All Forecourt Trader articles in March 2013 – Page 5
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News
Vanilla is back
Vanilla Coke is returning to soft drinks fixtures nationwide this spring for the first time since 2003. The brand is available in 330ml cans and 500ml bottles as well as 1.5ltr bottles and 330ml can multipacks. Price-marked packs specifically for the convenience channel are on offer too: 330ml cans ...
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New generation baccy
Imperial Tobacco is relaunching Golden Virginia Smooth as GV Smooth "a new generation brand for a new generation of adult smokers".Imperial Tobacco’s Golden Virginia brand manager, Ryan Hopkins, said: "The new, vibrant GV Smooth pack has been designed specifically with the modern RYO consumer in mind. It now provides ...
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Money Talk: Don’t automatically think you’re ready for Real Time
This April will usher in a major change affecting all employers in respect of how they provide employee, pay and deductions information to HMRC. Forget ’once-a-year’ payroll reconciliations: from April 6 onwards, employers will need to supply information to HMRC each time they pay their staff either before, or on, ...
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Applegreen teams with Subway
Applegreen, Ireland’s leading independent forecourt retailer and Top 50 Indie, has announced a new partnership with Subway. The deal will see new Subway stores open next month in two of Applegreen’s key service stations Uckfield in East Sussex, and Gorey in the Republic of Ireland, with more sites due ...
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Silk appeal
Iconic screen and style icon Audrey Hepburn is the face of the new advertising campaign for Galaxy, which is reviving its signature strapline ’Why have cotton when you can have silk?’.
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Anchor’s home run
New advertising for Anchor showcases the entire brand portfolio for the first time butter, spreadable and squirty cream.The ’Taste Like Home’ campaign focuses on the pleasure of bringing people together around food and highlights usage occasions.In addition to the 60-second range TV ad, there are two separate 20-second ads ...
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Upgrade adds to uses
Franklin Fueling Systems has enhanced the 662 Series Emergency Shut-off Valve to allow full compatibility with petrol, gas/alcohol blends, diesel and biodiesel.This has been achieved in part through an e-coating process, widely used in the automotive industry, to electrostatically bond paint to a metal surface. Franklin Fueling Systems says e-coating ...
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Blakemore Wholesale wins £60m deal from Roadchef
Roadchef has awarded a contract worth £60m over five year to Blakemore Wholesale.The contract is to provide a range of confectionery, grocery and chilled foods, tobacco and motor oils to forecourt stores and WH Smith shops at 37 Roadchef sites at 27 motorway service areas across Britain.The contract is the ...
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The age of the indie is upon us, Owens tells Top 50 retailers
The fuel supply chain is going through incredible change, but change drives opportunity and creates a level playing field for everyone, Greenergy chief executive Andrew Owens told an audience of the UK’s biggest independent fuel retailers this week. Owens was the guest speaker at this year’s Top 50 Indies dinner, ...
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Merril Boulton: Plug for Best Forecourt Loo 2013
As usual there are many things to talk about in this dynamic industry of ours, but first let me unabashedly plug our Best Forecourt Loo 2013 competition, which is running for the next few weeks. Sponsored by RS Sales, and running on Facebook (www.facebook.com/BestForecourtLoo), it’s attracting a lot of fans. ...
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New touchscreen offering is launched by J2
J2 Retail Systems, the manufacturer of PC-based touchscreens and point of sale (POS), has launched a new integrated touchscreen computer.The company believes its J2 625 represents a new level in POS technology, resulting in exceptional reliability, reduced power consumption and extended product life.J2 Retail Systems’ CEO, Moray Boyd, explained: "Collaboration ...
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Fairbanks wins Morrisons contract
Fairbanks has announced a renewal of its wetstock management contract for Morrisons’ forecourts, and has also revealed it is extending the range of services it offers. The new three-year agreement with the supermarket giant covers its network of 314 forecourts and 11 regional distribution centres and is a continuation of ...
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RMI in card protection deal
The Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) and Phoenix Managed Networks have signed a deal to provide the RMI’s 7,000-plus membership with protection for their card payment systems. Phoenix has agreed a special rate to provide RMI members with its PhoeniXSentry system to keep their card data secure. PhoeniXSentry is a ...
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New car sales up
New car sales have risen every month for the last year, according to figures released today by the RMI National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA). They show that month-on-month sales were up 7.9% compared with February 2012. Fleet registrations decreased by 4.4% last month while private registrations increased by 28.9%. NFDA ...
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Hounslow heads fuel thefts in capital
Hounslow has more thefts of fuel from vehicles than any other London borough, according to the Metropolitan Police. A total of 175 thefts were reported between 2009 and 2012, but there were only five prosecutions. Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark and Merton were the other London boroughs in the top five for ...
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Bentley driver steals fuel
Police in Lancashire are hunting for a Bentley driver who filled his tank at two petrol stations and failed to pay up. The driver of the green-grey Bentley first struck when he helped himself to £92.80 – just over 70 litres – of unleaded fuel from Cross Roads Garage, on ...
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Partnership deal benefits Murco members
Murco Petroleum has found a way to cut through much of the red tape involved in dealing with numerous local authorities over petroleum licence and other regulatory compliance matters involving its service stations. The oil company has revealed that a partnership deal it agreed with London Fire Brigade is producing significant benefits across its UK network. Kevin Gardiner, Murco’s maintenance and development manager, said the process of dealing with local authorities was streamlined after Murco formed a Primary Authority Partnership with London Fire Brigade. Gardiner explained: “Primary Authority is the gateway to simpler, more successful local regulation, based on a new relationship between businesses and local authorities. “Regardless of size, a business operating across council boundaries can form a Primary Authority Partnership with a single local authority in relation to regulatory compliance. Once legally nominated by the Local Better Regulations Office (LBRO), partnerships are automatically recognised by all local regulators. “If a problem arises, the Primary Authority can coordinate enforcement action to ensure that our business is treated consistently and that responses are proportionate to the issue. “The benefits of Primary Authority Partnership started as soon as our partnership was registered by LBRO. From then on, it had legal status and is now recognised by all councils when they undertake inspection and compliance activities at our stations.” He concluded: “Some 30% of our network has already benefitted from this Partnership. Visits by petroleum officers are so much easier. “With station information stored on a central web database, information can be looked at and prepared prior to any site visit, saving time for the petroleum officer and the station manager.”
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ACS calls for rates change
The Association of Convenience Stores has called for an overhaul of business rates increases after the results of its latest survey revealed the destructive impact that unpredictable rate hikes are having on local shops. The quarterly Voice of Local Shops survey, which tracks the sales and confidence of small stores, has shown that the impending increase in business rates is more of a concern now than it has been at any point since the start of 2012. Forty five per cent of retailers in the last survey cited business rates as a major obstacle to success for their store – more than those concerned about crime, taxation and obtaining finance combined. ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “If the Government wants to have a long-term positive impact on small businesses across the UK, they must cap the rates increase at 2% - bringing it in line with the council tax cap and the Government’s own targets for inflation. Allowing these unpredictable hikes to continue will send a clear message that the Chancellor has failed to recognise the importance of the retail economy.” When asked what they most wanted from the Chancellor’s Budget, convenience store retailers called for a reduction in the annual business rates increase, but also for action to reduce the level of VAT, currently set at 20%. The survey also revealed that 47% of stores have seen a decrease in profits over the last quarter, with 32% claiming that they have had to cut the number of staff hours in their business.
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PRA wins emergency planning overhaul
The PRA has won a significant victory in its campaign for the Government to overhaul of the National Emergency Plan – Fuels (NEP–F) scheme.Under the scheme there are about 700 Designated Filling Station (DFS) sites across England, Scotland and Wales which would receive road fuels supplies under emergency conditions.However, during ...
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Funding to encourage electric vehicle fleets
Energy Saving Trust (EST) is looking to boost the take-up of electric vehicles with the announcement it will be offering 100 organisations in England a free analysis of their fleets to see if and how electric vehicles will work for them. The initiative, funded by the Office for Low Emission ...