All Analysis articles – Page 28
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Analysis
Kevin Eastwood - BOSS executive director
Last month there was uproar when Devon and Cornwall Police revealed that taking fuel and driving off without payment would not be investigated and their lack of resources meant they would not deal with it. It’s hard to believe, but some police forces still treat theft of fuel as a ...
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Analysis
Growth attracts investors
Just days after Forecourt trader published its Fuel Market Review 2015, two big deals endorsed the Review’s observation that "all the signs continue to be positive for the retail forecourt sector in the UK".First up was MFG which already had a profile in the City due to the partnership between ...
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Analysis
James Lowman - ACS Chief executive
Business rates are one of the biggest cost burdens on retailers, and while the government’s review of the system is a great opportunity, there will be winners and losers. It’s our job to explain why local shops should be net beneficiaries of the review. How do we think we can ...
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Analysis
Shop Talk - Tracy West
The phrase ’I don’t believe it’ is the title of this month’s column as I am in full-on Victor Meldrew mode. Firstly, I couldn’t believe the story of the chap who went into Greggs (the bakers) to buy a loaf of bread, only to be told they don’t sell bread ...
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Analysis
Delivering growth
Last month Booker Group plc surprised the industry by announcing a deal with Irish food wholesaler Musgrave Group plc, to buy its British offshoot, Musgrave Retail Partners GB which comprises the Londis and Budgens businesses for £40m. Completion of the acquisition is conditional on the approval of the Competition & ...
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Analysis
David Charman - chairman CWA
Well it’s that time again; time to complete the HMRC rates form showing, in a nutshell, how my business has performed over the past three years. I suspect that for many of us it will reveal just how much our sector has changed. Reliance on fuel profitability has greatly reduced, ...
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Analysis
Brian Madderson - chairman PRA
Farewell coalition and hello majority. Voters chose a Conservative Government producing a raft of new appointments and decisions critical for our industry sector. With the Summer Budget due on July 8,the PRA will be lobbying for a 2ppl duty reduction to be largely funded by the estimated windfall gain of ...
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Analysis
Merril Boulton: Age of the indie
Lots of positive news for the fuel retailing sector this month starting with our latest annual Fuel Market Review, compiled in conjunction with Experian Catalist (page 28). It shows that the number of dealer sites has grown for the second year in a row, there are more vehicles on the ...
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Analysis
Shop Talk: Tracy West
People say that there’s no such thing as a free lunch but with Walker’s crisps that’s not true. That’s because consumers buying packets of the crisps have a one in six chance of winning a free lunch. Walkers owner PepsiCo says this will enable retailers to ’add some crunch’ to ...
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Analysis
Peter Harding - Retail technology consultant
Can you remember where you were and what you were doing on Friday April 10, 2015? I can. I had made an appointment to view and potentially order my new Apple watch. Having got to the relevant point in the appointment system, the nice young lady asked me which watch ...
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Analysis
Shell sell-off completed
Little more than a month after Esso announced it had agreed deals to sell off its remaining 201 company owned sites to independent dealers, another swathe of oil company sites is heading for the independent sector, after Shell concluded deals to sell 185 of its forecourts.As with the Esso deal, ...
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Analysis
Chris Hunt - UKPIA director general
s we went to press, a safety scheme for road fuel tankers was launched. UKPIA inaugurated a thoroughly revised Safe Loading Pass Scheme (SLPS) on April 30. The scheme aims to ensure that road fuel tankers are safe and meet a number of additional checks and standards. The SLPS was ...
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Analysis
Merrril Boulton: Indies in overdrive
Yet another month of intense activity in the sector, and I don’t just mean all the trade exhibitions that were held last month including our own very successful Forecourt Show at the NEC. The head offices of MFG and Euro Garages must have been and will continue to be operating ...
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Analysis
Tracy West -:Shop Talk
By now, you should all be covered up. And by that I mean your cigarettes and baccy, all cosy and snug behind doors or shutters because on April 6, that’s the law! And it’s quite a complicated law with sub-sections on when you can open doors/shutters, who can look, and ...
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Analysis
MFG unveils new strategy
Last month Top 50 Indie MFG announced plans to remove the Murco brand from all of its company-owned sites, and develop it as a brand exclusively for dealers.The decision followed MFG’s acquisition of Murco’s retail business on October 1, 2014, comprising 228 company-owned forecourts, and agreement to supply a dealer ...
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Analysis
Kevin Eastwood - BOSS executive director
On May 7 the country goes to the polls to elect a new government. One of the first questions I will be asking the new Home Secretary is "What is the justice system going to do to respond better to drive-offs and ’no means of payment’ (NMoP) incidents?" The latest ...
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Analysis
Merril Boulton: Big growth for the big boys
Interesting times, as Esso concludes the sell-off of its final tranche of sites and pilots a new fuel livery; and MFG unveils a new strategy - on the one hand signing off on the biggest fuel supply deal of recent years; and also commits to the Murco brand in a ...
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Analysis
James Lowman: ACS Chief executive
The Chancellor has delivered his final Budget of the parliament ahead of the election in May. One of the headlines grabbing a lot of attention was the announcement of 1p off a pint, reductions in other alcohol duties and a freeze in wine duty. This is good news for an ...
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Analysis
Shop Talk - Tracy West
I always used to be impressed by US forecourts they always seemed so cutting edge, so ahead of the curve but on a recent trip to Florida the ones I visited were a bit disappointing. One was downright awful. Mr West and I only stopped because we needed a map ...
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Analysis
David Charman - chairman CWA
Spring 2015 may turn out to be a huge turning point in the car wash industry. The weather has been kind, resulting in the best start to trade for maybe five years. Could it be also that the new found wealth afforded to the motorist, with the falling fuel prices, ...