You’ve heard of Subway but what about Spudway? Well its hot fluffy jacket potatoes are coming to Subway branches next week and Fraser’s Retail, for one, can’t wait. The company’s chief operating officer, Mark Wilson, is expecting the addition of jacket potatoes to the Subway menu to boost trade by at least 10% across the three Frasers’ sites that have the franchise.
“The timing of the arrival of Spudway couldn’t be better for us because of the massive trend for jacket potatoes, where people have become celebrities thanks to the popularity of them,” says Wilson. He is, of course, referring to the likes of Spudman in Tamworth, Staffordshire, and Spud Bros in Preston, Lancashire, who are attracting spud lovers from across the country thanks to their individual takes on the humble potato.
Subway says that since its launch in February 2025, Spudway has outperformed expectations, increasing both same-store sales and guest traffic across its 170 UK trial locations. Among the most popular Spudway toppings are the British classic, Cheese & Baked Beans, as well as Tuna Mayo & Cheese and Taco Beef & Cheese.
Fraser’s Retail has worked in partnership with Subway for 15 years and Wilson says it continues to be a good attraction as part of its total offer. The company revamped its Brize Norton store last year which included relocating the Subway and adding a small seating area. “It brings more bees to the honeypot,” says Wilson.
Big business
Franchising is big business. According to the British Franchising Association (BFA), it contributes more than £19bn to our economy with average annual turnover per franchise unit standing at £400,000. What is more, BFA figures reveal that 99.5% of franchises succeed and franchisees remain largely happy, with 82% satisfied with their franchisors and 60% saying their franchisor has met their expectations.
Franchises take many forms but some of the most successful are in the food arena and in forecourts that typically means the likes of Greggs and the aforementioned Subway. While Subway appears to be open to applications for new franchisees, Greggs told Forecourt Trader that it does not take applications for its outlets and only works with large, experienced franchise operators.
At Dover’s recently refurbished Whitfield Services, manager Siva Prakash says franchising had boosted trade and added a welcome additional revenue stream.
The service station, on the busy A2 approach to the passenger ferry terminal, is home to Fireaway Pizza and Doner & Gyros franchises, with both having proved successful.
“Working with well-known national brands provided us not just with expertise but with instant recognition among our customer base,” explains Prakash. “We have enjoyed excellent support from the franchisors, and working with established businesses that offer assistance, training and support made it a lot easier than going it alone.”
Meanwhile, Costa Coffee currently has 148 stores situated at roadside or forecourt sites. Obviously not every forecourt operator has the space or the resource to have a Costa Coffee shop but they can buy into the brand via the popular Costa Express machines.
Today, Costa Express operates in 20 international markets, with over 15,000-plus coffee machines in the UK alone. The success of these machines is largely down to the fact that they serve coffee made from the same Mocha Italia Signature Taste coffee beans found in Costa stores
Scaling new heights
On the convenience store side of the business, Co-op is currently growing its franchise operation, scaling it to bring the benefits of Co-op membership to new communities. This includes forecourts as per the EG On The Move partnership at Stowmarket but also extends to hospital settings (QMC Nottingham and Royal Bournemouth Hospital), university campuses and Ministry of Defence sites (HMS Collingwood).
EG On The Move’s new-to-market site in Stowmarket is said to align Co-op’s leading convenience expertise with EG On The Move’s forecourt business, combining to provide a “compelling and convenient fuel and food offer”. The site in Stowmarket is the first to open outside the Co-op’s successful trial last year. Now, both Co-op and EG On The Move confirm that they will look to further expand the partnership and explore more locations for growth together.
Of course, you can also get the Co-op name aligned with your business by going down the Co-op Wholesale route. Earlier this year, Co-op Group rebranded its wholesale arm from Nisa to Co-op Wholesale and, at the same time, Katie Secretan was appointed managing director. However, the Nisa brand remains prominent on many store fascias, with the rebrand primarily affecting the corporate and supply side of the business.
Co-op Wholesale says it is actively looking for progressive retailers who will be strong advocates for the Co-op brand. Its proposition includes access to over 2,400 Co-op own-brand products, from value essentials to premium ranges; a market-leading fresh offer which it says is proven to increase store footfall and sales; competitive wholesale pricing and rebate opportunities; and flexible branding where retailers can adopt the Nisa fascia or retain their own.
Top 50 Indie Sewell on the go recently signed a five-year contract with Co-op Wholesale to supply its 12 forecourt stores. With Sewell boss Patrick Sewell saying the Co-op’s values and vision closely align with his company’s.
And Co-op Wholesale recently entered a new multi-year supply partnership with Roadchef, converting and supplying several motorway service station stores with Co-op’s own-brand products and tailored convenience offers. The Roadchef stores are the first to adopt the new ‘& Co-op’ fascia, alongside stores operated by Highland Group.
Londis loyalty
Although fascias are not franchises there are definitely similarities as you are trading in partnership with a bigger brand to help grow your business.
Those trading under the Londis fascia have the backing of Booker, which itself has the bigger backing of Tesco.
Top 50 Indie Highway Stops’ 14 stores have been trading under the Londis banner for six years now. Operations director Sellarajah Gunalan aka Guna says it’s been a no brainer really thanks to Londis offering everything customers need including good promotions and product availability.
“We have been approached by other symbols over the years but we are very happy with Booker and the service we receive from then,” says Guna.
He particularly likes the links with Tesco which often gives his stores access to new products ahead of others. The most recent example of this was access to Redbull The Lilac One sugar free drink.
Highway Stops takes the Jack’s range and some sites have a bay dedicated to the Euro Shopper value range. “Service and availability are good; we get two-to-three deliveries a week depending on the size of the store. We get the majority of our stock from Booker with some items from nominated third-party suppliers.”
Londis describes itself as the largest forecourt partner in the UK – with over 2,400 UK stores and more than half of those on forecourts. In 2024, the symbol group added over 190 new stores to its portfolio, with 71% converting from rival groups. According to retail director Stewart Fenn, forecourt growth is central to the group’s future. “We’re not just adding stores, we’re helping retailers unlock new revenue through services like EV charging, delivery and next-gen merchandising.”
Meanwhile, Budgens continues to trade well and now boasts over 400 stores across the UK, including a growing number of forecourt locations.
Both Budgens and Londis run a ‘Fit for the Future’ programme, designed to help retailers identify opportunities to enhance store performance, layout and profitability. Fenn says this initiative provides tools and insights to drive cash profit and improve operational efficiency – a vital asset for forecourt operators seeking to compete and grow.
Community destination forecourt
At Spar, retail and brand development director Ian Taylor says forecourt sites with Spar stores have consistently demonstrated growth in customer numbers and basket size.
Spar is a big name across the UK but in Northern Ireland you are much more likely to see the EuroSpar name, which typically signals more of a supermarket than a convenience store.
Last year, Daniel Duncan, from Spar Route Service Station in County Antrim, won the Best Site Manager accolade at the Forecourt Trader of the Year awards. Today Duncan is the manager at EuroSpar Garvagh in Coleraine.
He says: “For my shoppers, the EuroSpar brand is synonymous with choice and value, they see it as a one-stop destination that combines the efficiency of a supermarket with the friendliness of a local store.”
Duncan says managing a EuroSpar was always an ambition of his. “I wanted the scale, responsibility and opportunity to innovate on a larger platform. The chance to lead multi million-pound refurbishments and introduce new concepts like our Fresh Market and expanded deli section has been a career highlight.”
The EuroSpar Garvagh site offers Texaco fuel. “Texaco complements EuroSpar by bringing a trusted global fuel brand together with a trusted retail brand. Shoppers value the convenience of filling up and doing a full grocery shop in one stop. The synergy between the two brands helps us attract both transient motorists and regular local shoppers.”
He says Garvagh’s USP is combining a modern, full-service supermarket with a high-quality forecourt. “The recently completed £2.4m transformation allowed us to introduce unique features like our Fresh Market concept, a reimagined deli section with no less than four counters along with all new self-service checkouts, Glory-assisted tills and electronic shelf edge labels. That balance of scale, service and innovation sets us apart.”
Duncan likes to describe the site as a “community destination forecourt”, somewhere you can refuel your car, stock up on groceries, enjoy freshly prepared food, all in one visit. It’s bright, modern, and community focused, offering more than people expect from a forecourt.”
50 years of Bestway
Bestway Group recently celebrated its 50th anniversary with a star-studded event at the Albert Hall.
Jamie Davison, retail director at Bestway Retail, describes Bestway as a “trusted, value-driven partner for long-term success”.
“Bestway Wholesale brings unmatched value to forecourt retailers, combining national reach, deep product expertise and bespoke services tailored to the unique demands of the petroleum-convenience environment,” he says.
Davison explains that Bestway’s forecourt credentials are strengthened by its specialist business development and sales teams, which he says are skilled in margin optimisation, tailored range planning, effective merchandising layout and bespoke forecourt planograms. “These dedicated teams help operators create store environments that attract footfall and drive repeat purchases.”
Another big draw is Costcutter, and its access to over 2,000 Co-op own-label products. Meanwhile, Best-One forecourt stores now have an updated store design and layouts, stronger promotions and better impulse categories, including Grab and Go food-to-go sections with brands like Smokin’ Bean, bake & bite and No Sugar Slushy Jack’s. The Best-in range also offers over 300 SKUs with smaller case sizes to support cash flow.
