The first non-gas QuikTrip store on Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta is closing in May partially due to concerns about the safety of customers and employees, the company said.
QuikTrip (QT) Corporate Communications Manager Aisha Jefferson told The Georgia Star News last week, “It’s critically important to us that every location across our 1,000 [plus] store footprint nationwide delivers the in-store experience that QT customers have come to know, love, and expect.”
She added, “As a result, we regularly evaluate our stores to ensure they meet performance metrics and expectations around customer and employee safety. After evaluating this store, we decided it was not consistently meeting our expectations.”
A mid-April Atlanta Police Department weekly crime report for QuikTrip’s Midtown neighborhood (Zone 5) shows that crime rose 11 percent in 2024 compared to last year.
Previously, while most types of crime decreased in Atlanta in 2023, a citywide crime report shows that crime rose by 3 percent since 2022 due to a 23 percent rise in shoplifting, with 1,632 incidents reported in 2022 and 2,001 incidents in 2023. The highest increase in crime involved motor vehicle theft, which rose by 61 percent from 2022 to 2023.
“Eight years ago,” Jefferson said, “we opened our first non-gas store on Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta as a pilot concept. On May 3, we’re bringing that pilot concept to a close.”
The company will “use this pilot concept as a learning experience to help build our brand as we expand in metropolitan areas nationwide,” she said.
She added, “QT is taking a different approach than many in the industry and retail sector when addressing public safety issues. We are trying to take a comprehensive approach to create meaningful change in the communities where we operate, including Atlanta.”
Jefferson explained, “That is why we work with local community organizations that positively impact underlying issues, often at the heart of public safety concerns such as homelessness, addiction, and strengthening youth services. We are also investing in supporting local law enforcement and first responders in the communities where our employees and customers live and work.”
The corporate communications manager noted that the closing would not affect QuikTrip’s commitment to the area.
“While we will end our non-gas pilot in Midtown, QT is more committed to Atlanta than ever,” she said. “In fact, while we continue to open new locations in the Greater Atlanta Metro area, we are in the process of identifying a new Atlanta location for a full-service QT that we hope to have online within the next 2-3 years.”
Jefferson also affirmed QuikTrip’s plans to continue its ongoing support. “QT continues to invest heavily in Atlanta, not just in our stores but in the community. Last year alone, QuikTrip made over $7 million in philanthropic investments across the greater Atlanta area for homelessness, addiction, and youth services,” she said.
According to the spokesperson, “In addition, last year, QT announced a multi-year community-focused partnership with the Atlanta Hawks that focuses on empowering neighborhoods, helping families, and keeping streets safe for youth to foster healthy and active lifestyles.”
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Debra McClure is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Follow Debra on X / Twitter.
Photo “QuikTrip Store” by Daniel Ziegler. CC BY-SA 4.0.
