The Naming of Convenience Stores

A dear friend who travelled to Wyoming over the holidays snapped this photo of a convenience store in Iowa for me because she knows I am amused by interesting words and names.
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After digesting the atrocious letter-play (substituting a "K" for a "C") and spelling, the name of the store immediately brought to mind the many independently owned "In & Out" convenience stores I have encountered and, of course, the well-known burger chain "IN-N-OUT BURGER".

The main point of the name of each of these stores is the connotation that they provide efficient service.

So why did the owners Kum & Go choose to get their point across with such particular spelling? Did they think customers would find it "cute"?

Well, I felt a little better once I saw the explanation on the Kum & Go website:

"In an age where catchy company names and unique marketing phrases were a representation of the times – and also the difference between success and failure – the two gentlemen used the first letters of their last names to create a unique moniker to showcase the ease and convenience they instilled in a shopping experience. Thus Kum & Go was born."

According to the website, the age was 1959 and the founders were W.A. Krause and T.S. Gentle.

I still think I would have preferred a catchy and unique name that didn't incorporate the preposterous spelling.

I won't even mention the sexual innuendo that can be associated with the names of both the convenience stores and the burger store.

FYI -

innuendo

n. 1. an indirect or subtle reference, esp one made maliciously or indicating criticism or disapproval; insinuation

connotation

n.1. The act or process of connoting.
2. a. An idea or meaning suggested by or associated with a word or thing: Hollywood holds connotations of romance and glittering success.
b. The set of associations implied by a word in addition to its literal meaning.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/