"It's definitely good news for customers," Jason Appel, who is in charge of vendor relations with Coles Energy/Mickey Mart, told the newspaper. He said Shell's reputation for clean fuel is well-known and especially popular with folks in agriculture. "Farmers really like Shell fuel," Appel said. "They say [image-nocss] it runs their tractors and machinery well."
He added, "They had a lot of technology that makes it easier for us."
Connie Caiata, who owns Dean's Place, an independent station and convenience store in Danbury Township, told the paper that her location switched from Marathon to Shell on July 1. "[Coles is] our supplier," said Caiata, who along with her husband Dan Krajcer, owns the real estate and building, but not the pumps. She said Coles approached her about switching earlier this year. "They said Shell has about 9 million credit card customers and Marathon has about 1 million," she said.
"It seems to have made a difference," said Caiata, noting that she thinks gasoline sales are up a little since the switch. She said some of her customers have already mentioned Shell's cleaner gasoline making their cars and boats run better. "The customers are very happy," she said.
Although Dean's Place sells a lot of gasoline, Caiata said most of her sales come from sandwiches, beer, fishing licenses and other store items.
Meanwhile, as reported in CSP Daily News earlier this week, a number of Hawaii 7-Eleven store locations on Oahu began converting to 76 brand gasoline last week, a process that will continue throughout July and into August. Locally owned and operated Mid Pac Petroleum LLC, which has the exclusive rights to the 76 brand in Hawaii, entered into a partnership with Seven-Eleven Hawaii Inc. to replace the existing brand of gasoline at 16 Hawaii 7-Eleven stores on Oahu. (Click here for previous coverage.)
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