All Analysis articles – Page 6

  • Analysis

    Tasty prospect

    2014-02-11T00:00:00Z

    A significant new retail entrant to the forecourt sector could make its presence felt in 2014, according to Steve Rodell, director and head of retail at specialist property adviser Christie & Co. "They have significant capital funding and could buy a national chain if they are able to find the ...

  • Analysis

    Positive momentum

    2014-01-13T00:00:00Z

    The past year has been a busy one for the PRA, and its chairman Brian Madderson expects there will be no let up in 2014. Much of his time in 2013 was spent challenging and educating arms of government, such as the OFT, Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC), ...

  • Analysis

    News Review of 2013

    2014-01-13T00:00:00Z

    January A PRA report warns that supermarket expansion could wipe out 800 independent forecourts by 2017. Former PRA president Paul Sykes sells his five Shaws forecourts to Midlands Co-op. February A long-awaited OFT report into the road fuel market gives it a clean bill of health to the disbelief ...

  • Analysis

    Regeneration Forum: Sticking points

    2013-12-04T00:00:00Z

    The problems with planning, business rates, excise duty and card payments were spelt out in no uncertain terms as key concerns of the fuel retailing sector at the recent Regeneration Forum hosted by the Petrol Retailers’ Association, and organised in conjunction with the Department of Energy and Climate Change. In ...

  • Analysis

    Duty deferment: A sense of duty

    2013-12-04T00:00:00Z

    As you may now be aware, there is a scheme for retailers to buy oil under duty-deferred terms from suppliers’ terminals. Using the ’standard’ deferment scheme, the price of the oil is invoiced by the supplier but without the duty and VAT being charged to the retailer. Instead, the duty ...

  • Analysis

    BOSS: Payback time

    2013-11-08T00:00:00Z

    BOSS, the British Oil Security Syndicate, has welcomed confirmation from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) that it has issued new guidance to lawyers and police forces to prosecute motorists who repeatedly claim to have no-means-of-payment (NMoP). After lobbying from BOSS, the CPS has issued new legal guidelines to police and ...

  • Analysis

    Time for feedback

    2013-10-07T00:00:00Z

    A new study looking at the attitudes of fuel customers and why they choose particular brands, has underlined the growing dominance of the supermarkets. Customer intelligence specialist Market Force Information, surveyed more than 1,500 consumers across the UK in an effort to understand the choices made when purchasing fuel.The finding ...

  • Analysis

    Reports hit the flaw

    2013-09-02T00:00:00Z

    The findings of January’s Office of Fair Trading (OFT) report on the UK road fuel market have been seriously undermined by the revised market share figures for supermarkets released by the government (see panel). They show that the supermarkets have a far higher share of the UK road fuels market ...

  • Analysis

    Change on the cards

    2013-08-07T00:00:00Z

    The news that the European Commission is to introduce limits on the charges retailers pay for processing credit card and debit card payments has been welcomed by the PRA, but chairman Brian Madderson said a lot more still needs to be done to address problems in this area. The first ...

  • Analysis

    Refining the cost of fuel

    2013-07-10T00:00:00Z

    Two major reports in the past month have looked at road fuels and the motoring sector from very different perspectives, but both have highlighted the cost of fuel and taxation.At one end of the spectrum, the Statistical Review 2013 of the UKPIA (United Kingdom Petroleum Industry Association) covers the fuel ...

  • Analysis

    Spotlight on pricing

    2013-06-04T00:00:00Z

    Many in the trade have welcomed the decision by the European Commission (EC) to launch an investigation into oil price fixing, especially after the disappointment caused by the OFT’s refusal to sanction a probe into the UK road fuel market just weeks earlier.And, as the issue in question appears to ...

  • Analysis

    Positive outlook

    2013-05-02T00:00:00Z

    There are plenty of positive things happening in the market for independent dealers. That was the message from Experian Catalist’s account manager, Arthur Renshaw, as he kicked off the Forecourt Spotlight session at this year’s Forecourt Show."There’s an awful lot going on in the sector at moment," he said. "The ...

  • Analysis

    A sustainable case?

    2013-04-05T00:00:00Z

    The introduction of E10 fuel into the UK came a step closer this week as the finishing touches were applied to a public awareness campaign about it. No oil company has yet committed to introducing E10 into the UK, but when one does the campaign will swing into operation to ...

  • Analysis

    Freedom and flexibility

    2013-03-07T00:00:00Z

    Last month, leading fuel supplier Greenergy came good on its promise of a multi-format offer for independent dealers, with the announcement that it has added the Esso and Nisa brands to its portfolio. The Greenergy offer now combines fuel supply with a choice of oil major, convenience, independent and dealer ...

  • Analysis

    A missed opportunity

    2013-02-08T00:00:00Z

    After winning a long battle just to get the OFT to consider whether there were competition problems in the road fuel market, the outcome last week was a deep disappointment for the PRA, and the many other groups campaigning for a full investigation.Having provided a mass of information, including detailed ...

  • Analysis

    Footfall offers hope

    2013-01-14T00:00:00Z

    The forecourt sector is facing a tough start to 2013, as it will be affected by the wider economy, but there will be trends and opportunities that could be turned to operators benefit. That’s the view of the industry at the start of the New Year.John Lynn, managing director of ...

  • Analysis

    Autumn meltdown

    2012-12-17T00:00:00Z

    There’s been a great deal of activity in the run-up to this month’s Autumn Statement as various organisations plead their cases, with cancellation of January’s fuel duty rise at the top of the agenda.In an open letter to Minister for Business and Enterprise, Michael Fallon MP, PRA chairman Brian Madderson ...

  • Analysis

    News Extra: Station rationalisation

    2012-10-30T00:00:00Z

    Widespread economic uncertainty coupled with soaring oil prices has seen fuel consumption decline since 2008, leading international oil companies to review their service station portfolios across Europe and exit unprofitable sites, according to new analysis by CBRE, a property company which advises some of the world’s biggest oil companies on ...

  • Analysis

    Question time with Caroline Hobson

    2012-10-30T00:00:00Z

    Q Last month was the deadline for submissions to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for its short inquiry into the petrol retailing sector. What happens now? A The OFT will now go away and review the submissions it has received, seek further information from industry players and consider ...

  • Analysis

    Pricing law threat

    2012-10-01T00:00:00Z

    The UK is not alone in suffering the effects of predatory pricing, where the biggest players in any market can use their huge financial muscle to decimate the livelihoods of the smaller ones and apparently get away with it. But while in the UK fuel-retailing sector the powers that ...