All Forecourt Trader articles in November 2011 – Page 2
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News
December column
Winter brings the welcome return of quality washing opportunities. Damp mornings brightening to dry, clear afternoons are the perfect conditions for maximising all types of washing. There is plenty of business to go around; we just need to ensure we get our fair share. It is vital that the equipment ...
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News
Heading for the cloud
Retail technology provider Torex has launched a cloud-based point-of-sale system that works via a browser on any tablet, smartphone or traditional POS. The Kachng! HTML5 POS is said to be suited to small and medium-sized businesses which do not need to invest in a full-service traditional POS setup.As a cloud-based ...
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News
Time to clean up
It’s been a difficult few years for car wash operators. Not only has the rise of hand car washes put a hefty dent into many retailers’ car wash trade, but the tough economic climate and soaring fuel prices have forced motorists to minimise their spending. But the silver lining on ...
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News
Family car wash firm with real focus on innovation
While the trend on UK forecourts may be to bury the car wash area under a shiny new shop extension, the same cannot be said about the rest of Europe, according to the powers that be at Otto Christ AG, the German masters in vehicle wash manufacturing. And they should ...
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News
Manufacturers race to get their new capsule filter cigarettes on the market
British American Tobacco (BAT) and JTI are racing to be first to market with premium cigarettes that use new capsule technology. Both companies say the technology is new to the UK.BAT’s is Lucky Strike Click & Roll which the company says enables smokers to change the taste of their cigarette ...
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News
Chancellor cancels January fuel duty rise
January’s planned fuel duty rise will be cancelled, Chancellor George Osborne announced in today’s Autumn Statement. The increase would have raised prices at the pump by 4ppl within days, following the scheduled increase on January 1,2012. "Based on current average UK pricing this would have pushed diesel to a new ...
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News
Cadbury Eclairs up for grabs
Cadbury Eclairs has recently received a sophisticated new look. The new packaging design is running across all Cadbury Eclairs products including bags, cartons and roll packs.It features a swirling caramel and purple design, representing the "unique journey to the centre" that only Cadbury Eclairs can deliver. The design is brought ...
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News
in brief
Company restructureConocoPhillips is restructuring its UK and Ireland marketing business. The company will move to two sales channels national and regional with specific back-office customer coordinators for efficient and enhanced customer relations at the head office to help account managers have more face-to-face meetings.Forecourt WatchService stations in ...
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News
BRIAN MADDerSON
The beleaguered consumer is facing pump price increases of 8ppl, which will take diesel up to 150ppl and petrol not far behind. Overall this double tax whammy could take as much as £3.5bn/year out of consumers’ pockets. The Chancellor has been advised that this would be a political and ...
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Analysis
Duty bound
MPs voted unanimously last month to pass a motion demanding that the government puts the two fuel duty rises planned for next year on the back burner. The House of Commons backbench debate united all political parties with MPs calling on the government to consider the feasibility of a ...
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News
Don’t bank on it
Interesting report by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) at the end of last month showing that overall pay growth for workers in the UK has hit a record low. The number of people being paid less than the minimum wage of £6.08 has risen, and there was a big ...
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News
Retro candy bags
New from Icepak is a range of quality, retro sweets made with all-natural flavourings and colours. Called Barney Jack’s, they are made in the UK and come in a handy grab bag size that’s ideal for motorists.There are 18 flavours in the range including boiled sweets, jellies and mints. There ...
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News
Two awards for Paula
Paula Irvine from Spar Lagan Valley in Lisburn, Northern Ireland has been named the forecourt sector’s Sales Assistant of the Year by Convenience Store magazine.Paula also took home the Community Hero award for her charity efforts. She is pictured centre right with Forecourt Trader editor Merril Boulton and presenter Anthea ...
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News
Clips ahoy
Snack manufacturers are crazy for clips with the ’big two’ Walkers and United Biscuits (UB) both investing in clip strips to help retailers maximise sales. Walkers says that according to Shoppercentric research, impulse retailers can grow their crisps sales by as much as 30% by using its pre-filled, ready-to-sell ...
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News
If you’re after a bank loan you’ll need a detailed plan
In the same week as the government started to talk about a new £4bn scheme for state-backed lending directly to small businesses primarily because the earlier Project Merlin agreement for increased bank lending to business isn’t believed to be working it was quite interesting to listen to a ...
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News
ACS welcomes pro-growth business rates decision
ACS has welcomed the pro-growth initiatives in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, which include a two-year deferral scheme for planned business rates increase in April 2012, extension of small business rate relief until April 2013, a £40bn National Loan Guarantee Scheme, and the deferral of the 3ppl increase in fuel duty.ACS ...
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News
Music prizes from 5
Wrigley has launched a new promotion on its 5 gum which has a top prize of the chance to tour five festivals in Europe while runners-up will be give a six-month Spotify Premium music subscription. Running until January 30 2012, the activity will be supported by a range of point-of-sale ...
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News
Convenience set for £42bn
The UK food and grocery convenience sector is set to grow to £42.2bn in five years’ time, according to figures revealed by IGD at its Convenience Retail Conference.The sector will have increased in value by more than a quarter from its current value of £33.6bn in 2011, and convenience’s share ...
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News
Many rural sites hit by massive rate increases
Many rural petrol stations are being faced with massive rate increases of between 100%-400%. The news comes from an initial review of the impact of the 2010 Rating List on rural forecourts by Barber Wadlow, in association with RMI Petrol.The review found that rural sites had been particularly harshly treated ...
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News
Euro Garages joins RMI Petrol
Euro Garages, this year’s Forecourt Trader of the Year winner, and one of the UK’s largest independent forecourt retailers, has joined RMI Petrol. During 2012 all 81 of Euro Garages’ sites will be given membership status, and the company will also subscribe to the fuel-price analysis system Big Oil. RMIP ...