All Forecourt Trader articles in May 2025
View all stories from this issue.
-
NewsFrasers to prioritise valeting over EV charging
Family forecourt operators the Frasers believe that they have created the optimum retailing model combining valeting, foodservice and convenience, but, significantly, not EV charging.
-
NewsPetrol head Hawtree brothers plan café for car and biker meets
The Hawtree brothers, who run Riverside Garage on the A30 in West Stour, near Gillingham, have plans to become Dorset’s answer to petrol heads’ eateries the Ace Café, and Caffeine & Machine.
-
NewsMFG backs Yeep with plans for hundreds more parcel lockers
MFG is planning to introduce another 370 Yeep parcel lockers across its estate of 1,200-plus forecourts by the end of July.
-
NewsBodycams boost staff morale and safety at Gulf sites
Fuel supplier and forecourt operator Certas Energy says almost three-quarters of its petrol filling station staff who wear body cameras find customers to be less aggressive.
-
NewsHawtree & Sons Riverside Garage cleans up with car, dog and clothes washing
Hawtree & Sons Riverside Garage is cleaning up after a £350,000 investment in a three-bay jet wash six months ago.
-
NewsForecourt operators cut staff hours in face of increased costs
Forecourt operators have been reducing staff hours and cutting back on recruitment, as they face cost pressures from April’s rise in national insurance contributions and the minimum wage.
-
NewsHighland hopes to increase security with first installation of pay at pump
Tom Highland has introduced pay at pump at his family forecourt business for the first time, as he investigates going unmanned out of hours and using the technology to stop drive-offs.
-
NewsRoadchef and Co-op Wholesale unveil high-end fascia
Roadchef has unveiled a high-end Co-op fascia at its Norton Canes services on the M6 Toll ahead of a roll out by Co-op Wholesale to what it says will be a limited number of forecourt and convenience outlets.
-
Equipment NewsTout’s saves days of work each month with EDGEPoS
Since installing the EDGEPoS software system at its head office and three stores, award-winning forecourt operator Tout’s says it is saving tens of man hours each month with a more efficient process for adding products and offers into its business.
-
NewsEV charging network Fastned opens new Scottish hub
Fastned, the Dutch EV charging company, has opened a new hub to the west of Glasgow.
-
ArticleCOMMENT: Getting the format right for self-checkouts
Top 50 Indie forecourt owner Joseph Richardson admits being wary of retail technology. But through trial and error he has found a role for self-checkouts, which he believes will become increasingly important at busy sites.
-
NewsJet rolls out gameshow-style customer activation for another year
Fuel supplier Jet is rolling out its ‘Wheel Spins’ gameshow-style customer activation at partner service stations across the UK for another year.
-
NewsShell’s Helix oil rebrands with Ferrari iconography
Helix, Shell’s brand of engine oil, has undergone a packaging redesign featuring the Ferrari Prancing Horse logo to mark the partnership between the oil giant and the motorsport legend.
-
NewsVast expansion of A-road services set to get go ahead despite objections
Plans to significantly expand Gillingham Services, an A-road site featuring various fast food outlets and a Shell filling station, are set to be approved by planners despite local opposition.
-
NewsDisposable vape ban marked by calls for greater enforcement
Yesterday (June 1) marked the start of the ban on the sale of disposable vapes, but calls are already coming for Trading Standards officers to be given greater resources to enforce the new rules.
-
NewsFirm behind Wash.ME laundrette machines announces strong growth
ME Group International, the company that supplies and operates Wash.ME laundrette machines for forecourts and other businesses, has announced a pre-tax profit increase of 14% for the first half of the financial year, or 17% when adjusted for inflation.
-
AnalysisMONEY TALK: A natural evolution to pay at pump
Pay at pump has been resisted in the trade for fear of motorists not using the forecourt shop after filling up with petrol. But as we naturally move to automated payment technology for EVs it is time to re-evaluate, argues industry commentator Jan Mikula.
-
NewsDisused coal mines block plans for EV charging hub
Plans to install an EV charging hub on an industrial estate in Dudley, West Midlands, have been refused following an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate over concerns posed by disused coal mines in the area.
-
NewsThe Biswas family build business in Norfolk with second site
The Biswas family, who previously owned forecourts around London, have bought Whittington Petrol Station on the A134 near King’s Lynn, Norfolk – their second in the county.
-
NewsFirst Duckhams, now Castrol: Zuber eyes expansion into oils
It was only last month that we reported Zuber Issa had bought an undisclosed stake in historic oil brand Duckhams. Now, however, the billionaire businessman behind EG On The Move is eyeing up Castrol.