All Latest News articles – Page 308
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News
Duty fraudsters cost every retailer £40,000 a year in sales
Duty fraud crooks are costing the average convenience store £40,000 a year in lost tobacco sales, according to market survey agency MS Intelligence. In its latest study it found the the level of consumption of non-duty paid cigarettes in the UK had risen from from 17% in 2011 to 21% ...
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Man running counterfeit tobacco factory jailed for tax fraud
A warning about the serious consequences of dealing in counterfeit tobacco has been issued by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), following the jailing of a 36-year-old man for tax fraud after the discovery of a tobacco counterfeiting ’factory’ in his Renfrew flat. Jin Yong Wang, an illegal immigrant living in ...
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Card payments shock
Many retailers suffered an unpleasant surprise last month when back charges on their BP/Shell transactions were suddenly taken from their accounts following the ending of Rontec’s polling contract with GB Oils on March 31 (see Service Centre, May 2013 issue, link below). Sheila Gee’s Gulf (former Total) site at Wednesbury ...
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P&H launches alcohol licensing initiative for independents
An alcohol licensing initiative to enable independent retailers to take advantage of the take-home alcohol sector has been launched by Palmer and Harvey, the UK’s largest delivered wholesaler. The category is worth £1.1bn annually and in 2012 grew in value by 4.7%. The initiative will guide independent retailers through the ...
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ACS welcomes E.On’s backbilling pledge
The Association of Convenience Stores has welcomed energy company E.On’s announcement that it will be reducing its backbilling limits for all small businesses to 12 months, effective this week. According to E.On’s own research, 76% of businesses believe the process of back-billing for past consumption should be restricted to a ...
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German motorists visit the car wash three times more often than British motorists
Germany has been identified as the largest and most valuable car wash market in Europe, according to new research from Verdict. Germany’s total car wash market value was €1,584m in 2012, accounting for 34% of the total commercial car wash market in nine of the major European markets. Its dominance ...
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Forecourts in award-winning line-up at Pro Retail gala dinner
Two forecourts were recognised at wholesaler Palmer and Harvey’s Pro Retail gala dinner in Telford last night (May 30). Refuel and Go’s Bradwell Service Station in Braintree was honoured with the Symbol Retailer of the Year Award. Despite having only opened in July 2012, and with no previous customer base, ...
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Euro Garages to add 69 more Subway stores by 2016
The Subway brand and Euro Garages have announced plans to open a further 69 outlets across the group’s existing 120-site forecourt estate by 2016. The companies say the expansion drive will create around 700 new jobs - especially in areas of high unemployment. The new stores will bring the total ...
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Former Shell boss calls for coalitions
Coalitions between business groups and civil society are the best way to ensure governments in developing countries protect their natural resources, the former global chairman of Shell will tell the University of Brighton’s Festival of Research. Sir Mark Moody-Stuart will speak about natural resource development and developing economies at the ...
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Diesel stolen from Kent petrol stations
Thousands of litres of diesel have been stolen from two petrol station in Kent in a rash of thefts which have only taken place on Friday nights. The first occurred on the night of April 5 between 7pm and 7am the next morning, when 2,200 litres of diesel was taken ...
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New five pound note design revealed
Details of the design for the next five pound note have been revealed by the Bank of England Governor, Sir Mervyn King. He announced today that Sir Winston Churchill will appear on the next Bank of England banknote. The Governor made the announcement, and revealed the image of Churchill that ...
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E. coli used to produce fuel
E. coli bacteria, which are commonly associated with food poisoning, have been genetically modified by scientists to produce fuel that is almost identical to diesel. Their research is partly funded by Shell, and they say that if the process could be scaled up, this synthetic fuel could be a viable ...
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Breakthrough in hydrogen fuel cell technology
A British company claims that a breakthrough it has made could make the introduction of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles a reality. Cost has been a barrier to the full-scale introduction of fuel, but ACAL Energy claims to have devised a cell which would cost no more than a four-cylinder petrol ...
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Rebrand boost sales in Swanley
Highway Stops Retail (HSRL) says it has achieved a 25% increase in sales at its recently acquired Swanley Service Station, following a rapid takeover. It took just four weeks to complete the necessary paperwork to finalise the purchase, confirm a new supplier and rebrand the site to Gulf. After reviewing ...
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Gun pointed at assistant during robbery
A lone female assistant had a gun pointed at her and was threatened during an armed robbery at Hatton Service Station in Uttoxeter Road, Derby. The woman was left shaken but unhurt after a masked man entered the Esso service station in during a night-time raid on Thursday April 18 ...
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Appeal for witnesses after raid
Police are appealing for witnesses to a robbery at a petrol station in Crewe where a lone assistant was forced to keep serving customers while the crooks carried out the crime. The robbery was reported by the lone nightshift worker at the Total Petrol Station, Queens Park, Victoria Avenue, Crewe, ...
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Londis offers members personalised web pages
Londis claims it is the first UK convenience chain to offer retailers personalised web pages for their stores. The new pages form part of the Londis consumer website, which was upgraded last year. The new functionality allows retailers to personalise their own store page with unique store details and local ...
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Motorists welcome prime minister’s duty cut comment
Motoring organisations have welcomed a comment by the Prime Minister suggesting the coalition government could scrap any further fuel duty increases for the length of the current parliament. Media reports quote David Cameron, who was out on local election campaigning, as saying he wishes to keep going with moves to ...
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ACS calls for fair roadworks compensation
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has called for retailers to be provided with proper compensation when negatively impacted by roadworks. In an interview with BBC Radio York, ACS chief executive James Lowman called on local councils and utility companies to minimise the impact of roadworks outside stores. He said: ...
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Price of fuel tops list of concerns for motorists
Fuel costs remain a major concern for motorists, according to new research conducted by vehicle remarketing company BCA. Three quarters of used car buyers polled in March claimed the price of fuel was their biggest worry when it came to motoring costs and more than a third were frustrated by ...