Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Publix Will Soon Exit the Gas Business

Publix is getting out of the gas business.



Lakeland, Florida-based Publix Super Markets Inc. will sell its entire 14-unit PIX fuel & C-Store concept. Launched in Florida in 2001, all PIX locations are located adjacent to Publix-anchored shopping centers.  Of the 14 locations, two were in Georgia, one in Alpharetta at Village Walk Shopping Center on Rucker Road, the other in Perry at the Paradise Shoppes of Perry on Perry Parkway.  Publix operates one PIX in Franklin, Tennessee; the remaining eleven stations are all in Florida.

"Circle K Stores Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., will purchase 13 sites of which 11 are located in Florida and two in Georgia, and Max Arnold & Sons, LLC, a family-owned company located in Hopkinsville, KY that has been in operation for more than 60 years, will purchase the site located in Tennessee."

“The sale of PIX locations gives us the ability to remain passionately focused on our core business, our customers and the products and services we offer within our grocery retail environment" said Publix CEO Ed Crenshaw.

As of now, there is is apparently no definitive date for the change in branding, but I'm told plans call for the changeover to occur no later than December 31.

Publix made the sale official today, and also informed the approximately 120 affected PIX associates, and will assist them in trying to secure employment comparable to their current positions within Publix.

Atlanta-based The Home Depot operates a handful of Home Depot Fuel stations adjacent to its stores in Tennessee and Georgia including one in Acworth on Cobb Parkway.  First opened in 2006, the home improvement retailer said at the time it planned to open 300 fuel locations by 2010, but has since scaled back those plans to include no additional openings.

Cincinnati-based Kroger operates dozens of fuel centers in metro Atlanta, and recently got approval to add a fuel center to its Kroger Citi-Center location on Memorial Drive.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had no idea Publix was in the gas business. Can't imagine it did much for them - they are clearly regarded as the best non-specialty grocery store in the SE and their customers (like myself) seem to be the most loyal in the segment as well. Gas probably ended up delivering zero value to the company.

Anonymous said...

I live near the Crabapple PIX station.

When I moved to that area last year, I was shocked to find that Publix even had gas stations. It wasn't a bad station -- a nice change of pace from the QTs and RaceTracs that seem to pop up everywhere. It also had a decent car wash and convenience store (not over-the-top as QT and RaceTrac can be, but you can get Publix subs).

Given that Publix only had 14 gas stations, it doesn't surprise me that they're getting out of that business.

The neighborhood has at least three other gas stations (including a Kroger station that was built last year), so there are not any need issues there.

TheJohnP said...

But when will 7-11 come back to the market?

Atlantan99 said...

@TheJohnP,

I feel like I've seen a few around the metro, not with gas, but in the C-store form.

Hope they bring their cool new looks if and when they come in full force to Atlanta!

Thanks as always for the readership and comments.

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