With most forecourts now focusing on the shop side of their business and on categories like chilled foods, it's easy to overlook non-food items. However, many operators can testify to the success of non-food promotions. These are the things often promoted on the top of petrol pumps offering maps or torches or candles at knockdown prices when you spend so much on fuel. You might be asking yourself who buys such things? And the answer is, loads of people. Asif Ayub, sales director of Fast Trak, says they are great impulse purchases. "We offer everything from high-tech gadgets such as wireless headphones to mugs for mass appeal. I can't really pinpoint a target audience because our products appeal to everyone. For instance we sold shaver sets and hair clippers which we thought would appeal to men. And yes they did, but we also sold clippers to a lady in Wales to use on her horse!"

In just six weeks in 2004, DSL sold 1.8 million solar lights from garage forecourts up and down the country. Talk about having the right product at the right price, in the right place at the right time."They were just stab-in-the-ground solar lights selling at £3.99 but they generated retail sales of nearly £7m," explains Linda Horton, southern UK area manager.

Non-food shop promotions are now an established part of the forecourt offer, and the market is filling up with companies offering forecourt-focused products, ranging from lighters and torches to radios and even pruning shears. With margins around 30% and management of the category fairly low-key, it’s easy to see why this area has really taken off. Products are typically items of high-perceived value that are put on special promotion in the store with highly visual pos.