TAYLOR, Mich. -- Atlas Oil Co. has ceased day-to-day operation of its five Earth Market convenience store sites, CSP Daily News has learned. The company transitioned operation of the stores to "strategic dealers" at the end of January, according to Mary Healy Zaleski, director of marketing with Atlas Oil.
"Our intention all along was to grow Earth Market in the dealer channel, and this is providing us with an opportunity to test it," Healy Zaleski said.
Atlas Oil maintains ownership of the sites but is no longer operating them, she added. The company still owns the Earth Market brand and will continue to supply the fuel to those sites.
Atlas Oil debuted the Earth Market retail concept in 2013. It opened one of the five stores, which are all located in the Chicago area, on Earth Day, April 22, 2013. The format has a theme that carries through the store and is represented in its decor, signage and even specialty food product labels.
Click here to view a CSP magazine "Grand Opening" report on Earth Market.
Earth Market is the company's only c-store brand; Atlas Oil no longer uses the Fast Track or WoW! Brands it has used in the past. At one time, the company had hoped to have 30 additional Earth Markets by the end of 2013.
Based in Taylor, Mich., Atlas Oil is a fuel supply and distribution company operating in 26 states. It also supplies fuel to nearly 400 gasoline c-stores throughout Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
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