INTRODUCTION | 5 |
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | 6 |
MAIN REPORT | 24 |
1. Guide to Changing Forecourt Ownership Structure | 25 |
1.1 Current Ownership Arrangements: COCO, CODO and DODO Sites | 25 |
1.2 Cyclical Changes in Ownership and Recent Developments | 34 |
1.3 UK Forecourt Sector Market Breakdown | 37 |
2. Developing the Convenience Offer Alongside Fuel | 41 |
2.1 The Balance between Fuel and Shop | 41 |
2.2 Prioritisation of Convenience Offer Over Fuel | 42 |
2.3 The Role of Fuel: Canopy Brands and Fuel Types | 48 |
2.4 The Difference between Standalone Convenience and Forecourt Convenience | 54 |
2.5 Forecourt Owners: More Time to Think | 60 |
2.6 The Growth of the Forecourt Multiple | 62 |
3. The Forecourt Store Customer | 63 |
3.1 Forecourt Customer Categorisation | 63 |
3.2 Target Customer Groups: Shop Only, Regular Commuters and Females | 65 |
3.3 Average Spend, Impact of High Fuel Price, Seasonal Variation and Day Part | 69 |
4. Category Priorities | 74 |
4.1 Increasing Diversity: "There isn’t a Single Product You Can’t Sell" | 74 |
4.2 Impulse remains Key | 74 |
4.3 Car Accessories | 78 |
4.4 Fresh & Chilled Food | 80 |
4.5 Hot Food & Foodservice | 82 |
4.6 Alcohol | 86 |
4.7 Flexing the Range | 88 |
5. Route to Store: Food and FMCG Buying and Distribution Channels | 92 |
5.1 Buying Channels and Levels of Discipline | 92 |
5.1.1 Supermarket Owned Forecourts | 92 |
5.1.2 Oil Company Owned Forecourts | 93 |
5.1.3 Dealer Owned Forecourts | 96 |
5.2 Distribution Channels and Key Suppliers | 100 |
5.2.1 Delivered Wholesale and Cash and Carry | 100 |
5.2.2 The Local Supermarket | 104 |
5.2.3 Van Sales | 105 |
5.2.4 Direct from Manufacturer | 106 |
5.3 Ordering Methods | 107 |
5.4 EPOS and Back Office Systems | 108 |
5.5 Ensuring Availability | 110 |
5.5.1 Minimal Stock Levels | 110 |
5.5.2 Delivery Frequency | 111 |
5.5.3 Availability Issues & the Back-Up Supplier | 113 |
6. Symbols: Attitudes and Behaviours | 116 |
6.1 Symbol Arrangements | 116 |
6.2 Symbol Representation in Forecourt Sector | 117 |
6.3 Attitudes to Symbols: Forecourt Multiples and Lakeside/Hazelwood | 118 |
6.4 Motivations to Join a Symbol: A Change in Identity | 121 |
6.5 Are Non-Symbols Planning to Join? | 123 |
6.6 Attitudes to Specific Symbol Groups & Reasons for Joining | 125 |
6.7 Member Satisfaction Levels and Buying Loyalty | 128 |
7. Pricing and Promotions | 132 |
7.1 General Pricing Strategies and Strategy Drivers | 132 |
7.2 Price Marked Packs (PMPs) | 139 |
7.3 The Role of Promotions | 143 |
7.3.1 How Many Retailers Run Promotions and How Many Promotions Are Run? | 143 |
7.3.2 What Type of Promotions are Sought? | 146 |
7.4 Marketing the Offer: Leaflets, Loyalty Cards and Display Units and Materials | 150 |
7.4.1 The Consumer Leaflet | 150 |
7.4.2 Fuel Cards | 150 |
7.4.3 Point of Sale and Display Units | 152 |
8. Managing Relationships with Retailers: Discipline and Communication Channels | 156 |
8.1 Retailer Backgrounds | 156 |
8.2 Ethnicity and its Impact on Communications | 158 |
8.3 Channels of Education: Oil Company, Forecourt Multiple, Delivered Wholesaler | 161 |
8.4 The Manufacturer Rep | 167 |
8.5 The Role of Literature Received | 175 |
8.6 The Role of Exhibitions | 179 |
8.7 The Role of Websites | 183 |
9. Refurbishment and Store Development | 187 |
9.1 Refurbishment at Each Level of the Market | 187 |
9.2 The Role of Symbols | 189 |
9.3 Store Extensions: The 2500 sq ft Ideal | 190 |
9.4 Refurbishment Spend | 192 |
9.5 Refurbishment by Ownership | 195 |
9.6 Barriers to Investment: Short-Term Leases and Aging Retailers | 197 |
9.7 Removing the Pumps: Conversions to Standalones and Washing Centres | 197 |
10. The Impact of Crime and Security Measures and Chip and Pin | 200 |
10.1 Petty Theft: Effects on Ranging, Pricing and Product Positioning | 200 |
10.2 Burglary: Effect on Retailer Perceptions of Cigarettes and Cigarette Manufacturers | 203 |
10.3 Store Opening Hours and Closed Door Policies | 205 |
10.4 Drive-Offs | 208 |
10.5 What Influences Drive-Off Levels? Location, Forecourt Design and Store Ownership | 210 |
10.6 Independent Forecourt Multiples: Security Systems with Marketing Applications | 213 |
10.7 Balancing "No Means of Payment" and "The Customer is Always Right" | 215 |
10.8 Security Forums: Dealer, Oil Company and Supermarket Retailers Unite | 216 |
10.9 Chip and Pin | 217 |
11. Outside Payment Terminals and Forecourt Parking | 222 |
11.1 Outside Payment Terminals | 222 |
11.2 Unclogging the Pumps: The role of Split Canopies | 227 |
11.3 Developments in Parking | 230 |
12. Staffing and Delegation | 234 |
12.1 Staffing Issues | 234 |
12.2 Delegation: Staff input in Buying Decision Making | 241 |
12.3 The Staff Spec: Shop or Forecourt Experience Required? | 243 |
12.4 Training | 246 |
13. Forecourt Multiple and Forecourt Collective Profiles | 249 |
13.1 Forecourt Multiples | 249 |
13.1.1 Fuelforce Ltd | 250 |
13.1.2 J R Rix & Sons Ltd | 253 |
13.1.3 Malthurst Ltd | 254 |
13.1.4 Margram Service Stations Ltd | 256 |
13.1.5 MPK Garages Ltd | 257 |
13.1.6 Petrol Express Ltd | 259 |
13.1.7 Snax24 Ltd | 260 |
13.2 Hazlewood & Lakeside Best Practice/Informal Buying Groups | 262 |
13.2.1 The Hazlewood Group and Hazlewood Member Profiles | 263 |
13.2.2 The Lakeside Group and Lakeside Member Profiles | 267 |
13.3 Representative Associations: Garagewatch; PRA; ACS Forecourt Forum | 269 |
13.3.1 Garagewatch | 269 |
13.3.2 The Petrol Retailers' Association (PRA) | 273 |
13.3.3 Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) Forecourt Forum | 274 |
14. Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations used in the Report | 275 |
Technical Appendix | 278 |
Sample Questionnaire | 279 |
Published: July 2004
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