All Columnists articles – Page 13
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Analysis
Merril Boulton: editor
Well wow what a deal! MFG and MRH coming together to create one big group (see News Extra, page 10). We had reported the rumours in Forecourt Trader, but generally in the industry few seemed overly invested in the idea that it would really happen. Many thought it was simply ...
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Analysis
David Charman: chairman Car Wash Association
Recently there have been several high-profile raids on unregulated hand car washes (HCW). In the largest, police raided hand car washes and 30 residential addresses in Milton Keynes. Officers found 36 "modern slaves", 13 people were arrested and large quantities of drugs were found. This confirms that government and the ...
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Analysis
Charlotte Blum: analysis editor, Argus Media
The oil market is having trouble assessing how oil producers, especially in the US, are stepping into the breach left by Opec/non-Opec output cuts. Throw in expectations of higher demand, and you have a market where Brent first lost almost 10% of its value and then rose again by 5% ...
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Analysis
Stephen Marcos Jones: director general, UKPIA
This year signals another gear-shift in the energy transition to a lower-carbon economy. Spearheaded by COP 21, governments around the globe are setting far-reaching ambitions to fundamentally re-stitch the tapestry of the energy industry, society and the natural environment. Parts of the energy sector have translated this into opportunity, while ...
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Analysis
Tracy West: retail commentator
My local Jet garage is switching to Esso fuel. I asked a member of staff whether that meant prices would go up and he said ’no’ and if anything they’d be cheaper. I asked him the reason for the switch and he said they needed to drum up more trade ...
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Analysis
Merril Boulton: editor
Out and about in the petrol retailing world and it’s not long before the conversation turns to electric vehicle charging. It’s clearly top of mind for the sector, although no one is completely sure what to do about it. Some retailers are boldly leasing off car parking spaces to charging ...
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Analysis
Ray Blake: PRA technical director
The PRA technical team is receiving a number of enquiries about when they must notify their Petroleum Enforcing Authority (PEA) of changes they wish to make to their fuel storage and dispensing arrangements. Apart from when applying for a Petroleum Storage Certificate for a new installation or a knockdown rebuild, ...
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Analysis
Charlotte Blum: analysis editor, Argus Media
Oil prices are at their highest for three years. Global economic growth is especially supporting middle distillate prices, keeping diesel well above petrol at UK retail stations. Ice Brent futures climbed above $70/bl for a few days in January, for the first time since December 2014, pushed up by a ...
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Analysis
Tracy West: retail commentator
Life is all about choice but increasingly choices are being taken away from us apparently for our own good. Here I am referring to the removal of sugar, particularly in soft drinks. With implementation of the sugar levy fast approaching (April 6), many companies are clamouring to cut back on ...
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Analysis
Merril Boulton: editor
If the start of 2018 is anything to go by, it’s going to be another lively year in the forecourt sector. I guess we’ve got somewhat used to the bigger fishes in the pond buying the smaller ones, and to this end we saw MFG adding to its numbers with ...
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Analysis
Kevin Eastwood: BOSS
Kevin Eastwood BOSS Executive Director Last year there were press reports that crimes involving a loss of under £50 would not be investigated by the police unless a suspect is already identified, and that CCTV should only be analysed for crimes committed in a 20-minute time frame. Well, this is ...
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Analysis
Charlotte Blum: analysis editor, Argus
Brent crude and wholesale gasoil prices ended 2017 at their highest since May 2015. UK drivers are paying more for diesel than they have in three years, with petrol not far behind. Falling crude stocks in the US were the immediate reason for the Brent price rising past $66.50/bl at ...
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Analysis
James Lowman: chief executive, ACS
You may have seen and heard ACS in the media over Christmas talking about some changes to the way the police, courts and government are responding to shop theft. There are a couple of separate issues at play here. Firstly, different police forces are setting policies about how they prioritise ...
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Analysis
Tracy West: Retail commentator
This Christmas your present, as an independent retailer, should arrive on Christmas Eve. It will hopefully come in the form of the extra trade you’ll get once the grocery multiples shut their doors, typically at 4pm. And that is, of course, because of our Sunday Trading Laws and the fact ...
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Analysis
David Charman: md Parkfoot Garage
As we head towards another busy Christmas period, it’s time to reflect on the past year and try to make sense of what 2018 will bring to our ever-surprising business sector. Electric vehicles (EV) have certainly made all the headlines this year and undoubtedly they will have a role to ...
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Analysis
Brian Madderson: PRA chairman
This government has a clear view that our future economic prosperity will be assured if the UK can emerge as global leaders in the race to a new transportation era. This involves automated vehicles and alternatively fuelled vehicles. The Secretary of State for DEFRA Michael Gove announced that there would ...
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Analysis
Merril Boulton: Editor
It’s hard to believe that such a long-established company as Palmer and Harvey which was firmly entrenched in the life of many forecourt operations over a considerable period is no longer (see News Extra, page 10). I really feel for the hard-working and long-suffering staff, who invested considerable effort in ...
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Analysis
Charlotte Blum: analysis editor, Argus Media
Opec and its non-Opec partners decided on November 30 to extend their production cuts for another nine months, until the end of next year. Expectations of the deal had been keeping crude futures prices above $63/bl since November 22, supporting road fuel prices. UK retail prices have been rising in ...
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Analysis
Tracy West: retail commentator
Now that Halloween is out of the way, you can turn your attention to creating some fabulous Christmas displays. I know in-store theatre is not everyone’s cup of tea but it is great for interrupting shoppers who can be are on auto pilot at this time of year. Yes, most ...
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Analysis
Chris Hunt: UKPIA director general
Well, all good things must come to an end and for me that is the end of November when I retire from UKPIA after 20 years at the Association. One thing that marks our industry is constant change. On joining Elf (remember them?) in 1989, we were coming to the ...