Buying an Esso station in Canada
Imperial Oil, the owner of the Esso brand, says “All of our branded stations are owned and operated by independent businesses that set their own operating practices and procedures” (as published by Imperial Oil, read Oct 22, 2026). Esso publishes no franchise fee, capital requirement or royalty on the pages read. Deavo listed 55 Esso listings on Oct 20, 2026.
Esso is a trademark of its owner. Deavo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Esso or Imperial Oil; the name identifies the businesses listed for sale. Figures are quoted from the franchisor’s own pages and are not verified by Deavo.
What Esso publishes
As published on imperialoil.ca, read Oct 22, 2026| Item | As published | Source | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Station ownership | Independent businesses Imperial: “All of our branded stations are owned and operated by independent businesses that set their own operating practices and procedures.” | imperialoil.ca/company/esso-and-mobil-stations | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Existing units | more than 2,000 stations across Canada Imperial’s figure for the Esso and Mobil network combined, not Esso alone | imperialoil.ca/company/esso-and-mobil-stations | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Initial fee | Not published — not on the page read | imperialoil.ca/company/esso-and-mobil-stations | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Total investment | Not published — not on the page read | imperialoil.ca/company/esso-and-mobil-stations | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Liquid capital and net worth | Not published — not on the page read | esso.ca/en-ca/gas-stations-iol-sale | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Royalty and advertising | Not published — not on the page read | esso.ca/en-ca/gas-stations-iol-sale | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Term and renewal | Not published — not on the page read | esso.ca/en-ca/gas-stations-iol-sale | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Training | Not published — not on the page read | imperialoil.ca/company/esso-and-mobil-stations | Oct 22, 2026 |
| Available areas | Not published — not on the page read | imperialoil.ca/company/esso-and-mobil-stations | Oct 22, 2026 |
Swipe to see the source and date columns →
The Esso pages read describe how stations are owned and supplied. They publish no fee, capital requirement, royalty, term or training programme; “Not published” means not on the pages we read, not that no such term exists.
How Esso stations are owned
Imperial Oil’s “Esso and Mobil stations” page says that “All of our branded stations are owned and operated by independent businesses that set their own operating practices and procedures”, and that it has “impressed upon our branded wholesalers and their resellers” the importance of prompt, courteous and reliable service (as published, read Oct 22, 2026). So an Esso-branded station is, on Imperial’s own description, run by an independent business. The same page puts the Esso and Mobil network at “more than 2,000 stations across Canada”; that is Imperial’s national figure, not a count of stations for sale.
What a branded wholesaler is
Esso’s FAQ on the sale of its remaining company-owned stations defines the term: “A Branded Wholesaler is a company that owns and operates the station and obtains their supply of fuel from Imperial Oil, the owner of the Esso brand” (as published, read Oct 22, 2026). The same FAQ says Imperial “is gradually moving forward with a conversion of its remaining company-owned retail stations to a 100% Branded Wholesaler operating model”, and that “Esso stations will not be rebranded.” The FAQ’s footer reads “© Copyright 2003- 2021”, so it may not describe Imperial’s station network today. It does not publish the terms on which a station obtains its fuel; ask to see them before you buy.
What Esso does not publish
Neither Imperial Oil page we read gives an initial fee, a total investment, a liquid-capital or net-worth requirement, a royalty, an advertising contribution, a term of agreement or a training programme. The rows in the table above say so instead of leaving a gap. That is not evidence that no such terms exist; it means they were not on the pages read. Ask the seller or the seller’s broker early for any fuel supply agreement the station operates under, and ask whether Imperial must consent to a transfer of it.
What the Esso listings on Deavo are
On Oct 20, 2026, Deavo’s Esso listings were in Ontario (53) and British Columbia (2). Each is a listing whose advertiser named Esso, and an asking price is what the advertiser wrote, not a valuation. Read each listing for whether the land and building are part of the price, and see the buying-a-station page for the questions to put to a seller.
Supply agreement, not franchise agreement
A Esso-branded station is usually owned and operated by an independent business that buys its fuel under a supply or retailer-licence agreement with the brand owner. That is not a franchise agreement, so the provincial franchise disclosure statutes generally do not apply to it — there is no statutory disclosure document and no statutory rescission right to rely on. A lawyer should confirm how the specific agreement for the station you are buying is characterised before you sign.
Franchises for sale in Ontario →Franchises for sale in British Columbia →General information, not legal advice — franchise legislation differs by province and changes over time.
Esso stations on Deavo
55 listings · 43 with an asking priceDeavo shows every listing it has seen, so one location can appear more than once when several sites advertise it. Asking prices are what sellers advertise, not sale prices.
Sources
Franchisor figures are quoted from the franchisor’s own Canadian pages on the date shown and are not verified by Deavo. Statutes are cited for the provinces where this brand is currently listed.
- 01Imperial OilCompanyEsso and Mobil stations
- 02EssoCompanyIOL Sale FAQ – Esso™ Customer Questions
- 03Government of OntarioGovernmentArthur Wishart Act (Franchise Disclosure), 2000, S.O. 2000, c. 3
Deavo is an advertising and listings platform, not a brokerage, law firm or valuation firm. This page is general information, not legal, tax, accounting or valuation advice, and rules differ by province. Confirm anything you rely on with a qualified professional before you act on it.
