Symbol group wholesaler Parfetts has launched a Shop & Go value fascia for forecourts, with two operators going live with the green and charcoal branded initiative last week.
The Manchester-based cash and carry says that generous margins – up to 20% on promoted lines and 25-30% on non offer products, and retailer autonomy, including freedom to source product from outside its range, are among the advantages of signing up.
Currently around a dozen petrol station businesses are buying products from Parfetts, which has been able to offer a nationwide service since the opening its Birmingham depot 18 months ago, its eighth for the business which has extended its reach further south.
Seevaratnam Muresh has taken the plunge with the Shop & Go fascia at a site he acquired earlier this year, Ambassador Service Station in Bristol, which previously featured the Lifestyle store brand.
And Harry and Zoe Archer have signed up their Threeways Filling Station in Burstwick, near Hull, to the five year contract attracted by the proposition offering something different and helping it stand out in the area.
Several more shops are under development and due to be launched in coming months, says Parfetts.
Joint managing director Guy Swindell says it is a natural progression for the business to introduce a more impulse led proposition, for sites with a transient customer base including those at train and bus stations, and high footfall city centre and commuter locations. He hopes to have 25 forecourts on board with Shop & Go by this time next year, and up to 200 in 2026.
Swindell says that the £700 million turnover business has been considering targeting forecourts for years, having established a network of nearly 1,300 Go Local convenience branded stores in the past 12 years, alongside 50 The Local off-licence outlets, and Go Local Extra large format stores.
Shop & Go will have an emphasis on impulse, confectionery, snacks and soft drinks. It also offers food to go, beers, wines, spirits and specialist ranges including car care. Also, the promotions will be designed for more transient customers.
“In the past year in particular we have had some really keen interest from forecourt operators and now we are ready with a model tailored to petrol forecourts, as well as city centre, high traffic, transient sites,” says Swindell.
“We are aiming Shop & Go at time sensitive shoppers, the white van man and truckers, who want to nip in and grab essentials, off-licence, and hot food to go,” he adds. ”The whole team has worked hard to develop a store format that brings something new to the market and is backed with a busy promotional programme to support margin.”
Parfetts will use EPOS data to work with the retailer on developing a range which will be paired back from what the business offers to standalone convenience stores.
For example, household and pet care will typically be cut back, but there will be two to three planogram tiers for these categories which are typically less important in forecourts.
The Shop & Go package would suit retailers who want autonomy to operate as an independent, “without being boxed in”, says Swindell. Retailers can keep all their local agreements and decide on their own pricing and range, with back-up support from the 50-strong field team.
They are, however, expected to purchase around 75% of their shop’s range from Parfetts.
Also, there are no limits on how much promoted product is bought in, and forecourt owners can decide on whether to rely solely on free deliveries, on a day one for day three basis, or to mix this with visits to the cash and carry.
Chilled and fresh is delivered by drop shipment company Eden Farm, but invoiced centrally through Parfetts for retailer simplicity. And retailers are rewarded for supporting the promotions which are on a three weekly cycle.
Forecourts coming on board also have access to an own-label range of nearly 200 products, and the reassurance that as an employee-owned set up all of the profits are passed back into the business to help maintain low retail prices and higher margins, says Swindell.
“This is not a case of dipping our toe in to see how things go, this is a long-term strategy that we are really excited about,” says Swindell. “We need to be realistic and our big thing will be listening to retailers to develop the brand, which will ultimately attract more forecourt operators.”
Petrol station owner Seevaratnam says that the concept is going down well in Bristol. “Parfetts has an excellent reputation for value and backing their retailers,” says Muresh. ”I’m pleased to be one of the first stores in the country to adopt the Shop & Go symbol, and the initial reaction from the community has been great. The busy promotional programme will be a big benefit to the business in the future,” he says.
Noel Robinson, joint managing director of Parfetts, adds: “As an employee-owned business, Parfetts continues to invest in its service. It has made significant investments in enhancing its digital order capture system, both desktop and app, to drive efficiency for retailers. Parfetts depots function as cash-and-carry centres from 6:30am to 6:30pm, handling delivery and click-and-collect orders overnight.”
