Petrol stations a future dining destination
Your local service station may be your next foodie destination as fuel chains shift focus towards quality food.
BP and Mobil recently introduced selfservice technology to pay for filling up and Z Energy has indicated it plans to start a new payment system this month.
But with customers remaining at the pump to pay, petrol companies are having to come up with new ways to entice customers inside.
The evolving retail strategy of petrol stations has already landed in Australia.
One Caltex station in Sydney transformed its Star Mart into The Foodary in February.
The revamped store offers postal and dry cleaning services, and has improved the quality of coffee and food available.
Food and fuel can be ordered and paid for on a mobile phone so customers can walk in and pick up pre-purchased goods without waiting in line.
Duncan Cotterill associate lawyer and retail specialist Katrina Hammon said petrol companies were converting sites into food destinations.
‘‘They’re trying to bring in credible brands to offer fast food and put it in their stores because the stores are where they drive foot traffic,’’ she said.
‘‘They’re focusing on refuelling the person as well as the car. As different options for fuel grow, going forward they will need to convert those sites into more conventional retail and food businesses.’’
‘‘Petrol stations need customers to have more than a reason to visit them than refuelling their car. They are also contaminated sites and are difficult to sell so it’s easier to convert them than to sell a contaminated piece of land or lease to someone else.’’
Petrol stations had already experimented with takeaway chains such as Subway, Mcdonalds, and Burger King. But many had failed to draw people in.
‘‘You wouldn’t go and buy a salad from Caltex unless there was a brand on it that was credible,’’ Hammon said.
Otago University senior lecturer John Guthrie said the changing face of petrol stations was fascinating to watch.
‘‘It’s obvious digital marketing and social media are starting to dominate so [petrol] companies are leaning in that direction, but they need to keep an eye on revenue streams,’’ he said.
‘‘The danger is the convenience of the pump starts to over-ride the desire to jump in and buy lunch.’’