It is not just fuel for vehicles – meaning gasoline and diesel – but also heating oil and natural gas that are all affected by supply ruptures due to the conflict in Ukraine, ruptures that will not be repaired anytime soon.
Luckily, changing patterns of commuting since the pandemic mean that some people will be working more from home, saving petrol, but that only means dwellings will need to be heated during the day more than before, draining electricity and gas. Meanwhile, the government’s Net Zero idealism has taken many sources of the UK’s indigenous energy resources offline, while we have become used to relying on supplies from often untrustworthy sources. There really is no way now to avoid an energy crisis that will make 1974 look mild.
Obviously fuel prices will rise and stay high, torn between the forces of moderation, as alternative supplies are found, and upward cost pressures as the true extent of lost sources becomes clear, price competition intensifies, and next winter approaches. Where do we go? As the Irishman said when asked directions to Dublin: “I wouldn’t start from here.”
Gordon Balmer
But what does it mean for convenience forecourts? Interestingly, the outlook is surprisingly rosy, for a number of reasons that Asian Trader discussed this week with Gordon Balmer, the new Executive Director at Petrol Retailers Association Limited (PRA).
Instead of the nation taking to the roads again as pandemic restriction finally wither (at least in England), venturing out for meals and entertainment, going on driving holidays and weekend breaks, what instead looks like happening is an entirely new lockdown, not one caused by a virus but by high prices – as both fuel costs and general inflation encourage the population to entertain at – or close to – home.
This could have positive consequences for forecourts. As Matt Collins, Trading Director at KP Snacks, points out, “We know there is a high demand for premium lines as consumers look to replicate night out experiences in home. 46 per cent of shoppers are more inclined to trade-up to premium food and drink options when dining at home.”
Road range
Gordon Balmer recently took over as Executive Director at the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), and to get a really expert opinion on the outlook for the nation’s indie forecourts, we asked him to explain how he sees current conditions.
"What we have to deal with at the moment is finished product prices,” he said. “From last week to this, diesel was up over 12p/l and petrol up over 5p/l. The price is reacting, obviously to events.”
Many things could affect prices, including brining more barrels of oil to market if Iran and the USA negotiate successfully.
“That would help somewhat, but it won't help totally, because if you put it into context, the Russians produce about four million barrels a day, and Iran would only be about a million barrels a day. So it's not going to solve the problem.
So what would solve the problem? Last year Asian Trader posed the question, Are Forecourts Electric? (did anybody get the reference?), because we were observing increased sales of electric vehicles (EVs) – there are now about 600,000 on our roads – yet at the same time seeing no comparable advance in the sort of infrastructure, particularly in forecourt facilities, that would make EVs a long-term proposition.
“The overall number of vehicles in the UK, in terms of cars, is roughly 34 million and obviously, 600,000 is still a drop in the ocean in terms of the number of hybrids and EVs,” says Balmer.
“Plus, electrons and hydrocarbons don't naturally mix. You’ve got to have sufficient space outside of the hazardous zones in order to put charging points in [a forecourt]. The other issue is, it's not just about putting the charging point in, it's actually getting sufficient power to power those charging points. And the business model that seems to have evolved is around ultra rapid charging. A few years back, we had a couple of companies talk to our members about renting car-parking spaces and putting 50kWh chargers in. People don't really want to hang around the forecourt longer than probably 20 minutes, so it's got to be rapid or ultra rapid. And the issue is the proximity of the forecourt to the substation. You can get quotes of many multiples of £1000s in order to do the connection between the charging point and the substation. The problem you have there is, what does that do to the business case? That is what is putting a lot of members off.”
A motorist plugs his electric van to charge point at a Motor Fuel Group station whilst petrol and diesel pumps are closed on the Esso forecourt due to the ongoing fuel crisis on September 29, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)
In short, there is not very much incentive for retailers to adapt their forecourts – if indeed they are spacious enough to make EV charging possible. It can cost a huge sum to hook up to the national grid, and there is no dependable calculation of return on investment. In fact, a recent report has shown that electrical charging is rocketing in price – logically enough, when electricity costs are spiking.
What it means is the cost of charging a 75kWh battery EV for a range of 370-odd miles (that would be a Tesla), is now more than £30 on rapid charge – cheaper than gasoline, but then the vehicle costs three times as much, so you takes your choice, as they say.
There are currently only around 500 charging points at forecourts in the UK. The government has allocated £620 million to upgrade and increase EV charging points, but the funds are all for charging points on public roads, or grants for householders.
It’s worse than that, explains Balmer: “The anecdotal evidence is that 70 per cent of the charging will take place at home, but the problem you have is only 60 per cent of households with access to off-street parking. What about the people in flats or houses? They’ve talked about putting things like lamppost charging points in, but then you've got all the issues of moving the lamppost to the right side of the curb. Because if you've got cables lying across the curb, that's a trip hazard or you can't have people coming along in wheelchairs or prams …"
Also problematic, he says, is the experience of trying to get a charge for your EV as their popularity increases: “You've got things like SAPMAP, where you can actually see the chargers and whether they're in use or not. But there are other things you've got to take into account. For example, Shell have got a new site up in in Fulham which has ultra-rapid chargers. But the problem there is the electrical ‘bandwidth’”, he warns. “If you go with your ultra modern Porsche Taycan, for example, and you connect up to one of their ultra-rapid charges, and the app says 40 minutes to get to 80 per cent [full], you can be having your cup of coffee, and suddenly the app changes and says it has now become an hour and a half. And the reason for that is because other customers have come in and connected up to the other charging points, and it can only handle so much.”
Has the increase in traditional fuel prices made installing EV charge points a better bet, even bearing in mind that the electricity that charges EV batteries must first be generated from some sort of fuel?
“Our former chairman Brian Madderson addressed retailers at the forecourt summit recently,” Balmer answered, “and he said that if you've got a reasonable amount of land on your forecourt, you'd be better off putting a carwash in – either a rollover or jet washes – because the payback on those and the revenue on those is far greater than putting in charging points. A lot of the manufacturers of carwash equipment are saying they're extremely busy at the moment.”
Apparently many operators of the hand-washes that sprang up in recent years have departed back to their home countries since Brexit, and their absence has been matched by a rising demand from motorists for washing and detailing their daily drives. In fact, if shoppers are coming for a fill-up and a larger, almost weekly shop, they are likely to combine their visit to your forecourt with a wash, polish and vacuum.
New tech is also making the forecourt operation better for both retailers and shoppers: "Self-scanning tills, and electronic point of sale, getting to know your customers a lot more intimately, which you can do by apps,” enthuses Balmer. "Some of our customers have launched their own bespoke apps. You can order product online, so click and collect. There's all these sorts of things now, unlike the old traditional forecourt, just selling a bottle of Coke and a packet of cigarettes as they did years ago. No longer – it's now far more sophisticated. Knowing the customer better, improving basket size ...
"If you actually look at a forecourt as a destination,” says Balmer, “you've obviously got the non-fuel side of it, the shop and the products and services that are available on-site. And then it's about trying to make the forecourt a destination: Why do I want to go to the forecourt?”
Impulse opportunity
Matt Collins chatted to Asian Trader about the increased importance of forecourts as a convenience and impulse opportunity – especially as road trips decrease in number and radius, due to increased fuel costs – and as the Big Night In and enjoying the home with family and friends really begins to take new root in UK culture.
“Forecourt retailers should ensure that they are aware of long-term and new shopper trends in order to drive their CSN sales and encourage customers to do a bigger shop,” says Matt. “Bagged snacks remain a vital driver of growth within Convenience and demand shows no sign of slowing.”
This tallies with what Balmer has been seeing across a range of typical convenience goods. "In fact,” he says, “the percentage rise in sales on forecourts was actually more than in traditional convenience stores. Many of our members have invested over the last few years very sensibly in larger format stores. They've actually got fresh food – food for me, for now, for tonight. So, if you look at the shopper’s convenience mission, the breakfast, lunch and tea, yes they can satisfy all them [at the forecourt]. But they can also satisfy almost a weekly shop as well, because they do have products that people want, at the price points that they're willing to pay. For those members that have invested in their in their shops, that's that's good news.”
Photo: iStock
With the new E10 unleaded gasoline becoming the standard at Britain’s pumps since September last year, it is even sending shoppers to forecourts more frequently. The uncomfortable fact is that E10, containing up to 10 per cent bioethanol from eco-friendly plant material, is not as explosive or efficient as the old mixture – is in fact a third less energy-dense (and the drop in performance – from 6 to 11.5 per cent, according to What Car? are worst for small, more economical engines). That means more frequent re-fills are required: bad news for motorists, especially now, but helpful for retailers.
Increasing food, drink and household sales has been the trend in independent forecourts for some time, and (luckily?) petrol sales are now less important to profits than grocery in very many forecourts – the fill-up is almost a loss-leader set against the increased revenue from grocery sales.
“For forecourt retailers to grow sales, it is essential to stock best-selling brands in a variety of sizes and price points," says Matt. From KP Snacks’ point of view, with the category a good bellwether for the overall increase in forecourt grocery, Matt adds: “Using the strength of our brand portfolio, we hope to help our retail partners adjust to the dynamic changes across the category by driving sales and footfall. KP Snacks has the broadest portfolio across all segments, with something for everyone and all occasions. Our snacks are consumed by over 20m households and our diverse portfolio has delivered 47 per cent of category growth in the last seven years.”
In addition, the trend for food to go at forecourts is also growing stronger: “Food to Go is a long-term, resilient growth trend, concludes Matt. The category is rebounding with most having now returned to pre-pandemic routines. The increased footfall has continued to boost the Food to Go category.”
Look out for our Food To Go feature in the next issue of Asian Trader – and happy driving!
As industry leaders is cash handling, Volumatic has long supported the use of cash and the importance of maintaining access to cash for both consumers and businesses. The company recognises the importance of the new set of rules created by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) two months ago, to safeguard access to cash for businesses and consumers across the UK.
Since introduction, the new rules are intended to ensure that individuals and businesses who rely on cash can continue to access it and the outcome has already sparked the creation of 15 new banking hubs across the UK, including one in Scotland, with many more to follow.
These hubs provide shared spaces for consumers to access basic services, such as depositing and withdrawing cash, and are being embraced by businesses keen to support the use of cash, who have been struggling in recent years due to the flurry of bank closures across the UK.
With this in mind, Volumatic welcomes the increase in banking hubs and other facilities but recommends businesses go one step further to make things even easier.
“We have known for some time that more and more people are using cash again on a daily basis and so it’s great that access to cash is being protected by the FCA, something that we and others in the industry have been campaigning for, for a long time,” said Volumatic’s Sales & Marketing Director Mike Severs. “Both businesses and consumers need to have easy and local access to cash, and these new rules ensure cash usage continues to rise and will encourage more businesses to realise that cash is still an important and valid payment method.”
With time being of the essence for most businesses, making a journey to the nearest bank, banking hub or Post Office isn’t always possible on a daily basis, plus there is the obvious security risk to both the money and the individual taking it to consider.
Volumatic offers integration with the G4S CASH360 integration
Volumatic’s partnership with G4S, announced back in April 2024, means every business dealing in cash anywhere in the UK can have access to a fully managed solution. This will be especially relevant to those who currently have to walk or travel a distance to a bank or PO to deposit their cash.
Severs adds: “Although having more banking facilities is fantastic news, Volumatic can help businesses even more by bringing the bank to them through an investment in technology like the CCi that can offer integration with the G4S CASH360 solution. Together, we make daily cash processing faster, safer, and more secure and the combination of solutions will save businesses time and money for years to come, making it a truly worthwhile investment.“
Volumatic offers a range of cash handling solutions, with their most advanced device being the CounterCache intelligent (CCi). This all-in-one solution validates, counts and stores cash securely at POS, with UK banks currently processing over 2.5 million CCi pouches each year. When coupled with the upgraded CashView Enterprise cash management software and its suite of intelligent apps, the Volumatic CCi can offer a full end-to-end cash management solution – and now goes one step further.
It does this by providing web service integration with other third-party applications such as the CASH360 cash management system, provided by the foremost UK provider of cash security, G4S Cash Solutions (UK).
“Ultimately, only time will tell how successful the FCA’s new rules will prove. In the short amount of time the new legislation has been in place, the signs are already looking good, and coupled with the new technology we offer, it is a good thing for businesses and consumers alike in the ongoing fight for access to cash and more efficient cash processing,” concludes Severs.
Retail technology company Jisp has launched an NPD service as part of its new Direct to Retailer business unit.
The new NPD service will allow brands to launch or trial new products in a guaranteed number of convenience store locations, with on the ground review of execution by Jisp’s retail growth manager team, and performance data and insights deliverable through its scanning technology and back-office systems.
Brands will also be able to draw on retailer and consumer feedback on the product and its performance thanks to Jisp’s significant resource in user communication, with over 1,000 retailers and more than 100,000 registered shoppers.
Brands can set the parameters of the NPD activity delivered through Jisp’s new service, selecting the duration of the campaign, the number of stores to launch into and even the geographic spread or demographic make-up of the stores included.
Product merchandising and promotional execution in store is monitored by the Jisp RGM team and full reporting is available to help brands better understand the success of their new product and shape future promotional strategy.
This robust data and insight set means that Jisp can not only provide a reliable view of what is selling in stores, but through its scanning technology can also indicate who is buying the product, when, where and why.
Alex Rimmer
“As part of our recent strategic review and restructure, we identified five key pillars of growth, or business units through which to drive new business,” said Alex Rimmer, director of marketing & communication at Jisp.
“Our existing core business already provided us the means to develop new services efficiently and through discussions with major brands, retailers, wholesalers and industry authorities, we identified a need for guaranteed implementation and execution of NPD in the convenience sector.”
Compliance is further assured using Jisp’s Scan & Save scanning technology along with a retailer reward scheme which pays stores for their participation and commitment to the process.
With 1,000 stores already registered with Jisp, the company is in talks with other businesses about opening the new NPD service to their stores given the benefits of securing NPD and reward for execution.
“This is a Win-Win for the sector,” added Alex Rimmer. “Brands can create a bespoke NPD launch campaign with a guarantee that their product will be instore, on shelf and correctly merchandised and promoted, receiving actionable data and insight to shape future strategy. Retailers secure access to NPD, support in merchandising it and reward for taking part, while customers find more local touch points where NPD from their favourite brands are available.”
With this new service promising to be such a valuable asset to the market, retailers and brands are encouraged to contact Jisp to capitalise on the opportunities.
Tesco is slashing the price of more than 222 own-brand and branded products in its Express convenience stores.
Essentials including milk, bread, pasta and coffee are included in the lines which have been reduced in price by an average of more than 10 per cent at Tesco Express stores. The retail giant has made more than 2,800 price cuts across stores in recent months. With 2,048 of convenience stores at the end of the 2023-24 financial year, Tesco aims to benefit hundreds of thousands of customers from the cheaper deals.
The firm said the move comes in the wake of more than 2,800 price cuts made by the chain across its stores in recent months. From Wednesday, customers will pay £1.45 for a four-pint bottle of milk at their local Tesco Express store (down from £1.55) and a Tesco Toastie White Thick White Loaf is also 10p cheaper at 75p.
There are even bigger savings on Tesco Chicken Breast Portions (300g), which have dropped in price by 25p to just £2.25 and a 200g jar of Tesco Gold Instant Coffee now also costs 25p less at just £2.25. Among the branded products with price cuts are Warburtons White Sliced Sandwich Rolls, with the price of a six-pack cut by 10p to just £1.20 and Domestos Original Bleach 750ml, which is now just £1.19 in Express stores after an 11p price cut.
Tesco CEO Ken Murphy said, “Today’s round of price cuts on more than 200 lines in our Express stores underlines our commitment to offering great value to Tesco customers.
"Whether you are picking up coffee and milk for the office or a loaf of bread and a tin of soup on the way home, our Express stores offer both convenience and great value.”
This comes a week after One Stop, the convenience store chain owned by Tesco, has reported a surge in sales to nearly £1.3bn during its latest financial year. The Walsall-based company posted a revenue of £1.29bn for the 12 months to 24 February, 2024, an increase from the previous year's £1.17bn. Over the course of the year, the number of stores directly operated by One Stop increased from 712 to 733, while its franchised locations also grew from 291 to 317.
1. One in five people who have successfully quit smoking in England currently vape, with an estimated 2.2 million individuals using e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool.
2. The increase in vaping among ex-smokers is largely driven by the use of e-cigarettes in quit attempts, with a rise in vaping uptake among people who had previously quit smoking for many years before taking up vaping.
3. While vaping may be a less harmful option compared to smoking, there are concerns about the potential long-term implications of vaping on relapse risk and nicotine addiction. Further research is needed to assess the impact of vaping on smoking cessation outcomes.
ABOUT one in five people who have stopped smoking for more than a year in England currently vape, equivalent to 2.2 million people, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.
The study, published in the journal BMC Medicine and funded by Cancer Research UK, found that this increased prevalence was largely driven by greater use of e-cigarettes in attempts to quit smoking.
However, the researchers also found a rise in vaping uptake among people who had already stopped smoking, with an estimated one in 10 ex-smokers who vape having quit smoking prior to 2011, when e-cigarettes started to become popular. Some of those smokers had quit for many years before taking up vaping.
The study looked at survey data collected between October 2013 and May 2024 from 54,251 adults (18 and over) in England who reported they had stopped smoking or had tried to stop smoking.
“The general increase in vaping among ex-smokers is in line with what we might expect, given the increasing use of e-cigarettes in quit attempts. NHS guidance is that people should not rush to stop vaping after quitting smoking, but to reduce gradually to minimise the risk of relapse,” lead author Dr Sarah Jackson, of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, said.
“Previous studies have shown that a substantial proportion of people who quit smoking with the support of an e-cigarette continue to vape for many months or years after their successful quit attempt.
“However, it is a concern to see an increase in vaping among people who had previously abstained from nicotine for many years. If people in this group might otherwise have relapsed to smoking, vaping is the much less harmful option, but if relapse would not have occurred, they are exposing themselves to more risk than not smoking or vaping.”
For the study, researchers used data from the Smoking Toolkit Study, an ongoing survey that interviews a different representative sample of adults in England each month.
The team found that one in 50 people in England who had quit smoking more than a year earlier reported vaping in 2013, rising steadily to one in 10 by the end of 2017. This figure remained stable for several years and then increased sharply from 2021, when disposable e-cigarettes became popular, reaching one in five in 2024 (estimated as 2.2 million people).
The researchers found, at the same time, an increase in the use of e-cigarettes in quit attempts. In 2013, e-cigarettes were used in 27 per cent of quit attempts, while in 2024 they were used in 41 per cent of them.
Senior author Professor Lion Shahab, of UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, said: “The implications of these findings are currently unclear. Vaping long term may increase ex-smokers’ relapse risk due to its behavioural similarity to smoking and through maintaining (or reigniting) nicotine addiction. Alternatively, it might reduce the risk of relapse, allowing people to satisfy nicotine cravings through e-cigarettes instead of seeking out uniquely harmful cigarettes. Further longitudinal studies are needed to assess which of these options is more likely.”
Independent retailers association Bira has held a meeting with members of the Treasury team to discuss concerns following its robust response to the Government’s recent Budget announcement.
The Budget, labelled by Bira as "devastating" for independent retailers, was met with widespread indignation from Bira members.
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said: “Thank you to all the members who have shared their thoughts on the impact of the budget. Based on this feedback, Bira has been robust in its response and judgement of the budget, especially where it is hurting the medium sized independents by as much as an extra cost of £200K per annum.
“We have also held a meeting with members of the Treasury team to discuss our concerns. Whilst there were no indications that any changes would be made, our concerns were listened to.
“We also discussed the proposed reform to business rates which is due to be in place for April 2026. It was clear from the meeting that Bira will be fully involved with this reform.”
Bira, representing over 6,000 independent retailers across the UK, earlier stated that the reduction in business rates relief from 75 per cent to 40 per cent (capped at £110k) from April 2025 will more than double costs for many retailers.
As a post-budget reaction, Goodacre said on Oct 30, "This is without doubt the worst Budget for independent retailers I have seen in my time representing the sector. The government's actions today show complete disregard for the thousands of hard-working shop owners who form the backbone of our high streets.
"Small retailers, who have already endured years of challenging trading conditions, now face a perfect storm of crippling cost increases. Their business rates will more than double as relief drops from 75 per cent to 40 per cent, while they're hit simultaneously with employer National Insurance rising to 15 per cent and a lower threshold of £5,000, down from £9,100. Add to this the minimum wage increase to £12.21, and many of our members are telling us they simply cannot survive this onslaught."