All Analysis articles
-
OtherMONEY TALK: How to spot a fake HMRC message
Scam alert. It is the time of year that the HMRC sends out emails to remind directors of businesses to fill out their self-assessment tax returns. It is also the time of year that scammers try to get in on the act, with fake messages attempting to steal your personal details and money, warns industry commentator Jan Mikula.
-
NewsFuel worth over £400,000 stolen in Northumbria: a drive-off case study
Detailed analysis of drive-off data from Northumbria Police exemplifies the nationwide issue of motorists making off with fuel without paying, with thieves knowing that police take no action in the vast majority of cases.
-
NewsCOMMENT: The M62 motorway services saga is emblematic of the madness of our planning laws
Speak to anyone attempting a major commercial building project and they will tell you that planning laws and processes in the UK are complex; talk to someone involved in the development M62 Birchwood services and you may well be met with a heavy sigh.
-
AnalysisHVO could take diesel engines back to the future
Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), a drop in replacement for diesel which significantly reduces carbon emissions, is growing in demand. However, it needs government backing to become a serious solution to help slow climate change, argues Hugo Griffiths.
-
AnalysisCOMMENT: Stop fuelling crime – police must rethink how they approach drive-offs
It was only a few months ago that a senior officer from Lincolnshire Police said people driving off from petrol stations without paying for fuel may not be “having a great day”. Given such crimes almost always go unsolved, that attitude may be prevalent amongst other high-ranking officers.
-
AnalysisCOMMENT: The forecourt industry is a great British success story – we can’t let policy destroy it
Something must be done about the electric issue, as the majority don’t want to run EVs, and the forecourt sector faces existential threat from it, argues Forecourt Trader’s Hugo Griffiths.
-
AnalysisCOMMENT: Electric HGVs are mandated by government – problem is, they’re not fit for purpose
The ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars generates all the headlines, but equally significant legislation looms on the horizon: from 2035 all new HGVs weighing 26 tonnes or under must be zero emission, before the rules expand to every new HGV in 2040.
-
AnalysisCOMMENT: Scotland may have inadvertently banned all new petrol stations
It seemed, in the grand scheme of things, a relatively minor story: Renfrewshire Council had refused planning permission for a new petrol station on the outskirts of Lochwinnoch, a village 20 miles to the west of Glasgow. But it is feared that the decision may have set a wider precedent.
-
NewsTankerford: Top 50 Indie’s small team makes a big impact
The commission-operator model is an established one in the forecourt industry, but running over 10 sites on this principle with just a handful of people is the very definition of lean.
-
AnalysisMONEY TALK: Forecasting on the impact of the last Budget
As we hit the season for making profit and loss projections, forecourt operators need to be prudent and to look to spread the burden of increased costs across shop categories, rather than fuel, advises industry commentator Jan Mikula.
-
NewsTECH TALK: Should forecourts invest in EV chargers?
EV chargers require big investment and can take years to reach maturity; we look into the aspects forecourt operators should consider before taking the plunge.
-
NewsMPK finds forecourt efficiencies in face of rising employment costs
Top 50 Indie MPK Garages has come up with a series of efficiencies which retail director Wayne Harrand says will prime the business for this April’s increases in employer National Insurance contributions, and minimum pay.
-
Industry FeatureReflecting on the road ahead
Six leading industry figures – Zuber Issa, Gordon Balmer, David Charman, Tom Buckley, Tom Highland, and Oliver Blake – share their aspirations for their businesses in 2025, and what they think the year ahead has in store for the industry in general.
-
AnalysisSERVICE CENTRE: How was it for you?
I’m talking Christmas trading here. In general it is meant to be busy but also prime time for shoplifters/drive-offs. There has also been a lot of talk about belt-tightening in response to the cost-of-living crisis, so I did a spot of canvassing to see what some of you had to say on the subject.
-
AnalysisCOMMENT: Filling time - early adopters of EV infrastructure have ‘first mover’ advantage
Since we put one of the very first EV charging points in the ground in the UK more than 13 years ago, the motor industry has debated the future role of petrol station forecourts in supporting the future EV revolution.
-
AnalysisCOMMENT: Policy flip flops on EVs add to ‘wait and see’ approach of most forecourt operators
The Prime Minister recently announced the movement out from 2030 to 2035 of the requirement for all new vehicles sold to be zero emission vehicles (ZEV). Only 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans will be required to be ZEV by 2030.
-
OtherFuel Market Review 2023 – resilience despite intense pressures
Hard work and adaptability are continuing to pay off for the fuel retailing sector, according to Forecourt Trader’s latest Fuel Market Review.
-
NewsUKPIA publishes its 2022 Statistical Review of the fuel supply sector
UKPIA has published its 2022 Statistical Review of the latest available data from the fuel supply sector.
-
NewsUK convenience market forecast to grow by 3.2% in 2022 by Lumina Intelligence
The UK convenience market is forecast to reach a value of £45.2bn in 2022, with growth of 3.2% versus 2021, according to the new Lumina Intelligence UK Convenience Market Report 2022.
-
NewsLumina reports range of convenience customers growing but spend and basket size declining
An increase in the proportion of people shopping in convenience, but a decline in visit frequency, spend and basket size have been reported on the latest data from the Lumina Intelligence Convenience Tracking Programme.