PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- 7-Eleven Inc. is closing two Wilson Farms stores in northern New York State at the end of April, reported The Press-Republican. The Dallas-based convenience retailer acquired the 188-store Wilson Farms and Sugar Creek chains in April 2011 (see Related Content below for previous CSP Daily News coverage).
Margaret Chabris, spokesperson for 7-Eleven, said the stores in the towns of Peru and Plattsburgh, N.Y., were nearing the end of their leases. "They were not going to be part of our long-term strategy because sales were disappointing there," she told the newspaper.
"We were able to provide some jobs at other stores for just about all of the sales associates and workers at those stores," she said.
Wilson Farms has a "prime" location in Peru, according to town supervisor Peter Glushko, who told the paper that it was a convenient stop for gasoline and groceries, but the nearby Stewart's Shop appeared to attract more business.
"There will be some impact on us here," he added. "People use that location for convenience shopping, especially after Grand Union closes at 9:00 [p.m.]. We do have a Stewart's, so we still have a quick stop that people can use."
Since making the acquisition, 7-Eleven has begun the process of upgrading and converting the stores to its own banner.
7-Eleven is focusing on the Buffalo area first, Chabris told Newzjunky.com earlier this year. "That's where we have a concentration of stores plus our own stores, so we're doing a little bit of upgrading on our existing stores and doing some remodeling and converting Wilson Farms stores there.
Nine Wilson Farms stores throughout the Buffalo area were among the first to bear the white, green and orange signs last year, with locations including East Amherst, Niagara Falls, Lancaster and Tonawanda now completely renovated.
"There's a lot of work to do when you've got 188 store acquisitions so I can't tell you a timeframe for Buffalo or Eastern New York," she said. "You have everything from the retail information system to equipment and product selection, especially when you're trying to marry the best of both companies.
The next round of renovations will shift to the Rochester area, she said.
7-Eleven operates franchises or licenses more than 9,100 7-Eleven stores in North America, 1,600 in California alone. Globally, 7-Eleven has approximately 45,600 stores in 16 countries. During 2010, 7-Eleven stores worldwide generated total sales close to $63 billion.
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