Clare Coleman
- News
Retailers fret as Torex crisis builds
Anxious retailers have demanded reassurance from retail systems provider Torex Retail after it became the subject of a Serious Fraud Office investigation this week.
- News
Protect your assets
Crime on the Forecourt has long been a huge headache for the petrol retailing fraternity, as was confirmed by a recent survey which showed that safety and security at work concerned nearly half of all forecourt staff questioned.
- News
Full of beans
Inside the home, we Brits remain a nation of tea drinkers, but step outside the front door and premium coffee has become the hot drink of choice. As big brands such as Starbucks and Costa dominate the high-street coffee bars, discerning drivers are also increasingly on the look out for ...
- News
New Year coming of age on tobacco
Forecourt retailers have broadly welcomed the government’s New Year’s Day announcement that the legal age for buying tobacco products will be raised from 16 to 18 from October 1, 2007, saying the higher age limit will be easier to enforce.
- News
Main route masters
Brackenvale Retail Centre has always been a large site by anyone’s standards but now it’s "bigger and better than ever", according to manager Sam Hawkes, who collected the latest in a string of accolades at the Forecourt Trader Awards 2006.
- News
Action stations
the forecourt property market is buzzing with activity at the moment, with competition for sites fiercer than ever and prices spiralling to match. In fact, John Coulling, associate director of motor trade and roadside at Lambert Smith Hampton, describes the market as "on fire" compared to two years ago.
- News
Burning issues
Tobacco retailers were already facing a raft of new legislation before the New Year’s Day announcement concerning the raising of the minimum legal age for buying tobacco products from 16 to 18 from October 1.
- News
Meet the neighbours
Once again the neighbourhood category was one of the most hotly contested at the Forecourt Trader of the Year Awards 2006.
- News
Double bubble
Car washing continues to offer some of the highest margins on the forecourt, but it’s not without its challenges.
- News
Counter cures
The past five years have seen huge changes in the way over-the-counter (OTC) medicines are sold, meaning the traditional pharmacy need no longer be the consumer’s first port of call when they’re ill. Wider availability, more medicines being switched from pharmacy-only to the General Sales List (GSL) and government promotion ...
- News
Christmas stockings
Another year has whizzed by and Christmas will soon be upon us. For forecourt retailers the festive season is an opportunity to end on a high with some bumper sales.
- News
Sparkling opportunity
It’s been almost a year since the mad rush to convert to the new licensing system. But while all the fuss may have made some retailers wonder if the category was worth the hassle, alcohol remains a big opportunity for forecourts.
- News
Travelling bite
Busy Britons are said to be Europe’s biggest spenders on meals on the go - racking up an average bill of £120 per person a year, according to research company Datamonitor.
- News
Keeping up appearances
First impressions count in most walks of life and in the forecourt business it’s no different. A regular wash and brush-up and a regular lick of paint are basic, but essential, maintenance tasks, which will reassure passing motorists that you are a well-run business worth stopping for.
- News
The munch bunch
With fears about the nation’s expanding waistlines increasingly dominating the headlines, the overall market for traditional crisps and savoury snacks has been pretty flat over the past year.
- Analysis
Emission impossible?
After years of consultation, smaller sites have been given a reprieve as the government finalises new legislation to curb vapour emissions from petrol pumps. Final plans for implementing stage II vapour recovery - officially known as Petrol Vapour Recovery II - mean that service stations selling more than 3.5m litres ...
- News
Don’t give up
With the ever-increasing duty on tobacco said to be fuelling a boom in counterfeit products and forcing consumers to down-trade to cheaper brands, retailers, manufacturers and smokers alike were hoping Gordon Brown would give them a break. However, the Budget in March saw yet another rise, this time of 9p ...
- News
Further drought orders granted
Two more water companies have been granted drought orders, which will allow them to restrict the operation of car wash facilities.
- News
Drought order threat to Surrey car wash facilities
Car wash restrictions are set to come into place after Sutton and East Surrey Water was granted a drought order to limit non-essential use of water.
- News
Distribution still stretched as Buncefield report reveals faulty fuel gauge
Fuel distribution capacity continues to be stretched following the Buncefield oil terminal disaster, according to Nick Vandervell, spokesman for the UK Petroleum Industry Association (UKPIA).