All Forecourt Trader articles in September 2010
View all stories from this issue.
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News
MPK signs up with Murco
Top 50 independent MPK Garages has signed a five-year supply agreement with Murco. From the beginning of November, Murco will supply two MPK forecourts in the Bristol area. Paul Kershaw, director at MPK said: “We are delighted with the supply agreement we have struck with Murco. They offer a great ...
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News
Disappointment at dismissal of tobacco petition
Scottish retailers have been left disappointed at the outcome of the Tobacco Display Judicial Review. The Court of Session by Lord Bracadale dismissed the petition by Imperial Tobacco, which sought a ruling that sections 1 and 9 of the Tobacco & Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Act 2010 were outside the ...
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News
Disabled fuel thief jailed for three months
A disabled drug user has been jailed for stealing petrol from outlets across the East Midlands to fund his drugs habit. Thirty-three-year-old Steven Argo used false number plates to rob 44 petrol stations across Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, by driving off without paying. He sold jerry cans full of fuel ...
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News
Forecourts offer worst customer service, says survey
Less than 1% of shoppers think petrol stations deliver good customer service, according to a poll by Retail Eyes. The National Customer Satisfaction survey of 5,712 UK shoppers revealed that only 0.8% of shoppers felt they got good service at forecourts. Furthermore, 92% confirmed they had left an establishment before ...
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News
Global partnership for OPW and Fuelquest
OPW Fuel Management Systems, a business unit of OPW, and FuelQuest Inc, two of the industry’s premier fuel management solution providers, have announced a global partnership agreement to offer an end-to-end, centralised fuel network management solution. The company says fuel operators will now be able to enjoy the benefits of ...
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News
Gohils take the top prize in this year’s awards
Bhupa, Lata and Jay Gohil of Cosford Garage, Albrighton in the West Midlands, took the top prize at last night’s Forecourt Trader of the Year awards, held at the London Hilton on Park Lane Hotel. At a sell-out ceremony attended by nearly 700 guests, and hosted by TV presenter Mark ...
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News
CEM calls for ban on alcohol in forecourt shops
The College of Emergency Medicine (CEM) is calling for a ban on alcohol being sold in forecourt shops. The organisation wants increased measures to help tackle alcohol-related incidents in hospitals’ Emergency departments and it also wants to clamp down on drink driving. The CEM’s announcement was made to coincide with ...
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News
Energy drink escapes ad ban
A TV ad for Lucozade Alert Plus has escaped a ban despite 86 complaints about it to the Advertising Standards Authority. The commercial showed a man at a petrol station drinking the energy shot before driving off on a dark, snowy road. There are deer in the road, which he ...
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News
Retailers’ mixed response to potential Total sale
Retailers have been mixed in their reaction to Total’s announcement last week that it is undertaking a strategic review of its UK downstream operations. As part of this review it is considering the sale of its marketing assets in the UK. Susie Hawkins, director of Top 50 Indie, ...
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News
Forecourts warned over under-age petrol sales
Three South Lanarkshire forecourts have received formal warnings after petrol was sold to an under-age volunteer during a test-purchasing exercise. The sales were made to a 14-year-old, who was carrying out test purchases on behalf of South Lanarkshire Council’s Consumer and Trading Standards Service. The garages were warned ...
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News
Two more forecourts for Cardigan
Both Sainsbury and Tesco plan to open new forecourts in Cardigan, west Wales. Tesco wants to double the size of its store in the town and create a new petrol station. Apparently the retail giant has bought land near to the store at New Mill Road to provide the space ...
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News
It’s business as usual, says Murco
Following the recent announcement by Murco’s parent company, Murphy Oil Corporation, of its intention to exit from its refining operations worldwide, Jim Mulheran, Murco’s dealer sales manager, is keen to let existing and potential dealers know what this really means for them over the coming months. He said: “The announcement ...
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News
Time to train rules an unnecessary burden
The government’s ‘Time to Train’ rules are an unnecessary burden on retailers and will not deliver greater training opportunities for those working in local shops, the Association of Convenience Stores has argued. Time to Train, which gives employees the right to request time off for training, is already applicable ...
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News
Total confirms UK downstream review
Total UK has confirmed it is undertaking a strategic review of its UK downstream operations. As part of this review it is considering the sale of its marketing assets in the UK. The sale would exclude Aviation, Special Fluids and Lubricants. The process concerning Lindsey Oil Refinery (LOR) continues independently ...
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News
Harvest Energy picks up nine sites in the north east
Top 50 independent Bishop Retail is converting its network of forecourts from BP to Harvest Energy. Northeast-based Bishop Retail group operations director Darren MacDonald said that while he expects fuel volumes to fall by 15-16% without the BP name on the pole sign, value sales are likely to stay the ...
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News
Shell signs Coffee Republic to deliver coffee-to-go
Shell has joined forces with the Coffee Republic brand to bring self-serve coffee to around 400 company-owned sites in the UK. Following a trial for six months in four Shell forecourts, the Coffee Republic brand will rollout in mid to late October, with 200 expected to be in ...
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News
Police scrap cardboard coppers
Essex Police has scrapped a scheme that saw cardboard cut-outs of police officers used to help cut crime after thieves targeted the figures. Instead of deterring would-be thieves, the 20 cardboard coppers dotted around petrol forecourts, convenience stores and supermarkets in Essex had the opposite effect and became ...
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News
Alcohol licensing reform will spell “disaster for local shops"
The Association of Convenience Stores has warned the Home Office that alcohol licensing changes outlined in the government’s latest licensing consultation would cost convenience stores at least £11m. The Rebalancing the Licensing Act consultation, which concluded on Wednesday, has run for six weeks and sought views on 26 substantial changes ...
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News
Flogas opens 24-hour service station
A new, 24-hour, LPG service station has opened in Leicester to satisfy the demand for gas, as fuel prices surge. Flogas – the second largest supplier in the UK, behind Calor, in the £800 million-a-year market – already had an outlet in the East Midlands city. But as sales soared, ...
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News
’Spar’kling results from Hendersons
Henderson Group, owners of the Spar, Eurospar, Vivo and Vivoextra retail brands, has announced what it described as an "exceptional" performance for 2009 despite the tough economic trading conditions. Ron Whitten, financial director, Henderson Group, said: “Turnover has increased by 11 per cent compared to 2008. We ...