Oilfast launches UK roadside retail brand

Scottish fuel supplier Oilfast has entered the UK roadside retail market with its first unmanned forecourt taking the brand on its canopy signage.

Its debut site on the A94 at Balbeggie, north of Perth, is a former Shell station, and is hoped to be the start of a chain for the Motherwell-based distributor of fuel and lubricants.

The company, which supplies sites north of the border, says that it aims to increase its numbers by both attracting dealers to the brand, and by acquiring more locations specifically for unmanned use throughout the UK.

Managing director Tony Stewart says that the move is a natural progression for the business. “As one of the UK’s largest distributors of fuel, lubricants, AdBlue and fuel cards, we have long seen entry to the retail market as a logical step, and today marks an important milestone in that journey,” he says.

“We believe in the fuels sector and our growth has been marked by our customer service. We know we can offer dealers a much-needed fresh choice for supplying fuels and/or through leasing or acquiring their forecourts,” he adds.

The Oilfast unmanned model will suit forecourts that do not have large shops, or room to expand. And the business is also interested in converting ex-filling stations back to selling fuel.

“That is what we have done with Balbeggie, and with depots across Scotland as well as Immingham, Kingsbury and London we have a pipeline of prospects and are actively looking for more locations across the UK,” says Stewart.

Oilfast Balbeggie had been converted from a petrol filling station to a car sales and servicing outlet without fuel. The building continues to trade as a garage, but the forecourt has been renovated with Oilfast having installed two new Tokheim Quantium ML pumps, plus an AdBlue tank and pump managed through a self-contained cabinet on site.

The fuel station, which will officially open on December 6, has also been fitted with car valeting, including jet wash, vacuum and airline machines.

“We saw potential here, with the new Tay Link bridge being built north of Perth and with us having depots in Forfar and Crieff in this region,” says Stewart. “It’s a great advert for our business and we have the expertise and model to sell retail fuel competitively. Here customers can fuel or buy AdBlue using debit or credit cards and we have even gone contactless for extra speed and convenience.”