What US retailer John MacDougall doesn't know about running forecourts probably isn't worth knowing. For four decades the businessman has worked to build up his mini empire, weathering any economic storms as well as the harsh winters in upstate New York. After buying out his original two partners of Nice n Easy Grocery Shoppe, he pushed

A "huge sigh of relief" is how Petrol Retailers' Assocation director, Ray Holloway, described the reaction around the dealer network to the recent Arval/BP agreement.

Retailers got a nasty surprise in the post last month - a letter from BP announcing it was ending its agreement with Arval.

If you've noticed your fuel sales are noticeably down on last year, you're not alone. Retailers around the country are reporting a significant drop in volume - and those with sites in the north are seemingly the worst hit.

Customers can no longer fill up at the pumps using their Arval fuel cards at Nuns' Bridges Filling Station in Norfolk. Due to rising fuel costs pushing up the amount of commission he was paying, the site's owner, Steve Jones, found he was running the service at a loss. But as there was still plenty of demand from

Gordon Brown met oil industry chiefs last week amid mounting pressure to act over spiralling fuel prices. The PM used the meeting in Scotland to warn that high oil prices were here to stay, and were not just a UK problem but part of global demand outstripping supply. The comments came as

Since the announcement last month about a raft of new proposals affecting the display and packaging of tobacco products as part of the Government's Cancer Reform Strategy - particularly targeting teenage smokers - tobacco manufacturers and trade associations have been busy trying to rally

The Car Wash Campaign Group (CWCG) is urging retailers to contact their MPs regarding an Early Day Motion (EDM) tabled on the group's behalf.

Petrol retailer Paul Sykes probably sums up what most in the industry thought when they read the Competition Commission's latest report on the UK grocery market. "It came as a disappointment - but not a surprise," says the Shaws Petroleum managing director. "It shows that they haven't a clue about what's really going on."

Biofuels have hardly been out of the news recently, and just about everyone seems to have an opinion on whether they are our friend or our foe. One of the many groups joining the debate this month was The Royal Society - an independent academy promoting natural and applied sciences - which issued a warning at a conference it held in London on January 14.

Aleef Garages is one of the biggest names in the UK independent forecourt retail sector, and few in the industry could have failed to spot the recent headlines about the

As Shell continues its relentless cut-price fuel strategy, the rest of the petrol retailing industry continues to scratch its head in total disbelief. None more so than independent dealer Graham Greaves, who runs a third-generation family-run petrol forecourt and coach business - Henry Cooper, Lane End Garage in Annitsford, Northumberland -with his wife Pamela and

The fuel industry is gearing up for its biggest change in recent years - and it's all in an effort to go green. Last month MPs voted in favour of the government's Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO), which aims to bring the UK into line with EU environmental targets.

Filling up at the pumps has got a lot more painful recently. With the price of a litre of fuel topping the £1 mark at forecourts up and down the country, motorists' hackles have been rising. Gordon Brown's 2p tax hike has stirred up a real hornets' nest,

The number of petrol stations serving the motoring public has been falling for years but suddenly, it seems, the whole world is beginning to take an interest, with coverage in the national press and on TV and radio bemoaning the loss of the community forecourt.

This summer's floods caused havoc at forecourts across the country - but it was when the water started to drain away that the real problems started.

Investment in shops across the continent should sometimes be treated with caution, and retailers could encourage more convenient channels of quick payment for fuel-only customers.

This time last year the south east of England was in the grip of drought orders, with many petrol retailers fearing their car washes would be shut down - with dire consequences to their business.

Fuel buyers could be forgiven for feeling uneasy next time they hand over their plastic at the filling station.

Last month's furore over contaminated fuel brought some unexpected good fortune to many independent retailers, with increases in fuel volumes of as much as 40% or more being reported by some sites.

The UK forecourt sector is healthy, with independent operators leading the way, according to Arthur Renshaw, Catalist's UK and Ireland sales manager, speaking at the Energy Institute's inaugural Forecourt Strategies and Trends conference last month.

News that Torex Retail plc was being investigated by the Serious Fraud Office, shortly after it had announced a dire profits warning followed by a suspension of share dealing, has sent shivers down the spines of the many forecourt operators who use the company's retail systems.

Last year saw a steep rise in the number of oil company and grocery retailer partnerships, a trend that is undoubtedly going to continue into 2007, according to Greg Hodge, retail forecourt analyst at Planet Retail, in his latest report on the global forecourt market.

The idea of taking on a franchise is instinctively taboo for most independent retailers. But that is what's on offer from BP as it deems the trial of its Connect and Wild Bean Café franchise - on two sites belonging to Motor Fuels Ltd - a success, and has put in motion plans to roll it out to the wider retailing network.

Exorbitant credit card charges are at the centre of the toughest battle being faced by retailers in the US, according to Hank Armour, president and CEO of the National Association of Convenience stores, which represents the US convenience and petroleum retailing industry.