Operators across the UK are investing in their forecourts to provide true points of difference, with more fuel options, food to go and additional services all growing footfall and increasing profits.
Gone are the days when people stopped at a forecourt purely for petrol. These days you have your pick of different fuel grades, can grab lunch, post letters, and even do a laundry load.
Jamie Wood, who owns four forecourts in Scotland, including SLR Forecourt Retailer of the Year, St Michael’s Services in Dumfries, explains how convenience has become a major priority for the industry.
“For a good number of years now, the sector has changed from being very fuel-focused to looking at what else can be offered as a convenience purchase for people using forecourts,” he says. “More and more forecourts are developing very attractive convenience stores to provide people with a one-stop shop for the necessities.”
St Michael’s is a prime example of this, having undergone a complete rebuild of its shop, which was completed 15 months ago, expanding the retail space from 500sq ft to 2,800sq ft.
“With the extra space we were able to put in food to go, as well as a much bigger selection of all the usual convenience things like confectionery, alcohol and grocery.”
“We didn’t have any hot food to go before,” he says. “We went with Stone Willy’s Kitchen, which is relatively new to the UK, but it seems to be a growing brand, and it seems to be doing quite well. We also have Rollover hot dogs; they go really well and we do some stuff from Country Choice as well.”
Hot drinks to go is another area that has seen huge levels of investment. “Coffee has become a big deal in filling stations and I think, as a nation, we seem to have become addicted to coffee and everybody likes to have a coffee in the car if they’re going on a journey,” says Jamie. “It has become a huge part of the business. Obviously, Costa is probably the biggest brand in express coffee machines, and we have Costa machines in all our sites now. Because it’s such a big, well-known, popular brand, it actually helps drive football into the sites and then to the shops as well.”
Food and drink to go has also been a major focus for Gulf forecourt stores. “The Scottish forecourt sector is ever-evolving, and operators within the sector are focussing on tailoring their range, services and facilities towards the segmentation they sit within,” says Donald MacGregor, Store Development Manager at Certas Energy UK. “This could be transient on-the-go, local convenience, or a hybrid of both.
“The key is to identify the consumer market and rise to meet its needs.”
Gulf Nairn Service Station in Inverness has done exactly this, having recently had a £100,000 investment from Certas Energy. “Not only has this investment brought the site up to date, but it’s also enabled the site to make way for new products which are expected to be popular with its local customers – which include around 600 local school children a week,” says MacDonald. “New products, such as Rollover hot dogs, bakery and hot food items, along with hot drinks and slushies, have already been very popular.”
More than 70 classic car enthusiasts gathered for an unforgettable journey across Scotland and England, from Glasgow to Bristol as part of the Gulf Road Trip last month. Clocking up over 300 miles in total, the cars created a brilliant reason for customers to check out what was on offer at their local forecourts, as they came to admire the classic cars.
“Operators should always be on the lookout for unique innovations and opportunities outside of their forecourt,” says Donald MacGregor, Store Development Manager at Certas Energy UK.
“For example, Lowmoss Service Station and Cumbernauld Fuel Express in Glasgow have recently hosted a classic car club, which made up part of the Gulf Road Trip.
“The teams rolled out the red carpet for Glasgow Moggies, a classic Morris Minor owners club, who met the friendly on-site Gulf teams and sampled tasty treats including Costa Coffee drinks and Rollover hotdogs.
“Not only did they have their moment in the spotlight for a photoshoot, which drew crowds including residents and other car enthusiasts, but it was also great to shine a light on Certas’s independent sites through the road trip.”
Down south, forecourts have also been investing in retail. In 2023, MPK Garages transformed 28 of its forecourt sites into co-branded Pop-In Daily/Nisa stores.
This allowed MPK to expand its retail offering under the Pop-In Daily brand while leveraging Nisa’s product range and support to enhance the shopping experience for customers across its locations.
The 28 Pop-In Daily stores, located primarily in the Midlands and along key transport routes such as the M5 between Birmingham and Bristol, and the M1 from Nottingham to Durham, range in size from 1,000 to 3,000 square feet. These stores prioritise convenience with a strong focus on food to go and chilled products, key offerings that cater to the needs of today’s fast-paced consumers.
Wayne Harrand, MPK’s Retail Director, says: “The flexibility Nisa provides allows us to adapt our product range to fit the specific needs of each location, whether we’re focusing on groceries or fresh, chilled products. This ability to tailor our offering is key to serving our diverse customer base.
“Co-op’s fresh range, particularly their sandwiches and chilled snacks, has been a standout for our customers at Pop-In Daily stores. This has enabled us to provide high-quality, fresh choices alongside everyday convenience items.”
In 2023, MPK stores’ gross profit and margins increased, with food to go and convenience items contributing significantly to the growth.
Adding extra services is another vital way forecourts are stepping up their game. “Take car washing – more and more sites have either jet wash facilities or drive-through washing,” says Jamie. “We did away with the drive-through wash because we found that it was not as popular with customers and made it into a three-bay covered jet wash. We also added a vacuum, air compressor and screen wash facility under the canopy, so it’s just about trying to make the facilities more user friendly and inviting.”
He has also introduced a post office at St Michael’s in Dumfries as an additional community service and a 24/7 laundrette, which can handle larger items, team kits and horse blankets.
As Certas’ MacGregor says: “Investing wisely, focussing on your shopper journey and being as innovative as possible will help operators stand out from the crowd.”
There have been wheel spins aplenty as forecourts and their customers gather to celebrate JET’s 70th birthday.
The brand created a series of platinum-themed marketing activities and revealed a retro logo to mark its special milestone, as well as themed tote bags.
The business was originally a single service station established back in 1954 by John Willy ‘Bill’ Roberts. He got the idea for the company name from the licence plate on his first tanker: JET 855.
Seven decades on and there are 307 JET sites across the UK.
The firm has been sharing its rich heritage as part of a ‘memory lane’ content series, which features dealers, staff and customers.
A series of platinum Behind the Business dealer interviews was also created.
