Choosing the right symbol group for your business is trickier than ever as they all seem to have upped their game and are keen to include forecourts in their client list.
Some retailers stick with the same one they’ve had for years, while others are tempted away from an existing association by better terms, better deals and better support.
But how do you choose a symbol group to partner up with in the first place?
For Lisa Browne, manager of Costcutter Browne & Day in Claudy, Co Londonderry, it was an easy choice as she started working in a Costcutter store when she was just 15. She then continued working in retail while doing her A-levels and attending university. Once she went into full-time work, she was a mechanical engineer.
Fast forward to 2014 and Lisa was married to Gordon, who is dealer principal at Browne & Day Ford. The car dealership also had a petrol forecourt but this part of the business was only open limited times.
Gordon knew of a really busy Costcutter store on a forecourt, on a road nearby. Unfortunately, due to changes to the road network, the site was forced to close. It was then that Gordon suggested to Lisa that they open a Costcutter shop next to the forecourt to release its full potential.
At that time Lisa was on maternity leave having had their first child, so she jumped at the chance to try something new ie store management and have more flexible working hours.
The Costcutter opened in a Portakabin on the site in November 2014. It was an instant success but the intention was always to open a proper, bricks-and-mortar store. This was delayed due to things like planning and covid, but the Costcutter shop opened in May 2022.
“Since then we have been approached by all the other groups but we have no desire to move,” says Lisa.
“We have a very good business development manager (BDM) and we are very well supported. We’re still independent retailers and we don’t get dictated to. We’re free to run the store as we see fit and they treat us well. They also value our opinion. We recently had one of Costcutter’s top guys visit us; it’s good to be heard.”
The store stocks the Co-op own-brand which Lisa says is very popular thanks to its ‘excellent quality’. “It’s also well priced and many of our customers go straight for it, picking it up over other brands,” she says.
Lisa is keen to offer fair pricing so much so that her BDM recently visited the store and said they were too cheap because they were selling chocolate bars for less than £1. “He said you could easily get £1.20 for those but I said no because I know, as a consumer, what it feels like to be ripped off. Our pricing is fair but we need to make a margin as we are a business – and we do.”
Meanwhile, the car dealership, the forecourt and the Costcutter store work well together. For example, anyone waiting while their car is serviced is given a free coffee voucher, which they can redeem in the shop.
Jamie Davison, retail director at Bestway, which owns Costcutter, says: “Continuing to grow with existing partners as well as integrating new forecourt operators into our portfolio is a key objective for Bestway as it allows us to continue expanding our reach and meet the evolving needs of consumers who seek convenience and quality during their fuel stops. Working with our forecourt retailers, we offer tailored product ranges and services that enhance the customer experience, whilst also driving increased footfall, sales and profitability for our valued retailer partners. Our collaborative working exemplifies this strategy, enabling us to deliver strong, sustainable growth through optimised offerings at forecourt locations.”
50-plus years with Spar
Staying loyal to one symbol group is not always easy with all the choice that’s around today. However, Gill Marsh Forecourts Ltd has been trading with Spar for more than 50 years.
That’s some commitment but the company’s managing director, Tom Dant, says it’s down to a multitude of reasons.
“Obviously over the years we have talked with all the other offers out there and there are pros and cons, but sometimes it’s a case of ‘better the devil’ you know. Our Spar wholesaler is Blakemores and we get a lot of support from them.”
Tom says Spar own-label is one of the most outstanding parts of the symbol group’s offer.
“They seem to be the only group nowadays with their own own-label, otherwise it’s Co-op or Tesco. We actually swapped out Co-op own-label for Spar brand at two different sites, with two different demographics, and customers preferred the Spar brand.”
The company has six sites: three petrol filling stations and three standalone convenience stores.
Spar offers promotional deals on a three-weekly rotation but Blakemores manages them so a different section (grocery, alcohol and chilled) gets promotions on a weekly basis. “This is much easier for us to manage,” says Dant, “Plus it keeps the promotions fresh. Years ago when we changed promotions every three weeks, by week three the promotional items weren’t selling as shoppers were bored with them.”
Dant is particularly impressed by the fact that Spar invests in its promotional offers so shoppers get a good deal and retailers still get a decent margin.
Gill Marsh’s Ulceby Cross Filling Station, on the busy A16 to Skegness, was the subject of a major redevelopment last year. The company purchased an agricultural workshop next door and converted this into a store, which means the shop went from 600sq ft to more than 3,000sq ft.
Needless to say, Blakemore helped with all this via its shopfitting business. Dant says he spoke to Nisa about the project but they did not come up with what he wanted so he stuck with Spar.
“The site is on a main holiday route and there are thousands of caravans nearby. Holidaymakers would come into our shop, use the toilet and grab something quick to eat, but we wanted them to spend more. We have used the extra space in the shop to extend our grocery and fresh offers. We have a massive fresh range now.”
And availability is not an issue as Dant takes advantage of Blakemore’s ‘day one, for day two, service’. “Because we don’t mind having deliveries in the evenings, we could order something today and it would turn up tomorrow night,” he explains.
Ian Taylor, Spar UK retail and brand development director, says having forecourts within the group’s convenience store estate offers several commercial and customer benefits. “It creates a more customer-centric convenience model, ensuring we meet different consumer needs, drive footfall across multiple store formats, and it future-proofs our offering in an evolving retail landscape.
In addition, Taylor says forecourts boost brand visibility by placing Spar in high-traffic locations. “This ensures our presence extends beyond traditional store formats. Shoppers visit forecourts multiple times a week for fuel, food to go, or essential items, reinforcing brand familiarity and loyalty. The combination of strategic roadside positioning, effective branding and a strong product offering ensures Spar retailers remain front of mind for both planned and impulse purchases.
“Ultimately, having a mix of store formats within the Spar family strengthens customer engagement, trust and loyalty, ensuring we remain competitive in an ever-evolving market.”
Talking about the type of retailers Spar is keen to work with, Taylor adds: “We support retailers who look to have a deep understanding of their customers’ needs and preferences, ensuring that the products and services offered cater to these expectations. A strong alignment between customer insights and the store’s offerings enhances satisfaction and drives repeat business.
“It’s important that our brand values and vision for the future align with those of potential partners. This leads to stronger campaigns, a profitable partnership, driving growth, customer loyalty and long-term success.”
Mixed approach
Top 50 Indie Tankerford currently has two of its sites sporting Nisa fascias with a third one supplied by the symbol group but trading under an independent fascia.
The company’s retail sales director Jamie Wheeler says the Nisa fascia will be seen on three more sites by April.
“We brought on our first site with Nisa in June 2024 at Ardleigh Village, since then we added sites at Ardleigh South Services and All Saints in Portsmouth,” says Wheeler.
“Having spent seven years at Southern Co-op, mainly within their franchise business (Welcome) I believe in the Co-op brand and the products that Nisa can supply. With a mixed forecourt portfolio it gives us the flexibility of branded products, Co-op own-label and also a good selection of price-marked products for the stores that require them. It’s early days, but the partnership is currently working well.”
Tankerford gets regular site visits from the Nisa key accounts team, plus Wheeler has regular conversations with the Nisa team about potential conversions or beneficial direct to store partners.
Nisa’s background is in standalone convenience stores but Wheeler says their understanding of the forecourt sector is good.
“Their promotional prices currently do feel more driven towards c-stores, but the overall package allows me to pick and choose what the stores use and don’t use. We build our own promotional package that is tailored to each store’s demographic. There is a suite of planograms available for the stores to download, but most of our sites create a bespoke range that is specific to their customers.”
Wheeler says he’s been impressed with the one-week deals that Nisa started last year and have continued with into 2025. “There are some really good margin deals for the sites to be had if you purchase at the right times. As with every wholesaler there are products that you could find cheaper elsewhere, but we do not feel the need because, as an entire package, the overall pricing is working for us.”
At Ardleigh South Services, Tankerford was keen to offer a “premium look and feel” and tap into the commuter and HGV trade. “We therefore decided to put together our own branding for the site, called Refuel Market, which brought together our updated vision for the site, around quality while providing better value for customers.
“This is a transient site with great footfall and my belief was that there was a great opportunity around the Co-op food-to-go and picnic/snacking ranges that we could really benefit from. Currently over 85% of products are being stocked via Nisa and since the transition sales are growing, volume is increasing and our customer feedback has been very encouraging. We are looking to continue to utilise this format in other sites, depending on location and customer demographic.”
