Buying an Esso station

What Imperial Oil says

Two pages describe the arrangement — Imperial Oil’s stations page and Esso’s sale FAQ — and both were read on Oct 22, 2026. The first says “All of our branded stations are owned and operated by independent businesses that set their own operating practices and procedures”. The second defines a Branded Wholesaler as “a company that owns and operates the station and obtains their supply of fuel from Imperial Oil, the owner of the Esso brand”, and says the Branded Wholesaler “will manage the daily operations of the Esso stations.” Neither page says what a buyer pays Imperial, for how long, or on what conditions the arrangement can be transferred or ended.

Is it a franchise?

Imperial does not call the arrangement a franchise on the pages read, and this page does not say whether the law does. Ontario’s Arthur Wishart Act (Franchise Disclosure), 2000 defines “franchise” as a right to engage in a business where the franchisee is required by contract or otherwise to make a payment or continuing payments, whether direct or indirect, or a commitment to make them, to the franchisor or the franchisor’s associate, and where one of two further sets of conditions is met. Either the franchisee may sell goods or services substantially associated with a trade-mark or other commercial symbol owned by or licensed to the franchisor or its associate, and the franchisor or its associate has the right to exercise or exercises significant control over, or has the right to provide or provides significant assistance in, the franchisee’s method of operation; or the franchisor or its associate grants representational or distribution rights to sell goods or services supplied by the franchisor or a supplier it designates, and the franchisor, its associate or a third person it designates provides location assistance. Section 2(3) then lists relationships and arrangements to which the Act does not apply. Whether a particular Esso supply agreement meets that definition depends on its terms and on the facts. That is a question for a franchise lawyer who has read the contract, before you sign or pay anything.

What to ask before buying a station

Ask for the fuel supply agreement and any brand or trade-mark licence, and read what each says about term, renewal, pricing, minimum volumes and image or equipment standards. Ask whether Imperial, or the branded wholesaler that supplies the station, must approve a buyer, and whether either charges anything for a transfer. Ask whether the land and building are included in the asking price or leased; the answer changes what you are buying. Ask what environmental reports exist for the site and who holds them. None of these answers is published by Imperial on the pages read, so each is a question for the seller, the seller’s broker and your own advisers.

Imperial’s sale of company-owned stations

Esso’s FAQ says Imperial is converting its remaining company-owned retail stations to the Branded Wholesaler model, and that “the familiar Esso oval will remain” (as published, read Oct 22, 2026). The FAQ’s footer reads “© Copyright 2003- 2021”, and it does not say which stations were sold or when, so check who the seller of any listed station is. The FAQ also says “it is possible the On The Run convenience stores may change depending on the Branded Wholesaler”, so the convenience store at a station may not carry on under its present name.