Grocer adds gasoline to product line
The Kroger gas station is nearly ready for business.
Photo by Jim BlaylockColumbia County residents soon will have one more place to fuel up next week when the Kroger Fuel Station in Evans opens.
Store personnel said the station will open Wednesday.
Scott Fryman, an assistant real estate manager for Kroger's Atlanta division, said the Wal-Mart Supercenter's gas station in Evans played no role in the company's decision to open a fuel station at its Evans location.
"We're running a fuel station program that began in Atlanta last year," Fryman said. "We typically do not follow any competition. That's not Kroger's policy. Despite what (the competition does), we are going to support our customers."
Fryman said the company opened its first Georgia station in Suwannee a year ago. Stations already were built at several stores in Tennessee, which were assumed by the Atlanta division last year. The Atlanta division encompasses Georgia, South Carolina and portions of Alabama, including Huntsville, and Tennessee, including Knoxville.
Kroger fuel stations offer "comparable market price for gas," Fryman said. KrogerPlus customers will get an additional 3 cents off per gallon.
While Fryman couldn't say whether additional Kroger fuel stations will open in Columbia and Richmond counties, he did say the company would like to have fuel stations at every Kroger store.
"We want to do what we can to offer more to our customers," he said, adding that zoning issues, store location, parking lot space and landlord approval have to favor the opening of a station.