All Forecourt Trader articles in May 2004

View all stories from this issue.

  • News

    Testing times

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    It’s hard to remember a time when you walked into a forecourt shop and there wasn’t a long line of confectionery stretching along one wall, from the entrance to the point of sale.In fact it’s such a familiar sight that you barely give it a second glance. And neither do ...

  • News

    Summer sales

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    You can’t mention this summer without first mentioning last year’s. That’s because summer 2003 was such a success – summer how it ought to be. The days were sweltering and retailers’ tills were ringing as consumers clambered for cold drinks and ice lollies. It would be too much to expect ...

  • Pins and needles
    News

    Pins and needles

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    Remember when accepting credit cards meant having a manual ‘roller’ to imprint your customers’ Access and Barclaycard paper vouchers? Well, this year brings the most radical change to retailers’ payment acceptance methods since the introduction of EFTs (Electronic Funds Transfers) in the late 1980s. By the end of this year ...

  • Trebor refreshes ’number one mint’
    News

    Trebor refreshes ’number one mint’

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    Cadbury Trebor Bassett has refreshed its Trebor brand with the launch of two sugar-free products and new packaging. The changes are designed to boost sales of ‘the number one mint brand in the UK’, which is worth £65m in retail sales and showing growth of eight per cent year on ...

  • News

    There’s a relief - maybe

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    They say that the only sure things in life are death and taxes. Both are sometimes mysterious as well. Certainly there is a bit of a mystery concerning Alfington Stores & Service Station in Devon. Dave Moss sent me an urgent query on business rates relief. For several years Dave’s ...

  • News

    Walkers taps into new markets

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    Walkers is extending its Sensations and Doritos brands with Poppadom Bites, Chargrilled Steak & Peppercorn Sauce Sensations crisps, and Doritos Latinos. Poppadom Bites in three flavours – Cool Yogurt & Mint, Creamy Chicken Pasanda & Coriander, and Spicy Tandoori Masala – are all available in 70g packs (rrp £1.29), while ...

  • News

    Mo’gas: An irreverent view from the network

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    LOVE THEM OR LOATHE THEM, there is something about an annual net profit of £1.6bn that kind of earns respect. As Tesco goes marching on it’s worth remembering that it wasn’t always so. Back in the early supermarket days Tesco did alright with their ‘pile-them-high-sell-them-cheap’ philosophy but they never really ...

  • News

    Indespensable

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    As site numbers continue to dwindle and more oil company sites move to the independent network, the pumps market will see a flurry of investment from forecourt retailers, according to pump supplier Dresser Wayne UK.Alistair Clarke, sales & marketing director for Dresser Wayne UK, says: “Independent groups are acquiring forecourts ...

  • News

    Top UKPIA job for Hunt

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    Former Elf retail manager Chris Hunt has been appointed director general of UKPIA, the UK’s Petroleum Industry Association .Hunt, who was the Association’s commercial director, has been acting director general for several months while a permanent successor was selected for Malcolm Webb who took up the post of chief executive ...

  • News

    High tide

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    As one of the fastest-growing categories in the FMCG market, soft drinks in the forecourt sector showed double-digit growth in 2003 – helping market sales break the £5bn barrier.Now worth £242m, the soft drinks category in forecourts accounts for five per cent of soft drinks sales, and grew by 11 ...

  • The golden years of Jet
    News

    The golden years of Jet

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    jet is now 50 years old, the fifth largest British fuel brand, and part of the global energy giant ConocoPhillips. It’s come a long way since it was set up all those years ago by Willy ‘Bill’ Roberts, described by those who knew him as a hard-working visionary man who ...

  • News

    Typhoo gets fruity

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    Premier Foods is revitalising the tea category with the launch of a new range of infusions – Typhoo Fruit & Herb. As the first extension from the Typhoo brand in more than a decade, the range offers a ‘real fruit’ proposition for the fruit and herb category; and fresh packaging ...

  • News

    UB goes foorball mad with on-pack offer

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    United Biscuits is driving snack growth in the build-up to Euro 2004 with a ‘Red Card & You’re Off’ on-pack promotion across The Real McCoy’s, Mini Cheddars, and KP Nuts.The promotion offers consumers the chance to find red cards in-pack to win trips to Portugal, yellow cards for branded football ...

  • Nestle footie fever
    News

    Nestle footie fever

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    Nestlé Rowntree has teamed up with soccer legend Ian Wright for a promotion to celebrate this summer’s Euro 2004The Chants to Win on-pack promotion, which offers consumers the chance to text and win one of 10,000 prizes of £20, will feature across a range of brands including KitKat, Lion, Aero, ...

  • News

    End to pointless waste

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    Forecourt operators could save money by putting an end to unnecessary waste management visits following the launch of the Separator Inspector, a manual device used to measure the build-up of oil and silt in a separator.From Aquasentry, manufacturers of oil pollution prevention systems, the Separator Inspector works by measuring the ...

  • Analysis

    Symbolic deal

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    A straw poll of Londis petrol retailers has revealed a positive reaction to the latest developments in the symbol group saga, in which Budgens owner Musgrave has upped its bid by 50 per cent.The future of Londis has been in the spotlight since Musgrave bid £40m for the group last ...

  • Costcutter Shell, Crawley Down, Snowhill, West Sussex
    News

    Costcutter Shell, Crawley Down, Snowhill, West Sussex

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    GENERAL APPEARANCE: High-profile Shell-branded dealership on the A265 – the main route between the M23 and East Grinstead. Part of a large development comprising triple franchise motor dealership complex and Gatwick Airport Parking facility.THE FORECOURT: Initial impressions as you drive on the site are very positive. The forecourt is spacious, ...

  • News

    Internet cons

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    I got a badly-worded email on April 14, full of what journalists call ‘screamers’ (exclamation marks!! to make the contents seem important!!). The email informed me, as a “dear client of Barclays Bank” (I’m not), that the night time safety system had been cracked!!! To prevent any problems would I ...

  • News

    Slim cigarettes for Silk Cut

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    A further development in the lower tar cigarette market has been made by Gallaher, with the launch of Silk Cut Slims.Dubbed a ‘sophisticated, stylish addition’ to Silk Cut, which holds a six per cent share of the UK cigarette market, the new brand has a rrp of £4.74, giving the ...

  • News

    Check signage or face hefty fines

    2004-05-01T00:00:00Z

    Retailers need to review their signage and labelling or face hefty fines under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), says labelling company Brother UK.Under part three of the Act, which comes into force from October 1 this year, any business that provides a service to the public will have to ...