All Forecourt Trader articles in April 2008
View all stories from this issue.
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NewsCompetition Commission report slammed over "Tesco Towns"
The Competition Commission’s final report into the UK grocery market has been slammed for failing to tackle the “Tesco Town” effect. In the report, which marks theend of a two year investigation, the Commission concluded that supermarkets were giving customers a good deal – and that rival supermarkets should be ...
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News
Competition Commission slammed for allowing "Tesco Towns"
The Competition Commission’s final report into the UK grocery market has been slammed for failing to tackle the “Tesco Town” effect. In the report, which marks the end of a two year investigation, the Commission concluded that supermarkets were giving customers a good deal – and that rival supermarkets should ...
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News
Truckers protest in London at diesel costs
Lorry drivers from all over the UK are staging a protest in London today against spiralling diesel costs. The protest began in Kent and was due to end with a Park Lane rally, with dozens of vehicles expected to join the event. A delegation from the protest is expected to ...
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Don’t panic buy, PRA warns motorists
Fuel availability for motorists outside Scotland will not be affected by the potential shutdown at the Grangemouth refinery, according to Ray Holloway, director of the Petrol Retailers Association. "If the shutdown does occur, the affect on supply in Scotland will be limited due to the sheer volume of fuel already ...
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Big Media screen company in liquidation
Big Media Group Ltd, the Milford Haven-based in-store marketing and media service, has gone into voluntary liquidation with debts of £672K.Creditors include many petrol retailing operations – there were screens on 230 sites – the majority of which are owed an average of £2,000. The David Taylor Group, however, which ...
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Alex Salmond wades into Grangemouth row
Scotland’s First Minister has waded into the Grangemouth refinery row by pleading with the two sides to get back to the negotiating table. Staff are due to strike at the Scottish refinery next week, and owners INEOS have started shutting down the site in preparation for the industrial action. The ...
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Strike threat at refinery prompts panic buying at the pumps
Bosses at Scotland’s Grangemouth refinery started a shutdown of the site at the weekend due to the threat strike action by staff – triggering a spate of panic buying at the pumps. Grangemouth owner INEOS said the site – Scotland’s only crude oil refinery – could be forced to close ...
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Critics slam launch of RTFO as "April Biofools Day"
The government has implemented the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) amid increasing calls from campaigners for it to be scrapped – with some even labelling today "April Biofools Day". The RTFO means that, from today, fuel suppliers must ensure that all fuel sold on UK forecourts contains at least 2.5% ...
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Esso woos dealers at Top Indies dinner
Dealers will continue to grow in size, and Esso is keen to work with them to ensure “we are all here to stay”, stressed Karen Dickens, Esso’s executive director, fuels marketing UK & Ireland, in her opening address at the Top Indies dinner in Birmingham last night.She told the elite ...
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CWCG holds open meeting to recruit retailers
The Car Wash Campaign Group (CWCG) used the International Forecourt and Fuel Equipment (IFFE) show to hold its first open meeting and recruit new members. The event, chaired by Forecourt Trader editor Merril Boulton, saw a panel of three representatives from the group - retailer Robert Fraser, ACS public affairs ...
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Shell on the lookout for new dealers
Shell is looking to actively recruit new retailers in a bid to grow its dealer network in 2008. Nick Adams, UK retail manager at Shell, said the oil giant was looking to get more “pro-active” in its approach. He said: “We’re very keen on expand our dealer business. “We’ve ...
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More forecourts close – with supermarket sites on the rise
More than 100 forecourts closed in the UK last year – while an extra 46 supermarket forecourt sites opened, according to the Energy Institute (EI). Figures from EI’s latest UK Retail Marketing Survey showed that the number of petrol stations in the UK declined by 111 in 2007, although the ...
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Investcorp sells Welcome Break
Investcorp has sold Welcome Break to Appia Investments, an infrastructure investor consortium. Details of the transaction concerning the motorway services operator, which has 27 sites in the UK – 24 on motorways, were not revealed, but the deal is reported to be worth about £500m. The consortium is led by ...
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Highways Agency wants ratings system for forecourts
The Highways Agency has published a new policy for the operation and provision of service areas on motorways and major A roads, aimed at giving drivers greater choice and raising standards. In the policy, the Agency sets out a range of things it expects operators to provide from ...