Sunbelt Merchant Group

What Sunbelt Merchant Group does

Sunbelt Merchant Group is a private Houston-based trade association founded in 2006 that serves independent convenience store owners primarily across Texas and the broader Southern United States. The company positions itself as a vendor and marketing partnership platform designed to help independent operators compete against large chain outlets through collective purchasing power, negotiated vendor pricing, quarterly rebates, and shared marketing resources. Members gain access to a network of national vendor partners and dedicated field support without paying upfront membership fees.

The platform is built around three core offerings: a Vendor Partner Program that negotiates special pricing and enhanced quarterly rebates with national suppliers; a Marketing Platform that distributes physical promotional materials such as banners, posters, and pump-toppers to member stores; and a Zone Manager support model in which each member is assigned a dedicated representative who manages vendor relationships, advises on store operations, conducts product space and cold vault evaluations, and provides market intelligence. Add-on modules include ATM, air and water, propane, and insurance services that deepen the member value proposition. The underlying technology is a proprietary member platform with in-house POS and marketing campaign capabilities integrating vendor management, rebate tracking, and promotional execution.

Sunbelt operates as a sales-led, relationship-driven organization with a face-to-face go-to-market motion executed through Zone Managers. The stated "no out-of-pocket costs" membership model indicates that revenue is generated primarily through negotiated vendor rebates, commissions on supplier pricing, and ongoing member services rather than upfront fees. Leadership consists of CEO Faisal "Faiz" Maknojia, COO John Yawn, and Director of Operations Rizwan Maredia. The company is privately held with no external institutional investors or parent organization disclosed.

Name

Sunbelt Merchant Group

Legal name

Sunbelt Merchant Group

Website

https://sunbeltmerchantgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sunbelt Merchant Group is a Houston-based, privately held trade association founded in 2006 that helps independent convenience store owners in Texas and the Southern United States access national-vendor pricing, quarterly rebates, marketing materials, and dedicated Zone Manager field support without upfront membership fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Sunbelt Merchant Group generates revenue through membership fees paid by convenience store owners. The company states there are 'no out of pocket costs to become a member,' suggesting the membership value is derived from negotiated vendor pricing, quarterly rebates, and marketing services rather than upfront fees.
2. Vendor Partner Rebates and Commissions: The company earns revenue through enhanced quarterly rebates tied to supplier performance and negotiated special pricing with national vendors. These rebates and negotiated margins form a core part of the association's value proposition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sunbelt Merchant Group is a private trade association for independent convenience store owners that negotiates special pricing and enhanced quarterly rebates with national vendors, distributes in-store marketing materials such as banners, posters, and pump-toppers, and assigns a dedicated Zone Manager to each member store for ongoing operational support. Revenue is generated through membership fees and vendor partner rebates rather than upfront charges to store owners.

Product overview

Sunbelt Merchant Group is a trade association for independent convenience stores that provides a unified platform combining vendor partnership programs, marketing tools, and member support services. The core offering includes a Vendor Partner Program connecting stores with national vendors for better pricing and rebates, a Marketing Platform providing banners, posters, pump-toppers, and promotional materials, and Zone Manager Support with dedicated representatives. Additional convenience-centric services include ATM, air & water, propane, and insurance services. The platform is designed to help independent convenience store owners compete with large chain outlets through collective purchasing power and marketing support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marketing Platform A marketing platform that supplies convenience store members with banners, posters, pump-toppers, and other in-store promotional materials designed to drive foot traffic and increase sales of promoted items.
• Vendor Partner Program A program connecting independent convenience store owners with national consumer goods vendors to negotiate special pricing, enhanced quarterly rebates tied to supplier performance, and access to vendor programs.
• Zone Manager Support Dedicated, named Zone Managers assigned to each member store who advise on vendor activity, share market trend insights, evaluate product space to maximize merchandising, and organize cold vault resets.
• ATM Services Automated teller machine services offered to convenience store members as part of the convenience-centric services portfolio.
• Air and Water Services Air and water services offered to convenience store members as part of the convenience-centric services portfolio.
• Propane Services Propane services offered to convenience store members as part of the extended convenience-centric services portfolio.
• Insurance Services Insurance services provided to convenience store members as part of the convenience-centric service offerings.
• Grand Opening Support Marketing and promotional support delivered to new member convenience stores for their grand opening events.
• In-Store Promotions Marketing campaigns and promotional tactics built in collaboration with suppliers to drive additional publicity and sales for member convenience stores.

Quantifiable outcome

• ROI on suppliers' products
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• First Responders Children's FoundationminorOthersSunbelt Merchant Group hosts an annual charity golf tournament benefiting the First Responders Children's Foundation, which provides financial support to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty and families facing significant financial hardship due to tragic circumstances.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sunbelt Merchant Group