22|Retail News|July / August 2018|www.retailnews.ie
The Retail News Interview
A Perfect Circle? Derek Nolan, Senior Director of Retail Operations, Circle K, talks us through the official launch of the Circle K brand in Ireland, what it brings to Ireland and what the move to electric vehicles will mean for the forecourt sector here.
Circle K are investing €20m in rebranding more than 420 existing service stations and fuel vehicles from Topaz to Circle K. MAY 2018 saw Topaz officially rebranding as Circle K right across Ireland, two years after the Irish forecourt group was acquired by Canadian firm Alimentation Couche-Tard. The official launch of Circle K coincided with the announcement of a €55m investment in Ireland over the next two years, with €35m going towards the development of four new Circle K Ireland sites and a further €20m in rebranding more than 420 existing service stations and fuel vehicles from Topaz to Circle K. The arrival of Circle K in Ireland has continuously been described as “a gamechanger” for forecourt and
convenience retailing here. Derek Nolan, Senior Director of Retail Operations, Circle K, explains why. How has the official launch of the Circle K brand progressed in Ireland? It has certainly been a busy few months since we launched the Circle K brand in May. Customer reaction to our new brand has been extremely positive and we are looking forward to bringing the Circle K brand across the entire country. With over 420 sites throughout Ireland rebranding to Circle K over the coming 18-24 months, we are investing significantly both in the physical rebrand
of Circle K sites as well as in-store renovations. As each site is rebranded, the local site staff organise a ‘Grand Opening’ event for customers. This family fun day is a great opportunity for our staff to engage with customers and introduce them to the Circle K offers. So far, we have seen everything from live bands on the forecourt to a beach themed event. It is great to see our staff introducing the brand to their local areas with such creativity and enthusiasm! Why did you decide to formally rebrand from Topaz to Circle K, considering the