Fresh Trading Co. ready to fill a ‘gap in the market’ New servo for the city

THE servo boom continues in Townsville with another brand set to throw open its doors and get the bowser pumping next month.

But the new Riverway Drive petrol station is much more than just a place to fill up your gas guzzler.

The Mobil branded site, is actually a Fresh Trading Co. convenience store, carrying the major petrol company’s fuel. It will be the second Queensland site for Fresh Trading Co. which believes there is big business in convenience.

“It’s an expanded convenience offer, it’s not just chips and drinks,” HR manager Caroline Smethurst said.

“People have changed their shopping habits. They don’t want to go to the Westfield carpark with 600 other cars to get through to get their evening meal and people don’t do big weekly shops anymore.

“We saw there was a gap in the market here (in Rasmussen), there’s quite a lot of traffic and a lot of residential development so we can support the emerging community.”

A further six sites are planned for 2021 between Townsville and Brisbane including a flagship store at Mount Louisa. That larger format outfit with a professional kitchen, will use local produce to create food that can be sold in the Rasmussen outlet.

The stores stock a range of household essentials, bespoke products from local suppliers and expanded ‘food-to-go’ including Youfoodz and fresh-made meals.

Managing director of Fresh Trading Co. Leon Key said there were no limitations on what the stores can adapt into their ranges as they are not constrained by major fuel brands.

The RACQ says it’s almost impossible to separate convenience store and fuel retailing as they’re effectively the same industry.

Analysis suggests fuel retailer profits are approximately two thirds convenience products and one third fuel, but that varies.

The opening of the site at Rasmussen follows the opening of a United servo at Cranbrook in August and two new Liberty service stations in Idalia and Hermit Park earlier this year.