The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has warned that independent fuel retailers will need to raise their game to survive as it launches a fighting fund to stave off the march of the supermarkets.
Such is the importance of the forecourt retailing industry, that IFFE is now an annual event. For 2006 it runs for four days -- from Sunday March 19 to Wednesday March 22 -- giving forecourt operators ample opportunity to visit. And you really should visit as the NEC will be jam-packed with companies offering products and services specifically for your businesses. All the big names will be there from across the entire forecourt industry -- including Air Serv, CPL Petroleum, David Franklin, Gilbarco Veeder-Root, Graphite (UK), Liquid Cargo Management, PetroTechnik, Tokheim, Torex Retail, TQIPS and VBi. IFFE is also happy to welcome back exhibitors from years gone by including Atlantis International, Euro Fresheners, Linpac Environmental, and Pumptronics. And new exhibitors include AGE CCTV, API Security, Fexco, the UK arm of Western Union, ATM company Infocash and cleaning company, Johnson Diversey.
Running alongside IFFE 2006, the Convenience Retailing Show gives forecourt operators the chance to discover the latest product innovations for the whole convenience market.
this year's International Forecourt & Fuel Equipment (IFFE) show will see no less than six oil companies presenting their different retailer offers. BP will be promoting its new Connect Franchise deal by running a real Wild Bean Café in the Networking Lounge. Howard Nunn, BP's franchise development manager, says: "We are hoping to meet both existing fuel retailers and investors looking to purchase a petrol filling station to convert into a BP Connect."
Graham Peacock, managing director of the Malthurst Group
Graham Peacock, managing director of the Malthurst Group, heads the first listing of the Top 50 independent fuel retailers, which has been launched this month in a commemorative supplement enclosed with this issue of Forecourt Trader. A Top Indies Dinner is also being held at the Crowne Plaza, NEC, Birmingham, on Monday, March 20th, during the IFFE and CRS shows.
Shropshire is one of the first counties in the UK to establish a network of independent petrol retailers selling biodiesel, the renewable fuel made from oil seed rape or waste vegetable oil.
New scheme claims a 90% reduction in forecourt crime
A new vehicle number plate recognition scheme 'Pay for Fuel' has been launched by Integrated Security Management (ISM) in partnership with BOSS and the Avon & Somerset constabulary.
The same gang is believed to have raided filling stations three times in the same night in three different counties. Details of the raids -- each of them on Total outlets -- have only just been released by police, who believe that the same thieves were responsible. The gang left such a trail of destruction behind them in the Thursday night raid at Morcott, Leicestershire, that the shop, office and forecourt had to be shut for two days. The break-in -- at around 3am -- left smashed doors and shutters. Cigarettes, CDs and £150 in cash was taken. This is the fourth time that the outlet has been raided in four years.
Forecourts need to boost their credibility as grocers
Twice as many shoppers now regularly use forecourts compared to two years ago, according to a new report from the Institute of Grocery Distribution's shopper research programme. Entitled 'Forecourt Shoppers', the research found that 15% of shoppers regularly use forecourts today, up from 7% in 2004. However, usage figures vary widely across the UK with shoppers in the north of England using forecourts the most and those in London, the least.
Roy Roley, Jet's brand communications manager, died suddenly on February 26, just two days before he was due to retire from the company and pursue other interests both within and beyond the fuel industry. Patrick Hudson, Jet's dealer business manager, said: "All of us at Jet are shocked and deeply saddened at the sudden death of Roy. He has been a highly valued and integral part of the company and the brand for more than 25 years and was widely known and respected by his colleagues, customers, suppliers and the wider UK petrol retailing industry. He will be sorely missed by all." Anyone wishing to make a donation in his name to the Heart Foundation and Cardiomyopathy should send it to AE Bennett & Sons, 34 Sheep Street, Stratford Upon Avon, Warks CV37 6EE.
A bleak picture has been painted of the future for independent fuel retailers following the publication of a report by the All Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group, which says that many are "unlikely to survive" beyond 2015 unless the power of the mighty supermarkets is reined in. The ACS, however, believes retailers can and will fight back, and has launched a fighting fund to do just that.
Just outside Romsey, on the Dorchester to Guildford A31, is a forecourt with a Co-op c-store and BP fuels. The Co-op is part of the Southern Co-operatives, a regional society that operates some 90 convenience stores of which only two have a forecourt.
As usual in March, we now have the full set of annual statistics from last year to look through and see whether we can find any pointers to the longer-term trends in petroleum retailing performance. As our monthly figures have indicated on more than one occasion recently, the overall results could best be described as 'flat'.
Times have changed for Texaco, as was clearly demonstrated at its recent retailer conference in Birmingham, themed according to the company's new brand strategy, 'Bright Horizons'. At a similar event two years ago, the programme covered the needs of retailers working on the company's network of 300 owned and operated sites, 180 tenanted sites, as well as about 400 dealers. This time there were no tenants or site staff. There is no company owned network.
BP's remote wet-stock management programme helps reduce the risks of leaks on both co-owned and dealer forecourts
The internet may have killed off teen title Smash Hits but other sectors of the fiercely competitive magazine market are still going strong. The latest ABC circulation figures, for July to December 2005, showed women's weeklies riding high with sales up 7.4%. Big winners in terms of sales included Reveal with a 42% increase; OK! with sales up 23.5%; and Closer, whose sales overtook Heat for the first time.
Safety accredited contractors who work on forecourts are being reminded that they may need to renew their Forecourt Passports.
Tim Wood, UK valeting manager for Global Alliance (left), congratulates Mike Ambrose, managing director of Car Wash UK, on their extended contract with BP
Independent forecourt maintenance services provider, Car Wash UK, has shaken hands on a deal that will significantly increase the number of sites it services for BP.
Stream Car Care has been appointed as the sole UK distributor for Italian car wash manufacturer Autoequip. Based in Northern Italy, Autoequip was formed in 1963 and was one of the first companies to design and manufacture automatic car washing equipment. The company has made major gains in market share in Italy, Spain and France. It offers a comprehensive range, including automatic rollover car washes, as well as conveyor washes and jet washes.
Retail solutions provider, Kenbury Services, has a new name and two new board members. Now known as Indigo Retail Holdings, the company aims to provide first class retail solutions and services for the petroleum and convenience markets. Led by Billy Tank, a founder of Arciris, latterly Torex Retail, Indigo has already acquired Softoption Developments, a provider of EPoS and back office systems.
Vittel natural mineral water will be relaunched in April following a major brand overhaul. The new look aims to improve visibility and brand recognition, while increasing appeal to young, urban and active consumers.
Del Monte has launched a number of new chilled fresh-fruit lines aimed at the foodservice and impulse channels, including juice, smoothies and snack packs.
Bassett's Milky Babies are bouncing back into distribution. Originally launched alongside Bassett's Fruity Babies last August, Milky Babies sales exceeded £1m in their first 10 weeks.
Masterfoods has launched a luxurious hot-chocolate drink. Made from Belgian chocolate and milk, Moment Du Chocolat is a ready-made drink. It comes in a 200ml single-serving cup to be heated in a microwave, offering additional profit opportunities for retailers who provide in-store microwaves. It is available in a choice of milk or dark chocolate. The launch is currently limited to the south east and is supported by an extensive sampling campaign, with further roll-out planned for later in 2006.
Two new flavours have been introduced to the Rocking JC Beef Jerky range. Following the success of original Rocking JC, teriyaki and peppered variants have been added in 25g and 57g bags. Both pack sizes are available in clip-strips and case caddies. The high-protein, low-fat snack has great lad-appeal. Dual-siting with beers and lagers is recommended as well as on the sandwich fixture to achieve optimum sales.
Nestlé Rowntree is re-positioning its KitKat Chunky brand to appeal more to young men. Available this month, KitKat Chunky has a new design and improved packaging. There is also a new peanut butter variant which has a layer of peanut butter running through its centre.
GlaxoSmithKline has launched a major new on-pack promotion for Ribena. The '95% chance to win the best of British prizes' message appears on special packs and plays on the fact that 95% of all Britain's blackcurrants go into making Ribena.
ANOTHER MARCH and another forecourt show. Well, almost. The days of a standalone forecourt show packed with exhibitors of forecourt equipment have, of course, long since gone, consigned to the memory of when there were 20,000 forecourts. So now we have the combination of forecourts and convenience stores, and entirely appropriate that is too.
Attracting higher spending top-up shoppers should be a key aim for forecourt retailers, according to the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD), and chilled and fresh is the category that's most likely to draw them to your store. Indeed, 37% of consumers have said that stocking up on fresh foods was the main reason they shopped in between their main grocery shopping trips - second only to replacing things they'd run out of.
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As a show of strength by dealers helped to put BP's deal with fuel card company Arval back on the table, should retailers come together more often to fight their corner on other key issues that affect their businesses?
