With Motor Fuel Group (MFG) walking away with five categories at our recent awards, including the top accolade of Forecourt Trader of the Year 2024, we took a closer look at one of the victorious sites to discover more about the winning formula.
Driving along the B2104 towards Eastbourne a large blue sign rears up with a symbol for EV charging. This forecourt immediately makes a statement as a site that is at the top of its game with four 150kW EV chargers, two contactless jet washes and combi air, vac, fragrance and screenwash machines, an Amazon and InPost parcel locker, an outside ATM, and a modern 24-hour Londis store.
It is MFG Langney Rise, winner of Forecourt Trader’s London and the South East up to four million litres per annum site.
The facility, which also features the growing Miss Mille’s Awesome Chicken concession, with touchscreen ordering and seating for eight inside, follows the template that MFG, the UK’s biggest independent operator, has been rolling out across its 1,200-plus network, complete with the aquarium-themed wall panels in the mixed gender loo.
It is a tried and tested formula, combining the latest technology with a standards inspection programme in which stores are visited two or three times a month with unannounced spot checks from a regional manager. This ensures MFG sites are run with military precision.
When we visited, the forecourt, which has eight Esso pumps with 32 nozzles, was spotless inside and out. Products were well-stocked, and stood to attention, faced up impeccably with brands pointing in the correct direction for maximum sales.
The final element in MFG Langney Rise’s success is the team, run for the past four years by contract manager Sivamithran Sivakumar, known as Mithran, and his 11 staff. It is this element which gives personality to the business.
Following a template can limit a business’s individuality, but it is necessary in a network as large as MFG, as it continues to convert the 337 Morrisons outlets it acquired earlier this year, at a rate of 15 a week, to give a strong convenience and food to go offer.
Mithran, who also manages two other MFG sites, prides himself on the connection his outlet has with the community. By posting regular videos – not just photos – of products on Facebook, his team have built a strong and loyal following on the social media platform.
“Here at MFG Langney, we’re not just a place to fill up your tank or grab a snack, we’re a cornerstone of the community with 5.3k Facebook followers, dedicated to serving our community and making a difference in the lives of those around us,” says Mithran, who has seen the shop’s turnover increase from £7,500 a week when he took the reins four years ago, to nearly £20,000.
“We pride ourselves on providing exceptional service and fostering a strong connection with our customers and the local community providing their essential needs,” says Mithran, who operates around the clock, including on Christmas day when the site takes around £10,000 in turnover.
Part of that service includes offering to help customers fill up with fuel, providing a number to call for assistance at the pump, as well as via a downloaded Esso app.
His staff, some of whom are interested in becoming contract managers themselves, are trained in all disciplines of the business. It means that everyone knows exactly how every part of the forecourt should be run, and that multiple eyes on are each part of the business at any time.
The range is tailored for the passing motorist with an emphasis on snacks and drinks and a minimal offering of groceries, including a small dairy cabinet including essentials such as cheese, ham and milk. There are also toiletries, over the counter medicines and household cleaning basics.
The store keeps on trend with a generous protein section, including Grenade, Trek and Tribe products. It had Halloween, Fireworks Night and Christmas confectionery on display when we visited in mid-October, with an LED pumpkin head and family-sized tins of Quality Street, Heroes and Celebrations at the cashdesk, and giant marshmallows in the queueing area.
There is a strong lunch offer including the Miss Mille’s Awesome Chicken, which was introduced last year as part of a shop extension, with nearly half of the concession’s sales going through delivery apps such as Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo. The shop has separate accounts with the rapid delivery platforms.
There is also a £5.49 meal deal which includes a Costa coffee for an extra 50p. A Costa machine forms part of a bank of food to go machines, including Rollover hotdogs, Dunkin’ Donuts, Tango Ice Blast. And there is a large chilled run of beer and wine, and floor stacks of discounted beer.
This store, just like MFG, knows its market. For Langney Rise most customers are passing motorists who will do their weekly shop elsewhere but can pick up a greetings card or Fifo phone accessory while filling up or popping in for a bite to eat while charging their car. And the charging points are handy for customers to park up while they pop into the shopping centre next door.
