Retail Marketing Survey 2014

This year’s Retail Marketing Survey, cross-referenced with numbers supplied by market analyst Experian Catalist, indicates that the number of forecourts in the UK at the close of 2013 stood at 8,611 sites.

The oil company branded fuel retailers are the largest grouping in the UK forecourt sector, with 4,777 outlets selling under six main UK brands (see p2). The main retailer sector comprises 15 companies or groups, operating a total of 1,605 sites (see p4). Certas Energy (previously GB Oils) supplies the four largest brandings in this grouping (409 branded Gulf; 399 outlets branded Scottish Fuels, Power, UK, Proteus/’Other’; 156 branded Total; and 130 under the Pace brand), with Harvest Energy fifth in the line-up, supplying 106 sites under its brand. Meanwhile, the supermarkets continue to hold a significant chunk of the network, with 1,381 outlets in total, led by Tesco with 498 sites.

The 10 companies that make up the other retailers category maintained their market share, with 80 sites at the close of 2013 (see p6).

The small and unbranded sector, which makes up the balance of the UK network, numbered 768 by year-end.

Fuel prices fell from an average of 136.26 p/l for petrol in 2012 to 134.88 p/l in 2013, and from 142.39 p/l for diesel to 140.74 p/l (see p12; see also article on p18). Meanwhile, petrol sales fell to 12.57mn tonnes by yearend; while diesel sales rose slightly to 14.83mn tonnes (see p14). Total 2013 road fuel sales for the year were 35.42mn tonnes. Registered UK vehicles once again broke records in 2013, to reach 35.21mn, with each forecourt supplying an average of 4,089 vehicles.

Our feature articles include a review of late-2013 proposed changes to petroleum legislation in the UK, consultation on which closed in February (see p13). The most significant change in the proposed regulations is the replacement of ‘licences’ with ‘certificates’, which from an industry’s perspective would be a positive step forward. We also consider the UK’s supply resilience against a backdrop of closing export markets and lower demand for petrol and ask if midstream suppliers can fill the gap.