The 2019 Forecourt Report has revealed the vital role that the
UK’s 7,402 forecourt shops play in their local communities,
through providing secure local jobs, providing access to
essential services and taking time out of the business to support
local projects.
More than three quarters (77%) of independent forecourts engaged
in some form of community activity over the last year, not just
through raising money for charity, but also by sponsoring local
teams, being part of litter picks and donating to food banks or
other food charities.
The forecourt sector overall is now worth £4.1bn, with stores
providing jobs for around 92,000 people across the UK.
The Forecourt Report has revealed that independent forecourt
retailers are making significant investments in their businesses,
investing more than twice the amount over the last year on
average (£14,463 per store for indie forecourts) than independent
retailers in the rest of the convenience sector (£7,181 per
store). The majority of independent forecourt retailers (73%) are
also funding investment from their own reserves.
Speaking on the launch of the report, ACS chief executive James
Lowman said: “The forecourt sector has long been recognised as
providing an essential service for motorists, but it’s clear that
modern forecourts are innovative, community-focused retailers in
their own right, make a real positive difference to the places
where they trade and in many cases are leading the rest of the
convenience sector.”
Other key findings from the report include:
- There are around 223,000 plug-in cars and 8,500 plug-in vans
on UK roads
- There are 1,083 electric charging points currently available
at a total of 334 forecourt sites in the UK
- 50% of forecourts offer a hot food to go counter or cabinet
- 28% of forecourts provide a parcel collection point for
customers
- One in four independent forecourts are open 24 hours
The 2019 Forecourt Report is available here:
http://bit.ly/ForecourtReport19
