All Forecourt Trader articles in March 2004
View all stories from this issue.
-
News
Vertical take off
While news and magazines are a great footfall driver for forecourts, the category is notoriously difficult to manage. Vertical supply agreements mean retailers have little control over what they sell and which wholesaler they source from – not to mention costly carriage charges. But this could all change next year ...
-
News
Safety pads
An increase in reported fires on forecourts in Europe has sparked the launch of a campaign to make motorists more aware of the hazards during refuelling.With the majority of forecourt fires started by static electricity generated from people getting in and out of their cars, DirectCast Media has come up ...
-
Analysis
Morrisons moves in
In one fell swoop Morrisons is tripling its coverage of the fuel-retailing sector following completion of its takeover of Safeway for £3bn. As of March 8 the retailer will be the proud owner of another 196 forecourts to add to its current network of 113 petrol sites.The takeover makes Morrisons ...
-
NewsMeasure for measure
As usual during February, we’ve been busy collating all of the data from last year to arrive at the definitive picture of 2003 for the ‘typical’ fuel site. The result can be summed-up by saying that for those who survived, it was a very busy year indeed. Just how busy ...
-
News
Priced out of market
No petrol retailer will be unfamiliar with price wars. But Allan Broughton, from Fisher’s Motor Centre at Sutton in Ashfield, was totally ticked off when he discovered that his local competitor, a symbol c-store, was selling newspapers for 10p less than cover price. “I don’t mind competition on a level ...
-
News
Mo’gas: An irreverent view from the network
I MUST ADMIT THAT I’ve never been a member of a co-operative, mainly due to my tendency to being a bit of a rebel. So I have been following the goings-on at Londis as an interested observer rather than as a shareholder. Incidentally, the way some of the media have ...
-
News
Hot pizza on the go
Food Now has introduced a vending machine that can deliver hot pizzas in four minutes. The Pizza Now vending machine can be sited either in store or on the forecourt, offering the potential for operators to serve hot or cold pizzas 24 hours a day. Food Now managing director, Mark ...
-
News
Giving it the thumbs up
Here’s the theory: if a customer has forgotten his/her cheque book/cards and promises to come back later, they will do so unfailingly if you have taken their fingerprints. Furthermore, if you take their fingerprints even when the cards are present, they won’t be engaging in fraudulent practice using duff plastic. ...
-
News
Forecourts key to Spar’s sales growth
Forecourts are a key growth area for symbol group Spar, with site numbers increasing by 34 per cent in the past two years.In its latest financial results, Spar has announced record sales – up 16 per cent in its 12th consecutive month of rising sales, and footfall figures of 12 ...
-
News
Wrigley’s extra spend
The Wrigley Company is splashing out a record £46.5m in marketing support for 2004. This increased investment, said Wrigley, will help to boost the company’s high-profile move out of its traditional gum business, with the recently launched Extra Thin Ice and Extra Mints.Jo Hartop, head of communications at Wrigley, said: ...
-
NewsHydration in a drop
A new dual-action, mouthwatering product called AquaDrops – being billed as one of the biggest confectionery stories of 2004 – has been launched by Masterfoods to satisfy consumers’ needs to keep their mouths hydrated and fresh. Research shows that the target consumers for AquaDrops (18-35 year-old adults) could think ...
-
News
Double whammy
With Valentine’s Day safely out of the way and all those red roses and chocolate hearts sold, forecourt retailers can look forward to a double whammy on the confectionery sales front – Mother’s Day on March 21, followed by Easter on April 9-12.Forecourts, of course, are in a great position ...
-
News
Tobacco product display made easy with HL
In response to the increasingly restrictive laws governing the marketing and display of tobacco products, HL Display has devised a simple merchandising solution that it says maximises the value of the cigarette pack as a tool for brand awareness. The spring-feed OPT-Box is designed to display standard packets of 20 ...
-
News
White maltesers launch delayed
Masterfoods has put back its launch of White Maltesers as a permanent countline from March to September 2004 to ensure enough stock is available to meet demand. The current consumer sales value of the brand is £4.2m and the product was the fastest selling new bite-size confectionery launch of 2003 ...
-
News
CTN link to rural site
CTN Systems and Garage Watch have announced a joint marketing agreement to promote the use of epos within Garage Watch’s membership. “The future depends on site owners keeping up with market trends and wherever possible modernising and improving shop facilities,” said Mark Bradshaw, CEO of Garage Watch. “Any assistance we ...
-
News
Streak-free cleaning
Tech-Clean has released a new range of high-pressure flat surface cleaners, which are said to provide streak-free cleaning of concrete, tarmac and block-paved surfaces. The machine is described as ideal for restoring pedestrian precincts, shopping malls, car parks, driveways and forecourts. Two models are available: one with an 18” diameter ...
-
News
Business as usual
Retail systems supplier Arciris has worked hard over the years to establish itself as ‘the dealers’ friend’. Which is why, in the wake of news of a management buyout, it is keen to reassure customers that it intends to stay that way. Billy Tank, sales & marketing director, says: “The ...
-
News
BP to sell Halfords car care
BP has become the first forecourt retailer in the UK to sell car care products from Halfords.The deal is said to give customers of 300 BP sites greater choice, confidence and convenience.Allan Abernethy, category controller at BP, said: “We are constantly looking for ways in which we can offer more ...
-
News
Fruit twist for Bounty
Masterfoods has launched a Bounty Mango & Passion Fruit stick into its range of ice creams for 2004.Available from April, the product comprises mango fruit swirls in Bounty coconut ice cream coated with a mango & passion fruit sorbet. Rrp is £1.Starburst Strawberry ice cream stick and Galaxy ice ...
-
News
mint chop on the block
Cadbury Trebor Bassett has added an impulse pack of Dairy Milk with Mint Chips to its Dairy Milk Megabrand range.In research by CTB, mint was shown to be one of the most popular flavours of Dairy Milk with 83 per cent of consumers saying they would buy a smaller size. ...