All Analysis articles – Page 17

  • Analysis

    Ray Blake: PRA technical director

    2018-08-03T00:00:00Z

    A question about EV charging was raised recently at the Petroleum Enforcement Liaison Group (PELG) where I have just been made the first chairman to be appointed from ’industry’ rather than from ’enforcement’. The question was ’Who would enforce EV charging and how would they know if any had been ...

  • Analysis

    Charlotte Blum: analysis editor, Argus Media

    2018-08-03T00:00:00Z

    International oil prices in July fell at the start of the month, but recovered steadily as the effects of increased production from major suppliers were tempered by an uncertain forward supply picture. UK transport fuels edged higher from July and Ice Brent futures ended the month at $74.97/bl after falling ...

  • Analysis

    A rocky road ahead

    2018-08-03T00:00:00Z

    The Road to Zero strategy is nothing short of the government’s blueprint to phase out two of the bed rocks of the forecourt sector petrol and diesel. While the ’zero’ it refers to is emissions from road vehicles, its method for achieving this is prohibiting the sale of all new ...

  • Analysis

    Targeting the cowboys

    2018-07-06T00:00:00Z

    Years of campaigning by the PRA and Car Wash Association paid off last month when their chairman, Brian Madderson, was invited to give evidence to MPs on the damage unregulated hand car washes are wreaking on the legitimate trade, and the environment. The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has ...

  • Analysis

    Conundrums for retail managers

    2018-07-06T00:00:00Z

    Facing change and challenges are major aspects of the job of a retail manager in the fuels marketing and forecourt retailing sector. Looking at the market now compared with where it was five years ago, there has been significant change and upheaval. There are, however, some things that never change ...

  • Analysis

    Tracy West: retail commentator

    2018-07-06T00:00:00Z

    As a big soft drinks consumer, I’ve found it interesting to see how the Sugar Levy has been put into action in various retail outlets. I only drink diet or zero drinks so the levy doesn’t affect my drinking purchases. However, Mr West won’t touch the artificials and so still ...

  • Analysis

    Merril Boulton: editor

    2018-07-06T00:00:00Z

    Just back from an excellent PRA/ACS Forecourt Conference, which both informed and inspired in equal measure. The world is always changing, but there is something about the current pace of change and uncertainty across many aspects of life business, political, technological, environment that would be easy to become quite unsettled ...

  • Analysis

    Kevin Eastwood BOSS - executive director

    2018-07-06T00:00:00Z

    During the FIFA World Cup there were a number of countries who started the competition with low expectations. However, some quiet, careful and thoughtful planning helped them to achieve and make their nations very proud of their performances. The forecourt sector can draw similarities, in particular, when it comes to ...

  • Analysis

    Charlotte Blum: analysis editor, Argus Media

    2018-07-06T00:00:00Z

    Changing expectations of supply amid continued strong demand pushed oil prices first down then up again in June, with Ice Brent futures ending June at $77.85/bl. Opec and its partners have been overachieving their agreed output cuts, and on June 22 agreed to reign in their over-compliance. In effect this ...

  • Analysis

    James Lowman: chief executive, ACS

    2018-07-06T00:00:00Z

    In recent weeks, the Centre for Social Justice has published a report called Desperate for a Fix, focusing on tackling retail crime and calling for fresh thinking at a national and local level to find policies that can address the increases in theft and other crime that retailers have experienced ...

  • Analysis

    Fuel for thought

    2018-06-07T00:00:00Z

    None of the pontificating politicians in Westminster, who are currently debating forcing forecourts to install electric charging points, appear to have given any thought to the practical issues involved. Had they attended the launch of the fourth edition of the Blue Book they would now be having second thoughts. John ...

  • Analysis

    Tracy West: Retail commentator

    2018-06-07T00:00:00Z

    A recent survey of 1,000 consumers across the UK (undertaken by SOTI who say they are the world’s most trusted provider of mobile and Internet of Things device management systems in the world), found that 80% of people would be ’comfortable’ in a retail setting where only self-checkout tills were ...

  • Analysis

    Brian Madderson: PRA chairman

    2018-06-07T00:00:00Z

    In the real world, the latest UK vehicle statistics from SMMT for January to May 2018 versus the same period last year confirm the collapse of diesel models (-31%), some recovery in petrol +11.3%, the anticipated increase in hybrids +22.6% but a surprising drop in batteryonly electric (BEV) by 4.9%. ...

  • Analysis

    Merril Boulton: editor

    2018-06-07T00:00:00Z

    Quite an eye-opener at last month’s APEA meeting (see News Extra, page 10). Not normally my type of gig, since it’s all very detailed legal and technical stuff relating to the Petroleum & Explosives Acts and associated environment legislation. It was all about the fourth edition of the Blue Book ...

  • Analysis

    Charlotte Blum Analysis editor

    2018-06-07T00:00:00Z

    Geopolitical moves by the US have dominated oil prices, with sanctions on oil producers driving them up further. But Opec is signalling it could increase output, and the danger of a global trade war has just bubbled up again as a threat to demand.UK retail prices in late May were ...

  • Analysis

    Alexander Russell: consultant, Car Wash Association (CWA)

    2018-06-07T00:00:00Z

    The Car Wash Association, in conjunction with the Petrol Retailers Association, is continuing to work towards achieving a much greater level of compliance among unregulated hand car washes (HCWs) with employment law, fiscal law, Health & Safety regulations and, most recently, in dealing with the environmental hazards of trade effluent ...

  • Analysis

    Turning the tide

    2018-05-23T00:00:00Z

    With the National Crime Agency investigating links with organised crime and drug smuggling, and raids almost on a daily basis looking for slaves among their work forces, illicit hand car wash operators were probably wondering when MPs would wake up to the problems they pose. What few were expecting, however, ...

  • Analysis

    Stephen Marcos Jones: director general, UKPIA

    2018-05-23T00:00:00Z

    The eighth high-level meeting of the EU Refining Forum was held in April in Brussels. The Refining Forum was first established in 2013 in recognition of the need to address the cumulative impact of policies on the EU refining industry. This important annual meeting brings together representatives from industry, Member ...

  • Analysis

    Tracy West: retail commentator

    2018-05-23T00:00:00Z

    With plastic currently ’pubic enemy number one’ it was interesting to read about eco brand Ecover’s recent pop-up Rubbish Cafe in London. If you wanted to go inside, you had to ’pay’ with recyclable plastic rubbish but once inside, you could savour goodies from a zero-waste menu from eco chef ...

  • Analysis

    UK Hand Car Wash Market - Key Fact

    2018-05-23T00:00:00Z

    Size >10,000 hand car washes (7,000 mechanical washes), around 60% of total>110 million washes per year (45 million mechanical washes), >70% of total>80% share of total car wash income (including valeting)>£200m potential annual loss to HMRC in unpaid taxesTrade EffluentOver 99% of solids entering surface water drains (SWDs) and groundwater ...