Excerpts: ATLANTA — Circle K has inked a partnership with Atlanta convenience store chain Gas Express. On Oct. 10, 2012, Circle K awarded Gas Express a master franchise agreement, allowing Gas Express exclusive Atlanta-area rights to the Circle K brand for Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb and Fulton counties.
This marks Circle K’s return to the area after shifting its business focus a decade ago to other regions. Gas Express has committed to branding 42 Atlanta metro area stores.
A store in North Atlanta will serve as the flagship store under this new partnership.
Gas Express co-owner Amin Chitalwala said, “Circle K is going to provide leadership and buying power that, as a local business, we don’t always have. Such savings will be forwarded to the consumers, offering them more competitive pricing and improving their shopping experience in our stores; however, we will still be individually owned. And as a part of our business and community philosophy, as we grow with the help of Circle K we will help others in our community climb through being able hire more employees and offer them better incentives and benefits.”
Business partners Shams Nanji and Amin Chitalwala began Gas Express with a single store in Riverdale, Georgia, in 1994. It has since grown into a reputable business operating more than 15 sites in five metro-Atlanta area counties.
Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.’s network includes approximately 6,100 c-stores throughout North America, including about 4,500 stores with fuel. It has agreements for the supply of motor fuel to 357 sites operated by independent operators. Its North-American network consists of 13 business units, including nine in the United States covering 40 states and the District of Columbia (under the Circle K banner) and four in Canada covering all 10 provinces (under the Couche-Tard and Mac’s banners).
via Circle K Awards Master Franchise Agreement to Gas Express.
Ismailimail 