Atlas Retailers founder Sajikumar Muthiah has set out a target to run 100 forecourts within five years. It comes two months after his ambitions took a major step with the acquisition of seven locations from his former outfit Sterling Petroleum, which he co-founded with a business partner.
At the same time, Muthiah has begun a £1 million-plus development on his Hull site, Stoneferry Service Station, one of seven he acquired in March in the amicable split with Nakendram (Theepan) Pitatheepan. The former used car outlet has been awaiting planning consent for two years.
The site, which is on a 3,000m2 plot with an operational forecourt area of around 1,000m2, is in an industrial area and will benefit from passing trade, he says. It is due to open by August and will take Jet and Londis branding with Country Choice food to go in the 200m2 store.
New tanks and pumps are being installed, as well as a Jet Charge chargepoint, with two charging bays. Muthiah has ambitions for the location to reach a 3.5mlpa volume in fuel and a £20,000 a week shop sales.
There will also be a Washtec rollover car wash, and three jet wash bays, as well as a four-in-one tower with screenwash, air, vacuum and air freshener from Air-serv.
There is room for at least two parcel lockers, with Muthiah considering Royal Mail, Amazon and InPost. And he is in talks with Electrajet about including a laundry machine.
Muthiah is planning to develop another of the seven sites he took with his departure from Sterling Petroleum: Rockwood Garage in Wakefield, where he plans to have his head office, and which he believes will become a 3.5mlpa-plus fuel volume site, with a weekly £20,000 shop turnover.
It is currently shut as Muthiah awaits planning permission for a £1 million development that will see the property take the Jet brand and install four pumps, EV charging and a rollover car wash. For the shop fascia, he is talking to Morrisons Daily, One Stop and Budgens, and he plans to introduce food to go.
The other five sites inherited from Sterling Petroleum – from Dorset to West Yorkshire – need little investment, says Muthiah. These are:
- Holton Heath Service Station, in Poole. The BP/Budgens forecourt has a 4mlpa fuel volume, and shop turnover of £20,000 a week.
- School Service Station in Shipley, West Yorkshire. The Texaco/Londis site has a 2.5mlpa fuel volume and £15,000 weekly shop turnover.
- Hemel Hempstead Service Station, a Gulf/Londis site with a fuel volume of 2.5mlpa a year and weekly shop turnover of £15,000 to £17,000.
- Rhymney Service Station in Newport in Wales, a 1.5mlpa Gulf/Londis site with a weekly shop turnover of £12,000 to £15,000.
- Woodrow Service Station in Norwich – a 2.5mlpa Murco site with Londis shop turning over £15,000.
Muthiah, known as Saji, began his 16-year career as a cashier before becoming a commission operator with Pitatheepan and then joining him in establishing Sterling Petroleum, which had around 30 sites at its height.
While working with Pitatheepan, he also started in 2024 to build his own chain under the Atlas Retailers umbrella:
His first site for Atlas Retailers was Acton Service Station in Wrexham in December 2024. It is a smaller Gulf/Shop & Go site with a fuel volume of 1.5mlpa and a weekly shop turnover of £7,000 to £8,000.
Then followed Withymoor Service Station, in Dudley in March 2025. This Texaco/One Shop site has a fuel volume of between 3.5mlpa to 4mlpa, and a weekly shop turnover of over £12,000.
And the third, Jet Victoria Street in Grimsby, came on board in July 2025, and was redeveloped that autumn. It had a fuel volume of 3mlpa and a shop turnover of more than £10,000. It is a Jet/Shop & Go (Parfetts) branded outlet.
Muthiah admits that he has been building his business under the radar, shunning the chance to feature in Forecourt Trader’s Top 50 Indies, for instance.
As well as his own properties, which he operates as direct managed, he runs 13 forecourts as a commission operator – 10 for Intake Development in Barnsley, where he lives, and three for Platinum Retail. He also has three standalone convenience stores (one Morrisons Daily and the other two Family Shopper).
Muthiah, who left Sri Lanka to study a master’s degree in business management at Coventry University in 2010, says he takes his inspiration from MFG, Rontec and Platinum Retail. And appreciates that when he hits 30 of his own sites he will need to adopt a commission operator model.
“We [Muthiah and Pitatheepan] always say we learn from MFG and always visit their sites. We also want to match the standards of Rontec, and we view [Platinum Retail founder Sej] Sejpal as the godfather,” says Muthiah.
He says that after making a point of attending industry events, such as Forecourt Trader’s On the Road behind the scene tours, it is difficult to keep a low profile.
He is now hoping to acquire freehold sites, alongside the 10 he has on leasehold. “We will take on sites that need a bit of investment, where we know in years to come we will make our cash back,” he say
