Is AM/PM Mini Mart closing up shop in the Valley? (Phoenix: neighborhood, school)

[randian]

I noticed a bunch of them have been recently shuttered or bought out by competitors (like Union 76).

[Steve Pickering]

You say Union 76. Do you mean Circle K? My sister has 35 years with the company, I'll ask. Circle K has the Union 76 Gas at their C Stores with fuel islands.

[randian]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

You say Union 76. Do you mean Circle K?

The AM/PM at University & 101, for example, had the AM/PM sign covered by another gas brand's sign, no Circle K or 7-11 sign though. The AM/PM on Elliott (east of the Walmart) is boarded up.

[observer53]

Their website still indicates a number of stores in the Phoenix area. So, I'd say they aren't "closing up shop" at this point. I don't think that store at Elliot and Kyrene had been doing well for a long time.

[Ztonyg]

It appears ARCO / Am/Pm is the "read headed stepchild" of BP. Most of the other gasoline / convenience store brands that BP has bought (such as Standard and Amoco) have been converted to BP stations. However, ARCO / Am/Pm hasn't for some reason. I would assume that if they want to stick around long enough, you may see these converted to BP.

[Goober13]

I doubt it. They have numerous locations in Central and West Phoenix, as well as California and Nevada. They have been around a long time. A new Arco recently opened at 43rd Ave and Indian School.

Some of their locations that don't pump a lot of fuel have been sold in the past, like 44th Street and Mc Dowell (which is now Chevron), 12th Street and Bethany etc. They like locations like 16th Street and Thomas, which probably pumps the most fuel in the Phoenix metro, and most of the time has the lowest prices in town as well.

[LocoAZnative]

I did think it was od that the Baseline/48th St the name was covered last year, and of course the one @ Kyrene/Elliot just board up about 6months ago. The one at Rural/Broadway was torn down. The one at McClintock/Southern seems to be going strong.

[BuckeyeBoyDJ]

I personally think Quik Trip is giving a lot of these gas stations a run for their money.

[locolobo13]

The AM/PM stations are older. To compete with the newer stores like Quik Trip they need to put some money into improvements. I don't think they are willing to do that.

I'm not sure how many but at least some of them are/were franchises. The franchisees are small businesses without much spare change to make improvements. Sometimes when you see one of the AM/PM change signs the original owner is still there but unwilling to do something to stay part of the franchise. At least that's how the owner at one of the old AM/PMs in my neighborhood explained it after they changed their name. He claimed he was still selling the same gas.

[Goober13]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeBoyDJ

I personally think Quik Trip is giving a lot of these gas stations a run for their money.

QT is, although AM/PM has lower gas prices, and for some reason in the Phoenix market, QT doesn't have the lowest prices compared to their locations in Des Moines, Wichita, or Kansas City.

But QT has nice clean stores, that are well kept with clean and maintained, accesible bathrooms. You know when you go to QT the bathrooms are available and clean, with no Out of Order signs up like at many Arco stations.

I go to Arco for the cheapest gas, and QT if I need to take a leak and get a soda and chips.