In 2006 Justin Entwistle, managing director of Hambleton Service Station near Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire joined Spar. Then he had a 1,000sq ft unbranded store turning over between £8,000 and £10,000 a week. Today he has a 2,600sq ft Spar store doing £23,000-£24,000 a week and he is confident of getting the turnover up to £30,000. Justin describes his store as modern; its state-of-the-art features include a walk-in chilled room for alcohol where the beers and wines are kept at below 10°C.

Wilcomatic is one of the longest-established names in the UK car wash business, and last October it ensured its future as the UK's sole 'independent' wash company following a management buyout from major motor retailer Inchcape.

Branding is everything nowadays - whether it's the hippest fashion label or coolest make of bottled water - many consumers want to be associated with brands. And independent forecourts can be associated with them too thanks to alliances with the likes of Budgens, Londis and Spar, and in the food-to-go arena they can tie in with coffee companies and people like Subway.

The evolving forecourt market has prompted Palmer & Harvey to adapt its service to the independent sector. Along with the launch of the Sinqua epos system for forecourts by YP Electronics, which P&H acquired in 2000, it has this year formed a new team dedicated to serving the growing number of multi-site operators.