STRATEGIC PARTNERS
February 27, 2002
HUDSON, Ohio -- After nearly a year of offering fee-free ATM usage, Dairy Mart Convenience Stores, Inc. on March 1 will begin charging a $1.50 convenience fee at its ATMs in North Carolina and Tennessee.
According to a press release, the change is due to lower-than-expected transaction volumes in those states.
"When we introduced the No-Fee ATM program we received a lot of customer interest because the program was so innovative at a time of high bank fees. In some areas the customer usage has been very high, and in other areas this was not the case," said Denny Tewell, Dairy Mart's senior vice president, marketing.
"We are committed to serving our customers' needs and an ATM program, whether it has a fee or not, is an important service to provide customers," he added.
Dairy Mart's No-Fee ATM program was introduced in March of 1999. In an effort to drive in-store sales, the company dropped ATM surcharges at more than 600 stores in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Indiana Tennessee and North Carolina.
The company is still evaluating the status of the No-Fee ATM program in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Indiana. According to a company spokesperson, Dairy Mart expects to decide the fate of the program in those states by March 1.
Dairy Mart Convenience Stores, Inc. owns or operates approximately 615 retail stores in seven states in the U.S. Through consulting and licensing agreements, the company is also affiliated with more than 200 stores in Korea and approximately 400 locations in Malaysia.
