All Columnists articles
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AnalysisSERVICE CENTRE: Image issues and banning unwanted customers
A couple of months ago I pondered the question of the unholy mix of fuel, food and flowers in a forecourt operation and the ‘bad press’ it often gets.
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Feature
SHOP TALK: Three cheers for Her Majesty the Queen
Not only is Queen Elizabeth II our longest reigning monarch, but she is also the reason for an extra Bank Holiday. You’ll all be aware that the Spring Bank Holiday has been moved to early June and added to a special Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday to give people a four-day weekend (June 2-5).
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Analysis
PIPELINE: AdBlue supply returns and prices fall in April
A string of European urea plants restarted AdBlue production in late March, after being taken off line owing to record high natural gas prices.
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Analysis
MONEY TALK: A little sympathy for the Chancellor... anyone?
It’s not very often that anyone feels sympathy for a Chancellor of the Exchequer (and I’m not talking about the latest headlines!); but even the most hard-hearted observer ought to have just a little for Rishi Sunak following last month’s Spring Statement.
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Analysis
TECH TALK: Consultation on low-carbon fuels strategy is a welcome step for the industry
Some of you may have seen the Government’s recent call for ideas on the Low Carbon Fuels Strategy. A welcome step for the forecourt industry as it shows policy makers are looking at wider options.
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Analysis
SERVICE CENTRE: Food, fuel, flowers; and advice on fraud
Why is it that people get sniffy about the quality of food available at forecourts? And their flower arrangements? There still seems to be plenty of prejudice around.
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Analysis
MONEY TALK: Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse…
It would seem that ’Covid’ has disappeared from the news in the past few weeks even more rapidly than it arrived more than two years ago – although some experts are quietly warning that this might be only a temporary relief, until the next variant arrives.
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Analysis
SERVICE CENTRE: What do customers think of E10? Lots of complaints about mpg...
What do your customers think of E10? I recently noticed a new thread trending on my local Nextdoor site. Lots of people were complaining that they are getting fewer miles per gallon with E10 fuel.
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Analysis
PIPELINE: Margins firm as Russian spectre looms
The European refined products market has entered the new year in a much stronger position than last, as markets begin to return to some normality in 2022 and ‘endemic’ has rapidly become the phrase du jour.
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Product News
SHOP TALK: Time to embrace the theatrical
Mondelez is pulling out all the stops to win consumers over with two big promotions – one on Cadbury Dairy Milk and the other on Oreo.
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Analysis
MONEY TALK: Forecourt crime - nobody is listening
As if there wasn’t enough bad news around already as we head into 2022: Covid restrictions; inflation over 5%; consumers expected to be somewhat cash-strapped; and to top all of that forecourt crime is now costing forecourts nearly £100m per year.
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Analysis
SERVICE CENTRE: Jac Roper on small print and war of the brands
Jac Roper warns about the ‘average clause’ in any insurance policy; and Co-op versus Nisa - the war of the brands
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Analysis
SERVICE CENTRE: Communication breakdowns, local businesses and Christmas wishes
I was contacted by Amardeep Virdi, who runs Grove Service Station in Birmingham, regarding a problem with his dedicated EFT line.
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Analysis
MONEY TALK: The Amazon vs Visa row over credit card fees is interesting…
When two of the biggest beasts in the retail jungle square up to each other in a very public way, everyone around takes notice.
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Analysis
MONEY TALK: A rather unusual budget
The government has already had to spend vast amounts during Covid-19, and with the increase in National Living Wage and the scrapping of the pulic sector wage freeze, many economists are predicting inflation will be high next year.
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Analysis
SERVICE CENTRE: Jac Roper looks at problems with rationing and recruiting
Jac Roper looks at strategies taken to ration fuel, and one retailer’s difficulty of hiring through indeed.com
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Analysis
SHOP TALK: Is it chocolate? No, it’s a plant bar
Who’d be a vegan? Well, actually quite a lot of people if you look at the stats
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Analysis
MONEY TALK: It looks like we can expect a very hard winter…
From what’s going on all around us at the moment, it looks like we can expect a very hard winter
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Analysis
SERVICE CENTRE: Jac Roper on GripHero gloves and the new E10 fuel
Jac looks at problems with GripHero gloves and the new E10 fuel, and how a change of name caused problems at Camelot
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Analysis
MONEY TALK: Business Rates - what now?
Nobody likes Business Rates. Some people dislike them simply because they are a tax – and any tax is to be avoided.
