All Forecourt Trader articles in February 2005 – Page 2

  • News

    A widening gulf

    2005-02-01T00:00:00Z

    One might say that the gulf has widened in the dispute between retailer Owen McKay and his supplier. In our November issue I recounted the story of a strained relationship between Owen, who runs Smithy Garage at Warrington in Cheshire, and Gulf Retail. Owen had nothing but praise for the ...

  • News

    Lew seeks ’oldies’ to help out

    2005-02-01T00:00:00Z

    He’s probably Britain’s oldest workaholic! At the age of 80, Lew Branston is still expanding his hugely successful forecourt – and he wants a posse of ‘Dad’s Army’ labourers to help him. “There’s no substitute for experience” says Lew, who’s placed a job advert looking for workers with ‘a ...

  • News

    Room for improvement

    2005-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Lack of space is a perennial c-store challenge, but forecourts have something the average high street retailer doesn’t – 10s of square feet in front of the shop on the forecourt which can extend selling space and act as an extra shop window.But few operators have yet to fully exploit ...

  • News

    Mo’gas: An irreverent view from the network

    2005-02-01T00:00:00Z

    IF THERE’S ONE MONTH that’s absolutely guaranteed to make me feel utterly depressed it’s January. The month starts off badly, screwed by yet another fatuous Bank Holiday, and hardly improves till the capital F of February appears on the horizon. To begin with there’s the petrol tanks filled to the ...

  • News

    Keeping track

    2005-02-01T00:00:00Z

    f you sell newspapers supplied by John Menzies and are trying to keep manual track of sales and returns you have probably noticed that the handy diary and sales control annual is no longer available from them. Richard Webb, who runs Abbeygate Garage in Norfolk says Menzies has been helpful, ...

  • News

    Kingston milestone

    2005-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Demand for Verco’s low-front Kingston open chill cabinet has reached an all-time high. The company has sold more than 1,000 units since launch 12 months ago.Sales and marketing director Colin Jones says: “The demand for the Kingston has been unprecedented and exceeds our most optimistic forecasts.”He attributes the unit’s success ...

  • On the main route
    News

    On the main route

    2005-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Winner of the year Brackenvale Retail Centre is no stranger to the Forecourt Trader awards after winning the top title in 2001. The site is currently managed by Sam Hawkes, and Michael McElwee, general manager for the operating company, Merit Retail, said Brackenvale’s latest win has been a great morale ...

  • Naughty but nice
    News

    Naughty but nice

    2005-02-01T00:00:00Z

    New naughty ‘n’ saucy Nik Naks from Golden Wonder claim to be the world’s first savoury snack to feature the Chinese love potion ginseng.Launched in time for St Valentine’s Day, the limited edition snacks comprise tomato-flavoured knobbly sticks of corn. The message on the silver metallic packs urges people to ...

  • Run with this one
    News

    Run with this one

    2005-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Flora is the subject of a £9m relaunch package which includes new packaging and the launch of the Flora Family Marathon.Packaging reinforces the brand’s link with heart health through use of Omega-3 and -6 oils logos to remind consumers of the health benefits of the ‘good’ fats found in the ...

  • News

    Plumb service

    2005-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Tank cleaning specialist David Plumb & Co is offering a new service which aims to increase the intervals between the cleaning of fuel storage tanks and extend the tank life.The service requires fitting Petroman’s Softfill fuel distribution device onto the bottom of the fill pipe, allowing fuel to be delivered ...

  • Analysis

    Staying power

    2005-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Forecourt retailers with non-affiliated stores such as Forecourt Trader of the Year winners Peter and Pat Bellini, will be among those leading the convenience retailing market for the next few years, according to new research from the food and grocery think-tank, IGD. In its new report, ‘Consolidation in Convenience Retailing: ...

  • News

    Radical update for Smile promotion

    2005-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Jet’s five-year-old Smile promotion is being radically updated to take into account new developments in pos technology and to improve the offer to customers.The new programme is called Smile@ and will be launched on March 21. Another development is that despite all the additonal features the cost of the promotion ...

  • News

    Value refrigeration

    2005-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Hoshizaki is launching a new range of value-for-money, quality upright and under-counter fridges and freezers.Made to the same standards as the company’s well-known ice makers, the fridges and freezers are constructed from solid stainless steel for long-term durability and efficiency. Temperatures are adjustable between +12°C and -6°C on the fridges ...

  • News

    Scramble for sales

    2005-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Unfortunately the grocery multiples have taken a lot of the profit out of Easter for convenience retailers, either with or without a forecourt. The reason is that the multiples have done so many cut-price promotional deals that in a lot of cases Easter eggs have become a commodity. Of course ...