All Forecourt Trader articles in November 2012
View all stories from this issue.
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News
Kegworth is next stop for PRA forum
The Petrol Retailers’ Association will be heading to Kegworth in Derbyshire for the last regional forum of 2012.The event will start at 10am on Tuesday December 4 at The Whitehouse Hotel on Packington Hill, DE74 2DF. It will end at 3pm after a free lunch.Presentations will be from PRA, Bank ...
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News
Supermarkets sign up to new OFT code on food and drink promotions
Eight supermarkets have agreed to a set of Office of Fair Trading principles to address concerns over special offers and promotions for food and drink.A statement released by the OFT said: "Aldi, Co-Op, Lidl, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose have agreed to adopt the principles into their ...
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News
Alcohol proposals offer ’carrot and stick’ says Botkai
If the new alcohol proposals announced this week are enacted, they will impact on forecourt stores licensed to sell alcohol and those seeking new licences or variations to existing licences, according to Robert Botkai, head of property and licensing at Winckworth Sherwood solicitors.The Consultation on delivering the Government’s policies to ...
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News
Chancellor urged to act on rates and bank charges in Autumn Statement
ACS has called on the Chancellor to focus on the cost of business rates and banking in his Autumn Financial Statement on December 5. The submission, includes a range of recommendations including: on business rates, reviewing how business rate increases are calculated and introducing a cap on all future increases ...
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News
Forecourts outsell standalone c-stores when it comes impulse products, says P&H
Forecourt shops are the home of snacking for the UK’s peckish drivers, new research from Palmer and Harvey has revealed.Compared to regular suburban and town centre convenience stores, petrol stations sell two-and-a-half times as many sandwiches, one-and-a-half times as many savoury slices, 13% more confectionery and nearly double the number ...
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News
PRA calls on business minister to scrap onerous legislation
Ahead of next week’s Autumn statement, the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), on behalf of its 5,500 small, independent retailer members today called on Minister for Business and Enterprise Michael Fallon MP, to restore economic fortunes to small forecourt shop owners by scrapping “onerous and ill-considered” regulation.PRA chairman Brian Madderson, in ...
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News
Symonds boosts service with forecourt attendant
Top 50 Indie Symonds Forecourts has introduced a forecourt attendant at its site in Wells, Somerset, to improve its service to motorists. Between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday the attendant fills cars with fuel, checks tyre pressures and cleans windscreens while customers pay in-store. The free service is being ...
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News
Minimum unit price for alcohol could boost illegal trade, says FWD
Proposals to introduce a minimum unit price for alcohol will prevent supermarkets’ deep discounting but could also fuel the growing illegal trade in duty-avoided beers and wines, says the Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD).While price controls would stop irresponsible promotions, FWD warns that the move would make the market more ...
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News
ACS urges ministers to reconsider alcohol licensing and pricing proposals
Ministers are being urged by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) to reconsider proposed changes to alcohol licensing and pricing rules that it believes will have a disproportionate burden on small shops.ACS chief executive James Lowman said: "In the past five years, we haveseen a reduction in alcohol consumption, increased ...
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News
MP promises changes as plight of local shops revealed
New research has revealed that seven out of ten shoppers (70%) believe that neighbourhood retailers and newsagents should be offered some degree of protection or special treatment from local councils and/or the Government to support them. The research was revealed in the Palmer and Harvey Shop Health report 2012, an ...
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News
BritainThinks: Local services crucial to keeping the community happy
A new report exploring the links between how happy people are with where they live and the shops and services in their area has been published today. The ’Local Services, Happy Places’ report, commissioned by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) and conducted by research consultancy BritainThinks, proposes a host ...
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News
Convenience stores are focal point during the floods, says ACS
Convenience stores and village shops are open in the areas of the country affected by high winds and flooding overnight, according to the ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores), which has canvassed members and is reporting no significant problems with store closures or deliveries.ACS chief executive James Lowman said: ...
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News
Symonds Forecourts reports a solid performance
Forecourt Trader of the Year winner Symonds Forecourts has reported a very solid performance in its latest accounts.Turnover has increased to £35m – a year-on-year increase of 19%. After operating expenses and interest the company returned a net profit before tax of £197,370 – a year-on-year increase of 114%.Managing director ...
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News
Further blow for retailers as Government raises green energy levy
ACS has responded to the Government’s announcement ahead of the publication of the Energy Bill next week, urging energy regulator Ofgem to act swiftly to introduce protections for local shops.As part of the Energy Bill, the Government is to increase the Levy Control Framework budget from £2.35 billion to £7.6billion, ...
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News
Spar injects new lease of life into Threeways Garage
An Abergele petrol station is being given a new lease of life after forging a relationship with Spar. Threeways Garage, in Faenol Avenue, is set to convert its convenience store from Lifestyle to Spar at the end of the month.The Threeways site, which houses a 24-hour Shell forecourt and HGV ...
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News
Hammond unveils new proposals to tackle drink driving
A package of tough measures to crack down on drink drivers has been unveiled today by Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond.Included in the proposals are plans to remove the statutory right to a replacement blood or urine test where a breath test reading is above and close to the legal ...
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News
Convenience and fast food drives growth at Euro Garages
Growth in convenience retail and fast food sales boosted revenues at Euro Garages, one of the UK’s largest independent forecourt retailers, according to its latest annual trading update.Total sales for the Blackburn-based group rose to £314m (2011 – £305m) in the 12 months to July 31, 2012. It said sales ...
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News
Ignorance of hard-up English motorists revealed in fuel-saving survey
Hard-up English motorists are desperate to save money on fuel – but don’t even know how much it costs, a new survey has found. Research for the Energy Saving Trust’s Fuel Your Passion campaign found almost three-quarters (71 per cent) of drivers do not know the average price of a ...
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NewsCurries prove hot stuff at the Oasis Service Station
A North Devon forecourt owner has seen a surge in sales – and attention from the local and national press – after he added home-made curries to his range. Naeem Ahmad (pictured right), who has run the Oasis Service Station at Braunton for four and a half years, says sales ...
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News
Fuel duty campaigners present to MPs at House of Commoms
Fuel campaigners gathered at the House of Commons today (November 21), to tell MPs about the negative impact of January’s planned fuel duty increase. Supporters of the FairFuelUK campaign, including The Freight Transport Association (FTA), the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and the RAC, made presentations to a panel of MPs. ...