All Forecourt Trader articles in November 2013 – Page 2
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News
AA supports duty deferment for hard-pressed retailers
The AA has given qualified support to the campaign to secure fuel duty deferment for petrol stations. However, an expert in duty fuel deferment said other comments from the AA, linking it to cost savings, showed that it did not understand the benefits. Duty deferment enables forecourts to buy fuels ...
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Jet tempts motorists with chance to win £5,000 of free fuel in anniversary prize draw
Jet has unveiled the first of a raft of initiatives to celebrate the brand’s 60th anniversary in 2014. From Monday, November 25 until Friday December 20, hundreds of Jet forecourts nationwide will participate in Jet’s 1954 Free Prize Draw. Every time customers fill up with a minimum £30 fuel spend ...
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Fire destroys roof at Dorking petrol station
Five fire engines and around 30 firefighters tackled a blaze at the Esso petrol station on the A24 London Road at Dorking in Surrey. The fire service were called at 2.30pm on Tuesday November 19 and were able to extinguish the blaze, which was in the shop, just after 5pm. ...
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News
PRA criticises Irish plain packaging decision
The PRA has criticised a decision by the Irish Republic’s government to move ahead with plain packaging for tobacco products. PRA chairman Brian Madderson commented: “We’re very disappointed to see that the Irish Government continues to move ahead with plain packaging. “Following a thorough consultation, the UK Government recently stated ...
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Coffee sales surge for Topaz
Topaz, Ireland’s largest fuel and convenience retailer, has revealed that sales of its Fairtrade coffee have risen to five million cups a year. The company, which has more than 330 service stations, has seen its coffee sales rise by 20% over the last two years as consumer confidence strengthens. The ...
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News
Cigarette smugglers jailed
Seven men have been sentenced after more than 250,000 smuggled cigarettes were discovered in the fuel tanks of two HGV tractor units driven in from Poland. The gang, led by Abdul Rehman, 39, were caught in a Bolton industrial unit in January 2012 by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigators ...
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NewsRising costs threaten convenience retail business, says ACS
Damaging retail cost increases were the focus of yesterday’s annual Heart of the Community Conference organised by the Association of Convenience Stores, attended by more than 150 forecourt and convenience retailers. The event encourages retailer engagement with MPs and featured Minister of State for Business and Enterprise Michael Fallon, and ...
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ACS advice for Chancellor ahead of Autumn Statement
The Association of Convenience Stores has set out a series of recommendations to Chancellor George Osborne ahead of the Autumn Statement on December 4 to support convenience store retailers. On business rates, ACS recommends a 2% cap on annual rates increases to provide businesses with greater certainty in their financial ...
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News
Traffic volumes up
UK traffic volumes increased by 2.3% in the third quarter of 2013, compared to the same period last year, according to estimates released by the Department of Transport. DoT said the increase could partly be attributed to the contrasting weather between the two periods, with the summer of 2012 experiencing ...
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News
Five-year sentence for tobacco fraudster
A man who tried to set up an illegal tobacco factory capable of manufacturing tonnes of illicit shisha tobacco, has been sentenced to five years in jail. Mbarak Gowie, from Wembley, was convicted in his absence, for evading nearly £500,000 in duty and tax. Gowie failed to turn up last ...
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RMI calls for tax cuts in Chancellor’s autumn statement
The Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) has called on the Chancellor to take action to stimulate growth in the economy and to lift burdens on consumers in his autumn statement on December 4. In its submission the RMI said monthly new car sales had risen successively during 2013 to a ...
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News
ACS urges review of use of police cautions
The Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has urged the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to press ahead with a review of the use of cautions for offences such as shop theft. The MoJ has announced new guidance for the police stipulating that that criminals should not get more than one ‘simple’ ...
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News
Phillips 66 targets growth in Scotland
Phillips 66 is to strengthen its Scottish presence by increasing its network of independently owned Jet- branded forecourts in the north of the country. There are currently 46 Jet forecourts throughout Scotland, the most northerly of which is in Blairgowrie. This is set to change, with three sites in Moray ...
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NewsAsda planning 100 standalone forecourts
Asda is aiming to have 100 standalone filling stations by 2018. During the announcement of its third quarter results it revealed the expansion plans for its standalone forecourts – which currently number three – as part of plan to break into parts of the UK where its market share is ...
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News
New motorcycle and scooter sales still growing
Motorcycle and scooter sales have continued on their upward trajectory after last month’s increase, with sales up 6.7% in October The latest new motorcycle and scooter sales figures show scooters were up 14.1%, although the year-to-date figure is still down -5.2%. Sales of 51cc-125cc models, the largest market segment were ...
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News
Government support for fuel efficient engines
The government has launched two initiatives to encourage the development of more fuel efficient and low emission engines. Automotive companies are being challenged to come up with engine technologies that will make cars more energy efficient and ultimately change the way we drive, business secretary Vince Cable announced. He unveiled ...
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News
Cigarette smuggling fugitive jailed
A convicted cigarette smuggler who featured on a list of most wanted tax fugitives this summer has been found and jailed. After being named on HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) most wanted list, Michael ‘Arthur’ Fearon, 21, from Newry, handed himself in to the authorities in Northern Ireland. He is ...
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News
Forecourt owner invests in recycling carwash
The owner of Saints of Tarporley has installed what she believes is the first hand carwash in the north west that fully recycles the water it uses. Kamal Parmar, who owns the Murco service station in Cheshire, has invested a total of £60,000 in the facility including the canopy. She ...
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NewsPRA calls for government support on fuel duty deferment
The PRA has called on the government to support the duty deferment scheme which would facilitate a significant boost to petrol retailers’ cashflow, thereby strengthening forecourt businesses, and ultimately improving the UK’s fuel supply resilience. Chairman Brian Madderson explained that a tanker load of petrol today costs the independent retailer ...