The Maxol Group is setting its sights on launching an app-based meal delivery service, and introducing American-style conveyor car washes on a monthly subscription fee. It follows a ”strong trading performance” for the Irish group for 2024.
The food delivery initiative will be trialled at three of Maxol’s Republic of Ireland sites, and, if successful, rolled out north of the border. Meanwhile, the company is applying for planning permission for the car wash project at two of its Northern Ireland forecourts.
The moves reflect Maxol’s “transformation into a leading convenience food retailer”, and its diversification into new revenue streams as a hedge against a future of declining petrol sales.
Non-fuel sales now account for around 40% of gross profit across its company-owned estate of 125 forecourts, 33 of which are in Northern Ireland.
The group – which also supplies 68 dealer sites in Northern Ireland, alongside 54 in the Republic – has today reported turnover up 4% to £685m in its full year financial figures for 2024. Pre-tax profit grew to £29m, up from £27m the year before.
The 105-year-old Irish family business says that it has no net bank debt and a substantial cash surplus, and it has set itself a five-year investment strategy running to 2027.
This includes a £1.5m redevelopment underway at Maxol Ballyholme in Bangor with a 25% larger store, with the addition of a Post Office. The work, due to be complete in December, will see also see car parking doubled to 12 spaces, and pay at pump introduced.
And a £370,000 upgrade is due to begin in weeks at Maxol Scarva Road, Banbridge, with a convenience store refresh that will include a series of environmental features.
Car wash is also part of the strategy with chief executive Brian Donaldson describing it as “critical to the business”. Maxol is seeking planning permission to introduce tunnel conveyor washes at two Northern Ireland sites – at Derry, a new concept hub wih a quick service restaurant and EV charging, and at Shore Road, Belfast, which is also set to get electric vehicle chargepoints.
Maxol says that the Washtec technology – already at two company-owned outlets in the Republic – represents “a major leap forward in speed, quality, and customer experience”. And a car wash subscription model used in several countries in mainland Europe and America, in which customers pay a monthly fee for an unlimited amount of washes, will follow in 2026.
The meal delivery trial starting early next year at three forecourts in the Republic could also go live in Northern Ireland by the end of next year. The idea is to extend food for now business beyond 3pm when sales typically slow in the forecourt sector.
It is working with restaurant platform Noahs to develop recipes made fresh on site and sometimes with local ingredients. An app will allow customers to order deliveries of takeaway food as well as essential groceries,connecting the business with Generation-Z customers, says Donaldson.
“We already offer an extensive range of freshly made meal solutions, but this takes our offering to a whole new level and potentially, to a whole new set of customers,” he says.
“Our fresh food offering is primarily focused on breakfast through to lunchtime but starting 2026, customers can enjoy cooked-to-order, high quality meals such as pizza, Mexican bowls, burgers and much more, that will be delivered straight to their door,” he adds.
The strong financial footing of the company also puts it in a good place for the next two years to continue to develop business outside of traditional fuel retailing – perhaps wholesaling, quick service restaurants, coffee businesses and off-licences, maintains Donaldson. The idea is to safeguard against an anticipated decline in liquid fuel sales as electrification of the island’s car parc continues.
“We are looking outside our traditional market and sectors for what may be a good fit to strengthen the foundation as a fourth generation family business moving to the fifth generation as we need to change with the transition to electrification,” he says.
“Our future offering could encompass anything from speciality foods, wholesale operations and additional quick-service restaurants to car parts, vehicle or truck sales. We’re open to exploring a wide range of opportunities and as long as a business is well-established, well-managed and high-performing with strong prospects for growth, we’ll consider it as part of our diversification strategy.”
While Maxol’s investment strategy includes the roll out of more ultra rapid EV hubs and chargers, Donaldson says a slowdown in EV adoption is impacting the pace at which the business is developing its EV charging network. With five sites already running with EV charging in Northern Ireland, it plans to develop more at a rate of two a year.
