When it comes to batteries, consumers want them to last as long as possible so no doubt they'll be interested in Panasonic's new Evoia battery, which has entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's longest lasting AA alkaline battery. As such, it's the first battery to do so.

With gadgets and gizmos topping Christmas wish lists, it's no wonder that batteries sell so well at this time of year. Forecourts get their fair share of sales but according to Martin Gormley, brand manager at Duracell UK, they could do better.

More than 660 million batteries will be sold in the UK this year, according to Mintel, as we continue to fill our lives with power-hungry toys and gadgets. The vast majority of these batteries will be bought on impulse, meaning forecourts are ideally placed to serve the instant needs of today's high-tech consumers. However, the message on this year's report card reads 'could do better'.

Every year battery manufacturers seem to launch the ‘longest lasting battery ever’. To the uninitiated this might appear to be just some marketing ploy, but apparently the manufacturers really have to – to keep up with all the high-drain appliances that consumers love. Digital cameras and MP3 players gobble battery power up at such a rate it’s a wonder any cell can keep up. This year’s new battery technology comes via Energizer’s Ultimate Lithium, Duracell’s Ultra M3 and Panasonic’s Digital Xtreme Power.

Batteries, cameras and films may not be a forecourt trader’s bread and butter but they do offer the chance to make a tidy extra profit, particularly over the Christmas period.

If someone were to ask you if you knew the difference between an AA and an AAA battery I’m sure you’d answer ‘yes’. That’s because you sell them and it’s your job to know such things. However, for many consumers batteries are confusing – they all look very similar but can do very different things. And they’re not exactly a product consumers really want to know much about, because they’re a means to an end. They’re just the part that keeps the remote control working or the radio playing.