The Association of Convenience Stores is calling on the government stop criticising forecourt operators in light of rising costs and tough trading conditions that have caused per-site investment to shrink from £15,550 last year, to £14,810 in 2026.
The ACS says fuel retailers are being squeezed on all sides, with average shop spends down to £13.09 compared to £13.48 last year, and rising staff and energy costs pushing the price of day-to-day trading up.
Ed Woodall, the ACS’ chief executive, notes that despite those pressures ministers have time and again tried to point the finger at forecourt operators for rising fuel prices, which are out of their hands and have in many instances seen retailers cut their margins.
Woodall comments: “It’s easy for the Government to point the finger at forecourts when fuel prices go up, but the reality is that they’re exposed to pump price rises themselves. When prices at the pump increase, forecourt retailers are losing out because, customers don’t spend as much in store and they rely on those sales to trade viably.”
Describing petrol stations as “critical national infrastructure” while highlighting they are “incredibly important to the communities they serve”, Woodlall is calling on Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey to commit to a fuel duty freeze “beyond January 2027”; at present, a 3ppl rise is due at the beginning of next year, with a further 2p increase scheduled for March.
The ACS’ report on the forecourt sector also highlights that a fifth (21%) of fuel retailers took no time off last year, while 77% of firms have engaged in some form of community activity over the past 12 months.
Other highlights from the report include:
- The sector is dominated by younger people, with 66% of operators being 40 or under, and 40% being no more than 30 years old
- Just 14% of operators inherited a forecourt firm, with 86% starting their own
- 74% of fuel retailers own their sites and 26% rent them
- While 79% of operators have a Facebook presence for their business, just 28% use TikTok
- Tobacco and vapes are the biggest sales category, worth £657m in the year to August ’26. Soft drinks brought in £486m, with alcohol generating £323m in sales
