When it comes to a cup of coffee, us Brits are growing increasingly fussy. The likes of Starbucks and Costa Coffee have raised the bar on what we as a nation demand in a hot drink, according to Mark Rhodes, marketing manager at Westomatic.

T he 2010 World Cup, with its army of fans across the UK, will be a big sales winner for retailers. According to pundits, they should see a significant sales uplift, with shoppers reporting that they will be buying more beer, wine and spirits and snacks to consume during the event.

One thing's for certain this summer: nobody knows what the weather will bring. But whether it's a heatwave or a wash-out, forecourts are perfectly placed to profit from the unpredictability of the great British summer. And that includes having products for those impromptu barbecues.

It's best to think small when it comes to laundry, meaning concentrates are big business for forecourts. Not only does it tap into the convenience top-up trend but it gives retailers the chance to maximise the use of shelf space.

In years gone by, grabbing a coffee on the way to work was something only the Americans did. Now it's commonplace here and many forecourts have got in on the act by offering hot drinks to go. However consumers are a discerning bunch and they demand quality and consistency. Luckily for you, there are many coffee machines available that offer just that.

One in every three shoppers walking into a c-store has at least one child in their household. That's according to figures in Harris International Marketing (Him)'s Convenience Tracking Programme (CTP) 2009. And with suppliers increasingly catering for the kids' market, and parents keen to keep youngsters happy on car journeys, petrol retailers are ideally placed to make the most of this sector.

As the recession bites, more of us are trading down to cheaper own-label products. And the sector which has seen the most of this is household goods. That's according to the Recession Study March 2009, published by Harris International Marketing (Him), which found that 38% of people said they planned to buy more 'value' own-label products. And the top value item they said they were after was cleaning products.

In the year to June 2008, UK consumers spent £37bn on gifts - up 10% on the previous 12 months. The figure comes from TNS Worldpanel data, which also reveals that the average spend on a gift is just under £29. Finding a gift of that value in a forecourt shop would be hard (unless you buy someone half a tank of petrol) however they do sell gift-worthy items such as flowers, chocolates and wine.

Forget salads, soups and sushi - British consumers still choose a sandwich (chicken salad is their favourite) for their lunchtime nosh. Last year, according to Mintel, UK consumers spent around £4bn on sarnies, up from just £3.3bn in 2002, and the market is expected to grow further - to reach £5bn by 2012.

The fact that Tesco is trialling Starbucks concessions in some of its stores is testament to the power of branded coffee. Tesco does everything from basic coffee to its Finest range yet it views Starbucks as the brand that will bring customers in.