Applegreen Talks About U.S. Expansion Efforts

Retailer suggests that it will decide in 2017 on a course to take in the United States.

September 08, 2016

BELFAST, U.K. – The Belfast Telegraph reports that Ireland and United Kingdom convenience and fuel retailer Applegreen suggested that it will make a decision on its U.S. expansion plans sometime in 2017, according to CEO Bob Etchingham.

Applegreen currently has six locations in Long Island, New York, and four of its sites in Massachusetts have been taken over since the end of June, writes the news source, adding that the retailer secured a lease on nine additional sites in Massachusetts and also signed a franchise agreement with 7-Eleven.

Etchingham told the news source that Applegreen operations in the United States were breaking even and not consuming much management time. "We're still in learning mode in the U.S.," he commented, adding, “We're still developing relationships. We do want to continue to develop there, but we're doing it in a very measured and cautious fashion.

"We will look to make a decision as to whether we push on in the United States, probably sometime in the first half of 2017,” Etchingham said. Applegreen began expanding into the U.S. in 2014 with two sites in Long Island.

This summer during the NACS Insight Convenience Summit–Europe, Applegreen won the 2016 International Convenience Retailer of the Year Award for its M1 Lisburn Motorway Service Area in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The award was presented in London on June 9 at this year’s International Convenience Retailer Awards gala.

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