All Forecourt Trader articles in August 2003
View all stories from this issue.
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News
Wild time for Skittles
Skittles has launched a limited edition Wild Berry variant. Flavours include cherry, blackberry-apple, raspberry, strawberry-kiwi and blueberry.Packaged in a 55g purple bag, Skittles Wild Berry is available for eight weeks at a rrp of 30p.Sam McElligott, trade relations manager at Masterfoods, said: “Limited editions create interest in the confectionery market ...
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News
Sporty move for Ribena
GlaxoSmithKline is extending its Ribena range with the launch of a new sportscap variety.The 330ml sportscap Ribena comes in blackcurrant original and mixed berry flavours. Rrp is 75p.Support for the new variant forms part of the overall £36m brand investment for 2003. The campaign for sportscap runs throughout the summer ...
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News
Sterling machine
While a cash machine is fast becoming an expected facility on the forecourt, many motorists remain oblivious to the availability of the service at petrol stations.According to Harris International Marketing’s Convenience Tracking Programme, an automated teller machine (ATM) can really drive footfall and incremental sales with the service being top ...
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News
Liquid living
According to Britvic’s Soft Drinks Category Report 2002, forecourts have maintained value and volume in the soft drinks sector and reversed a significant decline that has been seen over previous years. “Soft drinks were worth £227m to forecourts last year,” says Sue Garfitt, director of category planning at Britvic. “Forecourts ...
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News
Ring leaders
The mobile phones market is undergoing something of a revolution. Recent years have seen the emergence of wireless internet access and picture messaging, and now video messaging and the advent of 3G promise to keep people connected everywhere at all times. This spells great news for retailers because the more ...
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News
Passable petrol profits - just nostalgia?
Don’t look back they say. Those who do are often accused of viewing the good ol’ days through rose-tinted specs. But as Chris Cundall points out, he was operating on better profits 10 years ago. He runs two petrol stations with Londis stores in West Yorkshire. He’s been a Texaco ...
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News
Mo’gas: An irreverent view from the network
SO THE CHARCOAL ON THE BARBIE was almost out, the last beef burger disappeared long ago and, yes, we’d sunk quite a few bottles of wine between the six of us. We’d talked about the usual things – local gossip, sex, politics, football and weather – so we drifted into ...
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News
Pure and innocent
Innocent Drinks has launched a range of juicy waters made from spring water, fruit and natural beet sugar.The juicy waters come in three flavours – lemon & lime, mango & passion fruit, and cranberry & fresh lime. A 380ml glass bottle has a rrp of between £1.29 and £1.50. 020 ...
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News
Sometimes you get what you wish for
I had rather wished that DVD supplier Deal Direct would just go away. Sylvia Brudenall, who runs a Murco service station at Taunton, agrees. “I got a load of unwanted stuff last October from Price Slasher (another of the company’s incarnations). I kept asking them to pick the DVDs up ...
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NewsFull throttle
Something of a whirlwind has been making its way through BP’s retail operation for the past nine months, and not much has been left unaffected by the prevailing winds.At the heart of all the activity is Graham Sims, retail director for BP, who also holds positions on BP’s Group Leadership ...
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News
Kellogg’s fruit snack pack
Kellogg’s has launched Screamin’ Fruit Squidgers, a crushed fruit snack targeted at the children’s lunchbox market.Available in strawberry, apple and blackcurrant flavours, a single pack of Screamin’ Fruit Squidgers has a rrp of 55p.Support includes TV and outdoor advertising.0161 869 2000
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NewsKP’s flavour focus
Hula Hoops is revitalising its range with the introduction of a new look and two new flavours – cheese toastie and bacon & ketchup.Available from mid-August, the revamped brand will be supported with a new advertising campaign – all part of the brand’s £10m marketing spend this year.The packaging redesign ...
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News
Spar is first on motorway site
Spar has become the first convenience retailer to have a presence on a motorway service station. In a joint initiative with RoadChef, a Spar c-store has opened up at Clacket Lane on the M25 near Westerham, Kent. The store has been refitted to offer three times the space allocation, allowing ...
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News
Space exploration
Spar has appointed Cheshire-based retail solutions provider Galleria to help improve space management planning for its retailers.The web-based software solution enables Spar stores to request, via an internet link, store-specific planograms that help illustrate the best location to maximise sales of each product.Trial stores are able to request their planograms ...
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News
Handy profit earners
Nestlé Foodservice has unveiled two new microwaveable hand-held snack products.Herta Baginnis are described as a ‘bread boat’ with a range of different fillings – tuna provencal, bacon & onion, pizza with ham and goat’s cheese and tomato. Herta Hot Dogs are available with cheese or cheese & onion. The snacks ...
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Analysis
Judgement day
The retailers involved in the Esso trial have been left shattered and confused by last month’s verdict, which – after a prolonged build-up, gruelling two-month trial, and anxious three-month wait for the judge to make his decision – ruled against them on Tiger Tokens and hot fuel; and left ...
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News
Esso wins in court Tiger Tokens
Former Esso retailers have been left devastated by the judgement on their long-running battle with Esso, which ruled against them on Tiger Tokens and hot fuel; and left them with the prospect of going back to the County Courts to get individual judgements on the third issue of margins, fees ...
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News
Connect on track for dealer franchise
BP could offer its Connect format as a franchise to independent dealers within the next calendar year, as the company throws its weight behind a radical review of its retail operations, code-named ‘Accelerator’.The emerging strategies will also see BP focusing its company-owned company-managed (co-co) operations in two key areas – ...
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News
Cleaning round the clock
A new 24-hour forecourt cleaning and maintenance service has been launched by civil engineering company Grimshaw Kinnear.Called Prime, the service will operate around the clock to clean and carry out minor maintenance on forecourts and car parks around Gloucestershire and neighbouring counties.“The cleanliness and safety of a forecourt is vital ...
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News
Clever counter claim
Trimco has launched a new serve-over patisserie counter. The Azurem has a mirrored stainless steel display deck that is made up of removable sections so that stock replenishment is much easier. There are two further shelves, both refrigerated and ambient, giving brightly illuminated displays on three levels, as well as ...