ARKO Corp., owner of GPM Investments, has completed its latest store remodel at its fas mart location in Mechanicsville, Va., the second this year, as part of ARKO’s remodel initiative.
ARKO currently plans to remodel 360 out of 1,400 company-operated stores across its family of community brands and plans to invest approximately $360 million over three to five years to unify the stores in design while maintaining local well-known banners in each area. The goal of this initiative is to enhance the overall customer experience and value offering as well as expand the product assortment.
Key enhancements at the Mechanicsville fas mart store, at 8188 Atlee Road, include:
- New interior and exterior design
- A focus on the fas brand to include fas Drinks, fas Eats and fas Rewards
- Branding of the newly relaunched fas REWARDS loyalty program on the interior and exterior of the store
- A newly incorporated store deli featuring fried chicken, pizza and hot grab ‘n’ go snacking items
- Expanded hot, cold and frozen beverage assortment
- Two bean-to-cup coffee machines with always fresh Colombian, house, dark and decaf roast coffee
- A walk-in beer cave, new to this location featuring easy access to a large variety of cold and refreshing beer, including larger value packs, craft beer and Seltzer offerings
- A Frazil frozen non-carbonated drink machine with Tiger’s Blood and Tangerango flavors
- Expanded grab-and-go area for prepared foods including hot dogs, Tornados, nacho cheese, chili and chips, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, burritos, pizza, wings and more
- Two expanded freezers for frozen foods including DiGiorno pizzas, Totino’s Pizza Rolls, Stouffer’s pizzas and frozen meals, Hot Pockets, Bagel Bites, Devour frozen meals and White Castle Cheeseburgers
- Breakfast offerings to include a warm grab-and-go at the checkout for breakfast sandwiches and a self-serve individually wrapped donut assortment next to the coffee
- Expanded fountain assortment featuring 16 flavors and chewy ice
- Deli digital menu boards
- A new What’s up Mechanicsville Community Wall
- Expanded Roller Grills and new offerings
In addition to these enhancements, the store will also provide:
- DoorDash delivery including beer
- A controlled path for queuing at the register that avoids clutter at the checkout space and allows for any last-minute high impulse shopping
“We are proud to be unveiling the second store in our remodel initiative,” said ARKO Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Arie Kotler. “We believe the remodeled locations greatly enhance the customer experience and we expect these stores to deliver additional growth and returns for our stakeholders. From architectural drawings to layouts, to acquiring permits, we are working hard on our remodel initiative.”
The company will celebrate the newly remodeled location with a two-week-long grand opening event starting on July 30, and running through Aug. 13, with exclusive promotions available for customers and enrolled fas REWARDS members. Additionally, customers will have the opportunity to enter a sweepstakes for multiple prizes. Customers can enter from and winners will be drawn on Aug. 9.
Based in Richmond, Va., GPM Investments was founded in 2003 with 169 stores and has grown through acquisitions to become the sixth largest convenience store chain in the United States, operating or supplying fuel to approximately 3,000 locations in 33 states and the District of Columbia, comprised of approximately 1,400 company-operated stores and approximately 1,650 dealer sites to which it supplies fuel.