All articles by Amy Lanning
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News
Symonds boosts service with forecourt attendant
Top 50 Indie Symonds Forecourts has introduced a forecourt attendant at its site in Wells, Somerset, to improve its service to motorists. Between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday the attendant fills cars with fuel, checks tyre pressures and cleans windscreens while customers pay in-store. The free service is being ...
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Innovation and efficiency drive success, says Kay Group MD
The key to a successful independent forecourt network is embracing innovation and operational improvements, according to the Kay Group’s managing director Richard Cox. Presenting at the APEA Live 2012 conference last week, Richard said an organisation such as the Kay Group – a Top 50 indie retailer with 11 24-hour ...
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Fraser’s overcomes challenges to open new-to-industry site
Independent forecourt group Fraser’s Retail has opened a new-to-industry site in Marlborough, Wiltshire, and quickly changed the fuel-buying habits of local motorists after selling 120,000 litres of fuel in the first week. Budgens of Marlborough took 17 weeks to develop from a brownfield location and comprises a BP-branded forecourt, Budgens ...
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AUK Investments take on cycling challenge
Three directors from independent forecourt group AUK Investments have helped raise £7,000 for charity in a 150-mile Coast to Coast cycle race. Brothers Simon, Marcus and Angus Hockings joined four others to make the ‘Magnificient Seven’ team that rode the gruelling hilly route from Whitehaven in Cumbria to Tynemouth in ...
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Pinpoint launches refuelling alert system to aid disabled motorists
A new forecourt alert service called Pinpoint has been launched to take the stress out of refuelling for disabled motorists. Developed by Contacta Incisive Solutions, which is headed up by London 7/7 bombing survivor Daniel Biddle, Pinpoint uses a two-way radio frequency for petrol station staff to be alerted as ...
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Fairbanks to launch ‘plant a tree’ project
Fairbanks will be launching an innovative ‘plant a tree’ project at APEA Live 2012’s awards dinner, which the wetstock monitoring company is sponsoring next week. As part of the evening entertainment, Fairbanks will donate up to 200 tree saplings to guests in a bid to help them off-set their carbon ...
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Dismay at claims that rates delay would benefit forecourts
Petrol stations would be among 800,000 premises to see a rise in business rates if revaluations stick to the 2015 date, a government Minister has claimed in a Westminster Hall debate this week. Brandon Lewis MP, Minister for the Department for Communities and Local Government, which has proposed to delay ...
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Fuel efficient tyres could save firms £500m a year, says Energy Saving Trust
UK businesses could reduce fuel costs by up to £500m a year if they fitted more fuel-efficient tyres on their company vehicles, according to new research by the Energy Saving Trust. The reseach has been revealed as new EU legislation comes into force today (November 1) forcing tyre manufacturers to ...
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MPs debate business rates policy
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has asked MPs to call on the goverment to take action to address the increasing problems presented by business rates policy at national and local level. MPs had an opportunity to raise their concerns today (Tuesday October 30) in a Westminster Hall debate led ...
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Treasury is listening to economic growth argument for cutting fuel duty, says FairFuelUK
There’s a 70% chance of getting the 3ppl rise in fuel duty planned for January deferred, according to motoring journalist and FairFuelUK spokesman Quentin Willson. Commenting after his meeting with Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, Willson said FairFuelUK’s National Institute for Economic and Social Research was “accepted with ...
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Chartman signs with Esso
Top 50 Indie Chartman Group has signed a new five-year supply deal with Esso for three previously BP-branded sites. John Hartshorne, managing director, said: “Despite a 30 years-plus trading history with BP we were persuaded to change by an ultimately more determined and convincing approach from Esso. We are really ...
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ACS welcomes forward step in campaign for fairer energy market
Energy regulator Ofgem has announced its intention to extend protections afforded to ‘micro businesses’ to thousands of additional small businesses, signalling a victory for a key part of the Association of Convenience Store’s ‘Switch to a Fair Energy Market’ campaign. The proposals set strict rules for the information that energy ...
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Economic growth not yet reaching local shops
Figures from the Office of National Statistics show that the economy returned to growth in the third quarter of 2012, but local shops did not benefit from economic growth according to a survey by the Association of Convenience Stores. Their Voice of Local Shops survey, which was conducted between July ...
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Treasury engages FairFuelUK in fuel duty talks
FairFuelUK has been invited to take part in face-to-face talks at the Treasury on Monday (October 29) to discuss the impact of fuel duty on the UK economy, following discussions between the campaign group and chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander. The meeting takes place ahead of the government’s ...
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Chewing gum levy proposal defeated in Wales Assembly vote
A proposal for a new law imposing a 5p levy on chewing gum sales was defeated in the Welsh Assembly on Wednesday. The measure was voted down by 30 votes to 17. Darren Millar AM (Assembly Member) had put forward the plans in an attempt to raise revenue to tackle ...
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MFG signs shop deal with Costcutter
Top 50 Indie Motor Fuel Group (MFG) has signed a new shop supply agreement with Costcutter Supermarkets Group. The deal will replace its existing shop agreement with Palmer and Harvey, and between now and the end of March next year, MFG will introduce the latest Costcutter imagery across its 48-forecourt ...
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News
Sainsbury’s joins Asda in petrol price cut
Sainsbury’s is reducing the price of petrol across its forecourt estate by up to 2ppl from tomorrow (Thursday October 25). The move was announced just after Asda said it was also cutting the price of petrol by the same amount in response to a fall in wholesale prices. Richard Crampton, ...
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Asda cuts price of unleaded by up to 2ppl
Asda is cutting the price of unleaded petrol at its forecourts nationwide by up to 2ppl from tomorrow (Thursday October 25). Motorists filling up at Asda will pay no more than 133.7ppl for unleaded, while the price of diesel remains unchanged at no more than 139.7ppl. The supermarket has said ...
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Concern over impact of delay in rates revaluation
Ministers have announced their intention to delay the 2015 Rates Revaluation by two years to 2017, causing concern for forecourts who saw dramatic increases in their rates bill in 2010. The Valuation Office Agency must, by law, revalue all non-domestic properties every five years to take account of movements in ...
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Retailers challenged to get into Halloween spirit
Mace and Cadbury are running a Halloween competition, challenging Mace retailers to create a spectacular Halloween display in-store. The competition, which runs until 31st October 31, is encouraging retailers to use in-store theatre to drive footfall and profits around Halloween, the third biggest retail event of the year. To help ...