All Forecourt Trader articles in April 2011
View all stories from this issue.
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News
MRH adds 10 BP sites
The leading Top 50 indie MRH has purchased 10 former BP company-owned sites in Scotland. The company is also renewing supply contracts with BP at a further 11 locations as part of the deal.MRH managing director John Lynn said: " This acquisition package further strengthens MRH’s representation in Scotland, our ...
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Asda sold 12.9p petrol by mistake in Bradford
Asda has admitted drivers paid just 12.9p a litre for petrol after staff put a decimal point in the wrong place.The blunder at the Rooley Lane site in Bradford, West Yorkshire happened on a self-serve pump after the 24-hour site switched over to just pay@pump for the night shift.About 50 ...
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New Adblue dispensing system for MRH site
A new AdBlue dispensing system is being installed at the BP Thetford West site operated by MRH (GB). Developed by fuel dispensing specialist Dresser Wayne in conjunction with Blue 1, a supplier of AdBlue storage solutions, the new equipment is based on the Dresser Wayne Global Star V AdBlue Dispenser. ...
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Against all odds
It’s any retailer’s nightmare: exchanging on a new site only to discover just one month later that the busy A-road the forecourt is located on is due for an imminent change, potentially drawing trade away.This is was what happened to Simon Privett when he bought Tollgate Service Station in Gravesend, ...
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This month Jac looks at problems with suppliers and retirement age
Poor partners When times get tough, as they certainly seem to be in some quarters, you would think that your suppliers would try even harder to work with you. I was recently contacted by two forecourt operators who were having horrendous problems with their distributors/suppliers. I offered to highlight their ...
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Amber alert for Fox’s
Fox’s Ambers is the latest line from Northern Foods. The company says the launch marks the creation of a new ’everyday indulgence’ category within the biscuits market.Expected to be a hit with women aged 35-plus, the crunchy golden honeycomb biscuits come in three varieties: milk chocolate; praline and caramel. Recommended ...
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Top award winner Darren to leave his beloved Flamstead End forecourt
Former Forecourt Trader of the Year winner Darren Lawrence is “devastated” to be leaving his beloved Total-branded Flamstead End forecourt in Hertfordshire, after 21 years service.Total decided to take back the site after commission operator Darren turned down a new contract that he felt was unviable.“There were some parts of ...
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Chancellor’s fuel duty cut backfires
Chancellor George Osborne’s decision to cut fuel duty by 1ppl from 6pm on March 23 has enraged retailers as motorists branded them "greedy" when prices at the pump failed to fall immediately as they had expected.While the duty cut was welcome, its immediate introduction and the lack of explanation that ...
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Smint backs Cancer Care
New from Smint is a two-in-one raspberry lemon variety, launched to raise money for Breast Cancer Care. Five pence from every pack sold will be donated to the charity.
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On the ball
Red Bull is being backed by a £1.5m ’workplace’ campaign in a bid to educate consumers about drinking the beverage at work. The theme of the activity is ’Want to be on the ball?’.
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Go-ahead for display ban
Forecourt stores will be banned from displaying tobacco products from April 6, 2015.The amended regulations, as set out in the Department of Health’s Tobacco Control Plan, will mean that tobacco products will need to be out of sight in shops, except for temporary displays in certain limited circumstances; butretailers will ...
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Müller goes bananas
Müller Rice has a new limited edition banana & toffee variety. The launch is supported by a £1.5m TV and press advertising campaign. A bespoke 10-second end tag highlighting the new flavour has been added to the existing 20-second TV execution, and a new press advertisement has been developed for ...
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Barr Cola boost
AG Barr has launched a 500ml Big Cola can. Available in regular and diet, it is price-marked at 49p. Nielsen stats show that Barr sold over 4.5 million cans of cola last year.
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Two become one at Spar
West Midlands-based AF Blakemore & Son has acquired the business of fellow Spar wholesaler South Wales-based Capper & Co.The acquisition will take the turnover of the combined organisation to £1.1bn.The move will create the largest Spar wholesaler in the UK, serving 1,096 of the symbol group’s stores.Meanwhile, the successor to ...
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Skittles blue is here
The Wrigley Company is adding a blue sweet to Skittles. The limited edition blue Skittle packs are available now for a three-month period.New packs feature the Skittles rainbow with an extra blue stripe as well as a call to action to visit the Facebook page to follow the blue campaign ...
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Shell on track to boost performance and growth
Shell is aiming to become the most competitive and innovative energy company in the world, according to its latest strategy update, presented by chief executive officer Peter Voser.Voser said the company was on track to deliver its three-year strategic plan and revealed that in this era of "volatile transitions", Shell ...
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in brief
Site numbers fallThe Energy Institute’s latest Retail Marketing Survey reveals that the number of forecourts in the UK continued to decline over the past year, falling to under 9,000 sites for the first time.According to the report, there were 8,892 operational filling stations in the UK at end of December ...
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Budget - giving with one hand taking with the other
And so we had the Coalition government’s first ’regular’ Budget on March 23, awaited for with much anticipation by fuel users and petrol retailers alike. First let’s just remind ourselves that as Mr Osborne got up to speak, typical pump prices were around 133.9ppl for unleaded petrol, and 139.9 for ...
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RMI Petrol: calling northern retailers
RMI Petrol will be holding its regional meeting in Durham on April 5, 2011. Held at the Ramside Hall Hotel, just off the A1 in Carrville, will start at 10am and conclude at 2pm after a free buffet lunch.Presentations will include: business rates & fuel pricing/taxation review; Harvest Energy;market trends ...