How to future-proof your forecourt business

Huge advances have been made to modernise payment infrastructures and management information to allow forecourt owners to meet customer needs and make better decisions about ordering and merchandising.

In order to meet these needs, accurate data is crucial to help forecourt operators manage their businesses and this can start with a great EPoS solution in store.

As one of the biggest decisions a retail owner can make, many factors come into play. This can range from cost, functionality and even more importantly support.

Now, with many forecourts looking to future-proof their businesses, the need for efficient and reliable retail technology is more pressing than ever.

Henderson Technology recognises that forecourt retailing is a rapidly changing, and the positive impact new technology can have on a business.

Retail technology operations director Darren Nickels, says: “Many forecourt operators are stuck with old traditional tills and EPoS systems at end-of-life and no longer acceptable in today’s fast moving convenience market.

“EDGEPoS is designed to make stores run more efficiently to allow owners and managers focus on enhancing the shoppers experience. An investment into a modern retail technology system will drive more customers to forecourt sites.”

Case study: Refuel Forecourts

Refuel Forecourts needed a store and backoffice system and after a review of the EPOS market, the independent forecourt business chose EDGEPoS because it would give them everything they needed to grow their business.

Naz and Jen Zokiuddin set up Refuel Forecourts in 2020, opening their first forecourt at Wigan Road Service Station. Today, the husband-and-wife team have five sites and are hoping to grow their estate over the next few years. EDGEPoS is currently in four of the five sites.

Naz has been in the fuel forecourt business from a young age, initially working as a cashier on a forecourt and progressing steadily up to his current position as CEO of Refuel Forecourts.

Jen looks after the retail side of the business and the pair currently have sites in north-east and north-west England with a variation of fuel brands including Gulf, Esso, BP and Texaco. They are now looking to expand within England and into Scotland in 2023. On average across the five sites, they distribute 13 million litres of fuel per annum.

Naz says: “I have been in this business all my life and we are in a great position to grow our suite of forecourts quickly. The industry is changing and will continue to change significantly over the next 10-15 years. That’s why, when we look to acquire a new site, we discuss how we can future-proof the business.

Future forecourts will offer a wider range of services

“We are continually thinking about what we need to add to the business in the future – be it food-to-go, cafés, EV charging, hydrogen, truck stops, etc. We do see a niche in the market where truck drivers aren’t always looked after, so we would like to grow our business in this area and offer all of these services at one stop.

“There will always be cars on the road – whether it’s diesel, petrol, electric – and we need to service all of these. At the moment when you visit a forecourt, you spend five minutes fuelling and going. Over the next 10 years, a forecourt will be a destination spot for entertainment, a variety of services while your car charges, and we will be ready for this.”

Naz has worked with many EPOS systems over the years and, back in his cashier years, found EPOS systems slow and complicated to use, so he was delighted to be introduced to EDGEPoS.

“At last, a user-friendly system for my forecourt, shop cashiers and employees. The training on the tills is straightforward as the till is streamlined and easy to use. Training that would have taken two weeks can now be completed in three days. More importantly, as Henderson Technology doesn’t charge us for training, this saves a lot of money on the installation and changeover of implementing a new system.

“The backoffice system is used by my on-site managers, all of whom have been trained on EDGEPoS, and they report back to me on individual site performance. They love the daily routine on EDGEPoS and find the system so easy to navigate and use – and reporting is consistent and accurate when I come to review them.

We have recently ordered the EDGEPoS Head Office system and I’m really looking forward to seeing how that saves us even more time. This will allow Jen to have access to site visibility and control also, and we can grow the current business volumes and overall portfolio with confidence.”

Ease of use is confidence boosting

All the features and functionalities Naz requires are on the EDGEPoS system, including the ability to input a fuel delivery on the till, and not the backoffice, as well as being able to change pump prices at the till. “This would be a huge inconvenience and additional work for the managers if these little features weren’t on the system,” he says.

“The support is great – weekdays, weekends, bank holidays – it’s there if you need it. Being one- and two-lane sites, we need to have the confidence that if something goes wrong, someone is there to answer the phone and fix it. You don’t get that with every EPOS provider.

“It is very easy for cashiers to see the pump levels. On other systems, the cashier cannot see the fuel levels but with EDGEPoS I am able to contact the site and get an on-the-spot fuel level check. The system has made it straightforward to share information with both our backoffice managers and our cashiers on the shop floor. They are happier and more confident as a result.”

Real-time margin calculations

Jen adds: “EDGEPoS has a full suite of reports that allow us to manage costs within the business. It helps us to spot-check our costing and the reports are very good for shop margin, price checking, and so on. Margin is extremely important, especially today – a couple of percent on margin does make a difference and if we need to rectify something, it can be done instantly on EDGEPoS. With other systems these could only be identified quarterly, now everything is live and real time, which allows us to move swiftly on to the next business challenge.”

Naz finishes: “We have a confident partnership with Henderson Technology; this has paid off, and we will keep the partnership in place and continue to grow for many, many years.

“Changing a system for any retailer is a massive decision, we are all human and there is always a fear factor. When a retailer asks me about EDGEPoS, I always tell them there is no reason not to upgrade to EDGEPoS – there are immediate cost savings, and the training is second to none. It is a five-year commitment, but Henderson Technology has the expertise, knowledge, skills and teams in place to deliver on its promises. EDGEPoS was recommended to me by someone I trust, and I have never looked back.”

For more information visit www.henderson.technology or @_HendersonTech

Email sales@henderson.technology or call on 028 9094 1900