NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- BP's U.S. Convenience Retail unit said yesterday that 48 Atlanta-area retail sites are for sale. Of the 48 sites, 41 are available for franchise, three are available as debranded gasoline sites, four are available as BP dealer sites (with fuel agreements only) and seven with multiple offerings including commercial use. The franchise sites will be re-imaged or developed as ampm franchise stores with BP-branded gasoline.
As reported in a CSP Daily News Flash, the offering is part of a plan announced by BP in November 2007 to sell its company-owned and -operated retail [image-nocss] sites to franchisees, dealers and jobbers and is in line with BP's strategic plans to expand and grow the ampm brand to reach more consumers with its products and services.
BP owns and operates about 700 company-owned and operated convenience stores, which will be sold over a two-year period.
"The ampm brand has a 30-year proven track record in some of the most competitive marketing areas in the U.S.," said Fiona MacLeod, president of BP U.S. Convenience Retail, Naperville, Ill. "Franchising the ampm brand across the U.S. just makes sense."
Diversity and inclusion continues to be an important part of BP's franchising efforts, it said. In 2006, BP began an initiative to recruit minority franchisees, and that work will continue. "As much as possible, we want ampm stores to be owned and operated by people who live in the communities we serve," said MacLeod.
"The ampm franchise is very strong," she said. "[It] was the only convenience store owned by an integrated oil and gas company to make Entrepreneur magazine's 2008 'Franchise 500,' where its West of Rockies operations ranked 35th, and the Franchise Times' Top 200, where its West of Rockies operations ranked 39th."
All franchise properties offered in this sale that currently have a Wild Bean Café will be converted to an ampm food offering, and have the Wild Bean order screens removed, at BP's expense. Grab and go hot food items to be added include hot dogs, corn dogs, burgers, chicken sandwiches, rib sandwich and nachos. Product lines to be removed include made-to-order breakfast and lunch sandwiches, salads, fruit cups and soup. Food and fountain items to remain include fountain, frozen beverages, coffee, fresh bakery, grab-and-go hot breakfast sandwiches and grab-and-go cold sandwiches. All dealer properties offered in this sale that currently have a Wild Bean Café will have the Wild Bean Café removed, including the Wild Bean order screens.
BP markets more than 15 billion gallons of gasoline every year to U.S. consumers through 13,000 retail outlets. BP is the single, global brand formed by the combination of the former British Petroleum, Amoco, Atlantic Richfield (ARCO) and Burmah Castrol. The ampm brand was founded in 1978 in Southern California by ARCO. The brand became part of BP when it acquired ARCO in 2000.
BP has retained Chicago-based NRC Realty Advisors LLC (NRC) to coordinate the sale of the 48 sites. NRC will accept offers submitted by March 11, 2008. Those interested in submitting offers to become prospective franchisees and BP dealers are required to attend a complimentary seminar in Atlanta. Representatives from BP and NRC will host the seminar, which will provide essential information related to BP franchising and fuel supply and the NRC offering process. Reservations and a completed franchise application are required for attendance. Please contact NRC at (800) 747-3342, extension 802, for details and to register. The franchise application is available for download at www.nrc.com/bp.
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