All Analysis articles – Page 8
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Analysis
Riding crest of the wave into 2020
After MFG got approval for its huge takeover of MRH in 2018, the market was bracing itself for an even bigger deal in 2019, with Sainsbury bidding to take over Asda to become the UK’s biggest fuel retailer by volume. But while the Competition and Markets Authority was willing to ...
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Analysis
Zeroing in with fuels
The government made its commitment to electrification of transport clear in its Road to Zero strategy, which it published in July 2018. The document claimed the government remains ’technology neutral’ but then devoted the majority of its pages to highlighting its support for the development of electric vehicles (EVs) and ...
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Analysis
Tracy West: retail commentator
We all know that we should be doing more to cut down on waste, whether it’s packaging or food, but I fear one organisation has gone too far. BusinessWaste.co.uk reckons it’s time to ban Christmas dinner as it estimates that 150,000 tonnes of it ends up in landfill. Press releases ...
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Analysis
Brian Madderson: PRA chairman
It is clear that many people around the world are becoming increasingly concerned about the negative impact of Climate Change and that fossil fuels are seen by politicians, medics and environmentalists as a primary cause. Social media has been a powerful tool affecting this rapid change in outlook. Change ...
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Analysis
Merril Boulton: editor
It promises to be a significantly more memorable festive season than usual what with the election, the political noise and ’who knows what’ will follow. UKPIA director general Stephen Marcos (see news page 3 and Forecourt Trader website) has called this election "one of the most important for generations", and ...
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Analysis
Chris Judge: analysis editor, Argus Media
International oil markets edged higher in November as winter heating demand kicked in. But crude oil still looked well supplied ahead of an Opec meeting on December 5 in Vienna, when the cartel will consider production levels in concert with key producers such as Russia. Brent crude futures ended ...
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Analysis
Alexander Russell: consultant, Car Wash Association (CWA)
Dame Sara Thornton, the recently appointed Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, has published her first Strategic Plan 2019-2021. The plan focuses on improving victim care and support, supporting law enforcement and prosecution, concentrating on prevention and getting value from research and innovation. Here are its main points with particular reference to car ...
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Analysis
EVolving the network
Shell is planning to be the first fuel retailer in the UK to take out traditional fuels from an operating service station and replace them with an electric vehicle-only charging hub. An application for planning permission for the development on the company’s site in Fulham, west London, was made at ...
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Analysis
Stephen Marcos Jones: director general, UKPIA
New labels were added to your fuel pumps recently, as new rules require each pump to have either an E5 label for petrol or B7 label for diesel. These shorthand labels tell motorists that their petrol has up to 5% ethanol, and diesel up to 7% biodiesel content by ...
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Analysis
Tracy West: retail commentator
Did any of you catch the story about the reporter from Hull who ate forecourt food for five days? Not only did it appear in the Hull local papers but it was picked up by the national dailies with headlines about how expensive and unhealthy the food was. The ...
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Analysis
Merril Boulton: editor
So it’s ’Bonjour’ all round as the Total brand returns to the UK, following its deal with Harvest Energy (see News page 4 and Forecourt Trader website). It’s a great move for Harvest Energy in terms of having a recognisable major oil brand to roll out as it further ...
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Analysis
Ray Blake: PRA technical director
A question I and many other people in the industry are being asked more and more frequently is whether to install electric vehicle (EV) charging points. But I am not qualified to answer whether EV charging is a financially viable option to install on petrol forecourts, and from what I ...
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Analysis
Chris Judge: analysis editor, Argus Media
Oil prices have stabilised around the $60/bl mark after shrugging off the effects of the drone and cruise missile attacks on Saudi oil facilities on September 14. Brent crude futures ended October at $60.23/bl, registering a negligible drop of $0.50/bl on the month, after briefly topping $62/bl. UK pump ...
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Analysis
Tracy West: retail commentator
I don’t like the concept of ’schadenfreude’ ie deriving pleasure from someone else’s misfortune, but I must admit that when I heard Sainsbury’s first till-free store trial had not worked, I did smile. At the end of April, to much fanfare, the supermarket giant said its Holborn Circus Local ...
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Analysis
Merril Boulton: editor
No apologies for devoting half of this issue to the Forecourt Trader Awards! I think the nation’s hard-working forecourt retailers deserve a bit of recognition once in a while don’t you? Because the awards ceremony itself is not just a chance for a great night out - and being ...
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Analysis
Kevin Eastwood: executive director, BOSS
During the past 12 months forecourt retailers have been taking on more responsibility to help tackle forecourt crime and, in particular, drive-offs. Greater involvement is necessary because police forces need our help. There has been a steady rise in the number of incidents of forecourt crime, as evidenced by ...
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Analysis
Chris Judge: analysis editor, Argus Media
The drone and cruise missile attacks on Saudi oil facilities on September 14 drove oil prices sharply higher, but the rapid restoration of Saudi exports helped limit the gains. The higher international prices are yet to filter through to the UK forecourt, but prices look destined to rise, particularly ...
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Analysis
Speeding ahead
Sales of electric cars in the UK are currently minuscule compared with their internal combustion engine (ICE) cousins, but the country’s biggest-selling car maker is gearing up for a rapid change in this state of affairs. At the Frankfurt Motor Show last month, Ford announced that it expects the majority ...
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Analysis
James Lowman: chief executive, ACS
We recently launched our 2019 Forecourt Report, which looks at the latest developments in the sector and how fuel retailers have been responding to these changes. One ongoing development that has been a hot topic among customers and businesses has been electric vehicles. This year’s report has shown that while ...
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Analysis
A moving target?
In July 2017, when the government published its long-awaited clean air strategy and its Road to Zero transport policy, its confirmation that it would ban sales of conventional internal combustion engine cars and vans by 2040 met with very little opposition. Just the fact that it had set a firm ...