Sheetz moves 838 stores from VMware to StorMagic platform

Sheetz has begun moving 838 convenience stores off VMware and onto StorMagic’s SvHCI platform, with more than 600 locations already migrated and the rest expected to follow at a pace of about 200 stores a month. The work is being done remotely on Dell Technologies R440 and R450 servers already installed at each site, avoiding hardware replacements and on-site technician visits while stores keep running around the clock.

Scott Robertson, a Sheetz IT executive, said cost was the catalyst for the switch and that Broadcom’s VMware changes created “too much uncertainty.” He said the company paused a planned hardware refresh and instead leaned on refurbished gear and third-party warranty coverage for 10 to 12 months while it reassessed the market. That gave Sheetz time to shift its distributed retail environment without disrupting payment systems, loyalty programs and store operations that depend on the edge infrastructure in each location.

Sheetz had already standardized on StorMagic’s SvSAN storage layer with VMware across 600-plus stores in January 2020, using that setup to virtualize critical in-store applications and simplify management across a chain founded in 1952 in Altoona, Pennsylvania. SvHCI will now replace VMware across Sheetz’s store base, reducing software stack complexity while supporting the chain’s always-on operating model.

Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware closed in November 2023. In 2025, customers complained about licensing and packaging changes that included a 72-core minimum and late-renewal penalties, adding to the cost pressure Robertson cited.