Forecourt retailers invested almost £19,000 on average per store over the past year, 58% more than they did in 2023, new data from the ACS shows.
According to the trade body’s 2024 Forecourt Report, which was published today and covered 8,347 sites, the top area of investment was refrigeration, followed by technology, such as electronic shelf labels, then shelving.
Other areas included crime security measures, in-store signage and lighting.
“Forecourt retailers have made significant investments in improving their offer to customers over the last year, spending money on futureproofing their stores through new technology and refrigeration, as well as into services like parcel collection points and click & collect for groceries,” said ACS CEO James Lowman.
“Investments in facilities for motorists to power their vehicles – whether that’s EV charging, new tanks or pump technology – come with high cost and risk for these businesses against the backdrop of uncertainty over the rate of EV adoption and future fuel margins.
“Whereas changes to stores are usually small and iterative and can be reversed and altered at a proportionate cost, each of these infrastructure investments is business critical. The sector needs consistency, certainty and feasible lead times to plan effectively.”
The forecourt report revealed the sector’s sales reached £5bn, excluding fuel, over the past year, up 2% from £4.9bn in 2023. The top drivers of sales was tobacco and vaping, soft drinks, and BWS.
It also found 84% of forecourt retailers were active in their communities, such as raising money for local charities and donating to food banks, while 17% of UK forecourts now also had pay at pump facilities, with 6% providing EV charging points.
“It’s encouraging to see that more forecourt retailers are investing time and effort into community engagement,” added Lowman. “For tens of thousands of people, their main local shop also sells fuel, so being a community hub is just as important for forecourt retailers as it is for their standalone convenience counterparts.”
ACS said petrol forecourts were ranked as the fifth most essential service on local high streets, behind banks and ahead of pubs and bars.
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