For long-haul flights, it might still make economical sense to have a stopover point. A plane carrying all the fuel it needs for the full flight will burn more

For long-haul flights, it might still make economical sense to have a stopover point. A plane carrying all the fuel it needs for the full flight will burn more fuel in total than a plane that's only ever carrying the fuel it needs for only half the flight because of the weight difference. As others have mentioned, Anchorage is a big cargo airport, and the fuel savings are one of the reasons.