All Columnists articles
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AnalysisCOMMENT: Changing nature of the forecourt
A growing number of countries are identifying their official phase-out dates for the sale of petrol and diesel cars.
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AnalysisTECH TALK: Government ‘fuel finder scheme’ must be designed to benefit motorist
Fierce competition between forecourts has long been the most effective way to ensure low prices for motorists.
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AnalysisSERVICE CENTRE: How was it for you?
I’m talking Christmas trading here. In general it is meant to be busy but also prime time for shoplifters/drive-offs. There has also been a lot of talk about belt-tightening in response to the cost-of-living crisis, so I did a spot of canvassing to see what some of you had to say on the subject.
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AnalysisMONEY TALK: January blues
It’s the first month of the year - supposed to be the month of fresh starts, new resolutions and opportunities, and brightening days. So why do so many people dread January?
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Product NewsSHOP TALK: Christmas rules
Remember all the kerfuffle about HFSS? Which retailers would it affect and how would it be managed… and so on and so forth. Well those of you whom it did affect might not want to read any further because it turns out that 80% of consumers have no idea what HFSS stands for.
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AnalysisMONEY TALK: Another ‘Autumn Statement’
Just so that we all remember (after all, there seem to have been so many in recent years) the latest/current Chancellor is still Jeremy Hunt, and he delivered his government’s latest Autumn Statement (also known as a ‘mini-Budget’) on November 22.
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AnalysisSERVICE CENTRE: When is redundancy not redundancy?
There are quite a few things to consider when it comes to making someone redundant. Raj Patel emailed from the East Midlands to say that his business had been hit lately and he wanted to lay off at least one member of staff, possibly two.
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AnalysisMONEY TALK: The prognosis is not good
Amidst the ongoing humanitarian horrors of the war in Ukraine, and now the re-ignited situation in the Middle East, it may seem callous just to discuss the effect of those conflicts on oil prices.
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Product NewsSHOP TALK: Cashing in on the Golden Quarter
New research from Deloitte reveals that consumers plan to spend more this festive season compared to last year.
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Equipment NewsEVs: Recharging the customer experience with self-serve refreshment
With the EV market growing at an exponential rate, so too is the amount of EV charging stations - service stations, supermarkets and parking facilities - all investing in charging points to keep up with demand and attract a ‘new’ type of customer to their business.
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AnalysisCOMMENT: Filling time - early adopters of EV infrastructure have ‘first mover’ advantage
Since we put one of the very first EV charging points in the ground in the UK more than 13 years ago, the motor industry has debated the future role of petrol station forecourts in supporting the future EV revolution.
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AnalysisCOMMENT: Policy flip flops on EVs add to ‘wait and see’ approach of most forecourt operators
The Prime Minister recently announced the movement out from 2030 to 2035 of the requirement for all new vehicles sold to be zero emission vehicles (ZEV). Only 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans will be required to be ZEV by 2030.
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AnalysisSERVICE CENTRE: Crime - a constant theme these days
Crime on forecourts – both outside at the pumps and inside the store – isn’t going to go away any time soon.
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Product NewsSHOP TALK: The smell of Christmas
I wondered what your take was on limited editions. Suppliers say they add excitement to a category and drive sales but it’s you retailers that have got to find space for them.
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AnalysisMONEY TALK: Investment projects always carry risks
There has been a great deal talked and written recently about investment projects - particularly in light of the government’s decision on what to do with the partially-built HS2 rail project on which they have already spent over £70bn.
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AnalysisSERVICE CENTRE: Is crime going up on your forecourt?
Shoplifting, drive offs…they are both ‘enjoying’ a good rush currently. I was speaking to Jon Brownsey who runs Fordingbridge Service Station in Hampshire.
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AnalysisMONEY TALK: Retail struggles – adapt or become extinct
There’s an awful sense of déjà vuwhile watching the current death-throes of yet another large, well-known high street retail chain.
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AnalysisSERVICE CENTRE: Striking a bum note
This will be the second time I’ve reported on Ian Beaumont’s problem with NoteMachine. He runs Junction 37 Filling Station in Howden, East Yorkshire. His business, J Wardle & Son Ltd had had an ATM on-site for quite a few years.
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AnalysisMONEY TALK: Forecourt crime - dangerous, expensive, and only sometimes avoidable…
There have been a number of recent news pieces in the media relating to crime suffered by retailers: some generic, one or two specific to the fuel sector.
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AnalysisSERVICE CENTRE: Those spurs will soon be jangling again
Preston-based chartered surveyor Ken Batty, who has spent a lot of his lifetime trying to weed out the cowboys that unfortunately plague his profession, has sent me an email detailing some coming changes in business rate appeals.