All Analysis articles – Page 3
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Analysis
Turning the tide
The sell-offs of large tranches of their forecourt estates by some of the biggest oil companies has changed the structure of the UK market for most of this century. No one would argue that MRH, MFG, Euro Garages and Rontec would not have been the dominant groups in the Top ...
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Analysis
Deals that dominate the market
After its predecessor, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), gave the road fuels market a clean bill of health in early 2013, the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has ignored calls for a fresh inquiry and left the sector well alone. But two major deals mean it is now assessing ...
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Analysis
A rocky road ahead
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 ...
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Analysis
Targeting the cowboys
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 ...
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Analysis
Conundrums for retail managers
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 ...
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Analysis
Fuel for thought
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 ...
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Analysis
Turning the tide
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, ...
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Analysis
UK Hand Car Wash Market - Key Fact
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 ...
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Analysis
Fuel for thought
Shell added some perspective to the ’electric’ onslaught last month with the opening of a new hydrogen refuelling station at Shell Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire. It happened in the same week as the Department for Transport confirmed a multi-million pound funding boost to increase the uptake of hydrogen. Days later motoring ...
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Analysis
Opportunity knocks?
With the two biggest members of Forecourt Trader’s Top 50 Indies snapping up more and more of the other groups in the listing, it was only a matter of time before they began to consider the biggest deal of all, but its timing still took many people by surprise.It was ...
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Analysis
Electric avenues
Many forecourts owners have been looking at the various options for installing electric charging facilities, with many deciding it is too early to commit, but a Bill currently going through Parliament may force their hand.As it currently stands, the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill will give the Transport Secretary powers ...
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Analysis
Motoring at full speed
I f anyone thought that the rate of acquisitions by the biggest dealers during 2017 could not possibly be maintained in the New Year, then the first week of 2018 appears to have dispelled that notion. Having just snapped up 14 sites with the acquisition of the Golden Cross ...
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Analysis
Mind the gap
While Palmer and Harvey’s difficulties were common knowledge they’d put out a notice about takeover talks to secure the company’s future the instant termination of all deliveries when it went into administration meant forecourt owners had to scramble to keep their shops supplied.MRH, the UK’s biggest independent forecourt ...
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Analysis
Charging the industry
Motorway services and large petrol retailers will be forced to install charge points and hydrogen refuelling points for electric cars, under plans confirmed in the House of Commons by transport minister John Hayes.The Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill will give the government powers to make it compulsory for "public charging ...
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Analysis
Spending spree
By the standards of recent years the number of acquisitions by the Top 50 Indies has been quite modest since the 2017 listing was published in March. But that all changed in September, with a flurry of deals. However, with all the major sell-offs by oil companies completed, it is ...
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Analysis
Action on slavery
As many forecourt owners with car wash facilities know to their cost, unscrupulous hand car washes (HCWs), with no regard for labour laws or environmental regulations, can steal many of their customers away by undercutting legitimate businesses. Initially, the authorities seemed reluctant to tackle this scourge, but after intense lobbying ...
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Analysis
Taking the long view
The government’s long-awaited plan to tackle air pollution was always going to be controversial, after the High Court had dismissed earlier proposals as not good enough, and set a deadline of July 31 for it to come up with something better. But the media storm whipped up by its UK ...
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Analysis
Who foots the Bill?
The government’s vision for the future of the road travel, which was outlined in the Queen’s Speech, contained both reassurance and potential threats for the forecourt sector. The good news is that the government is clearly confident about the future of the forecourt sector, as it features in a pivotal ...
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Analysis
Safety first
The terrorist attacks at the Manchester Arena and on London Bridge mean security is top of the agenda for many companies, and an incident in Manchester demonstrates why the forecourt sector needs to be vigilant. A Texaco petrol station in the city found itself on the front line in the ...
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Analysis
Back to the future
This time last year we were coming to the end of a major restructuring of the industry, as private equity funding was driving the big dealer groups to acquire a large number of sites being sold off by the oil companies. This activity has slowed down over the past year ...