram, Georgia; and Sheetz celebrated the grand opening of a new store in Arden, North Carolina.
