The 2021 Forecourt Report has highlighted the vital role that the UK’s 7,395 forecourt shops play in their local communities. The latest figures show that these retail sites provide over 88,000 secure local jobs, provide access to essential services and take time out of the business to support local projects. Other key findings from the report include: > More than one in three independent forecourt operators (37%) took no days off over the last year > There are around 305,000 PHEVs and 298,190 fully electric vehicles registered in the UK > There are around 536 charging points at 405 forecourt locations (excluding service stations) in the UK, part of a wider network of over 16,000 charging locations > Around one in four independent forecourts are open 24 hours Speaking on the launch of the report.

more »

From 4am on 18 January, if people intend to travel to England, Scotland, or Wales, including UK nationals returning home from travel abroad, they must provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result taken up to 3 days before departure. If they do not comply (and they do not have a valid exemption) the airline or carrier may refuse them boarding and/or they may be fined on arrival. All other current entry requirements and restrictions continue to apply. The Prime Minister Boris Johnson explained the new rules at today's Coronavirus briefing, 'Because we have the hope of that vaccine and the risk of new strains coming from overseas that we must take additional steps now to stop those strains from entering the country.

more »

The Irish Government has announced that from tomorrow, Saturday, 16 January, all passengers arriving into the State must have a negative or not detected COVID-19 PCR test, taken no more than 72 hours prior to arrival into Ireland. Passengers may be asked to present evidence of their negative or not detected result before boarding their aircraft prior to departure, and will be required to produce this evidence to Immigration Officers upon arrival at Dublin Airport. Passengers arriving from red or grey list regions - as defined by the EU traffic light system - and all other locations outside of Europe, should restrict their movements for 14 days after arrival. However, the need to restrict movements for 14 days can be waived for passengers who have a negative or not-detected result from a PCR test taken no less than five days after arrival in the State.

more »

Foodservice business at airports, motorway services, train stations and petrol forecourts now worth £2.75bn, with consumer spend up 11% in past year With the holiday getaway in full swing, and the August bank holiday less than two weeks away, global information company The NPD Group says Britain’s travel hubs – airports, motorway service stations, train stations and petrol forecourts – now represent a distinct foodservice market. The value of the travel hub foodservice market increased by over +11% for the year ending (YE) June 2019, from £2.47bn to £2.75bn. Visits were up from 576 million to 619 million, an increase of more than +7%. The travel hub foodservice market is already the same size in visit terms as the delivery sector was at the end of 2015.

more »

The 2018 Forecourt Report has revealed the essential role that the UK's 8,418 forecourts play in the lives of consumers, the improvements that forecourts are making in their businesses, and the challenges they face in the future. The report details the investment that forecourt stores are making in improving their offering to customers through new technologies, more efficient refrigeration and a wider food offer, with over £11k invested per store on average. Other key findings from the report include: • The forecourt sector provides almost 95,000 jobs for people throughout the UK • Forecourt retailers generated over £4.1bn in sales over the last year • There are 254 electric charging points located on 197 forecourts around the UK • Half of the UK’s forecourt sites are situated in rural areas.

more »

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced that Night Overground services will begin in east London on Friday 15 December, making travelling at night even easier for thousands of Londoners. The 24-hour services will operate on Friday and Saturday nights on the London Overground between New Cross Gate and Dalston Junction, extending to Highbury & Islington next year. This will help Londoners working through the night as well as those enjoying east London’s thriving nightlife. The launch follows the success of the Night Tube which has seen more than nine million journeys and contributed more than £170m to London’s economy in its first year. The announcement comes as London Overground celebrates 10 years of successful service.

more »

Forecourt operators, which are able to invest in their businesses, are redeveloping their sites as roadside retail destinations with symbol group convenience stores, and franchises such as Subway, Greggs, Starbucks and Burger King springing up. David Moss, Shell's retail general manager, North Europe, commented, 'I've been impressed to see the level of investment that dealers are making to improve their facilities for customers. I'm seeing well-maintained, clean sites with services that are designed to give customers a great retail experience. 'More dealers are optimising their facilities through a strong convenience offer for motorists on the move, as well as identifying smart co-locator opportunities that work for their local communities.

more »

The Travel Association estimates that over four million passengers will be heading overseas through Christmas and New Year period [18 December-2 January], with the peak travel days predicted to be 18, 23, and 30 December on the weekends either side of Christmas. ABTA is advising customers to leave extra time to get to the airports as the roads will be very busy and to check in advance for any travel restrictions if using public transport. Holidaymakers are either heading off for some much needed winter sun or to colder climes. Winter sun lovers are heading to the Canary Islands, Morocco and the Cape Verde Islands and for those flying long haul Dubai, Mexico and Cuba. Winter sports lovers are heading off to the continent with Switzerland.

more »

According to Rail Travel, a new Market Report from Key Note, in 2013/2014 the total value of passenger receipts for UK rail travel increased by 6.2% year-on-year, and grew by 32.5% over a 5-year period. In addition, passenger journeys grew by 23.5% over the 5-year review period, with passenger kilometres travelled also growing by 17.9% over the same timeframe. For the purpose of this report, the rail industry in the UK has been split into four distinct sectors. Firstly, National Rail, which represents the largest share of the industry in terms of passenger receipts. Secondly, urban rail services, which include underground systems such as those in London and Glasgow, in addition to other metro.

more »

More than half of those aged under 44 are considering taking a cruise and will spend more money on board, new research has revealed. Travelzoo surveyed 2,320 of its customers in September over their feelings about cruise. The results show that 56% of those under 44 are currently considering a cruise, and that two thirds of the age group would happily dine in a specialty restaurant, even if it meant paying a supplement. Less than half of the over-65 market would be happy to pay the extra, while a quarter said they would never frequent a restaurant requiring a supplement. Younger would-be cruisers are also keen to spend more time in port hunting for local delicacies, with 95% of those under 34 wishing to do so.

more »

Heathrow has today announced that it is the only airport in the world to provide passengers with an on-board picnic offering from every one of its restaurants. To celebrate this, the airport has brought elements of London’s iconic parks to Terminal 2 for one week only, through a sensory park pod. Situated in Terminal 2, the park pod will incorporate the best that London’s parks have to offer, from the smell of freshly cut grass to the sound of birds chirping in the trees. When drawing inspiration for the park pod, Heathrow asked passengers to list their favourite parks, with the research revealing British passengers’ top 5 London parks as: Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, Richmond Park, Greenwich Park and Victoria Park.

more »

Flight prices are expected to rise in the UK next year as the economy continues to improve, according to a study by Carlson Wagonlit Travel and the GBTA. Overall business travel spending in the UK is set to rise by 5.1% in 2015, compared to an estimated rise of 4.4% during this year, according to the 2015 Global Travel Price Outlook. Airfares are set to rise by 1% in the UK next year due to “price competition” from no-frills airlines such as Easyjet and Ryanair. This increase is significantly lower than the forecast global rise in airfares of 2.2% next year to an average ticket price of £482. Better news for buyers is that ground transport costs in the UK are projected to fall slightly by 0.

more »

The cruise industry continues to play its part in helping Europe’s economy emerge from the economic downturn by delivering another strong year of growth in 2013. Figures released today by CLIA Europe have revealed that the cruise industry’s economic output in Europe reached £31.6bn in 2013, an all-time high, up from £30.4bn in 2012.The direct expenditures generated by the industry reached £13bn, up from £12.4bn in 2012. In terms of employment generation, in 2013 the cruise industry accounted for 339,417 jobs. Three major factors largely account for the cruise industry’s strong year-on-year growth: an increase in European sourced passengers; a surge in the number of cruise passengers embarking from European ports.

more »

A recent YouGov report shows that lower prices would be the key motivator in persuading more people to buy food and drink at railway stations or on trains, while healthy options and increased quality are also desired. The research showed that 72% of respondents believe the food available at railway stations to be overpriced, while only 8% say the food represented good value for money. Seven in ten (70%) assert that lower prices would potentially persuade them to buy food either in the station or on board. In the words of one 50-year-old male respondent; “food is always overpriced and not good value for money, [it] only suits people on business who can claim cost back on expenses.” Fresher food (58%).

more »

Heathrow has announced that The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, will be officially opening Terminal 2 on June 23. The old Terminal 2, opened by The Queen in 1955, was demolished after 54 years of service. It was Heathrow's first terminal, originally called the 'Europa Building' and was designed to deal with 1.2 million passengers a year. By the time it closed in 2009 it was handling 8 million passengers a year. The new Terminal 2 is part of the Heathrow’s on-going transformation and is a £2.5 billion development by luis vidal + architects which has taken five years to complete. Terminal 2 will be a new international gateway for the UK, a home to 23 Star Alliance airlines as well as Aer Lingus.

more »

IBISWorld’s Petrol Stations market research report shows the sector's sales stand at £16bn in Feb 2014 which is down by 2.2% from 2009. There are currently 3,130 sites which employ 44,327 staff. Over the past five years, within this saturated market, operators have tried to navigate through rising oil prices and vigorous competition. Soaring oil prices early in the period led to sharp increases in transport fuel costs and stagnating demand. Although oil and fuel prices declined during the recession, weak activity and fears of future price rises curbed retail fuel sales. Drivers have been gradually switching to more fuel-efficient diesel-powered cars, which has damaged the industry because it means motorists can drive further on less fuel.

more »

The operator of Heathrow airport has slammed a price cap limiting how much it can charge airlines to use the west London site. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has imposed a far greater price cap on the amount it can charge airlines than it originally proposed. From April, prices can only rise by 1.5% below the retail prices index (RPI) measure of inflation at Britain's busiest airport. Heathrow, whose owners include Spain's Ferrovial and the sovereign wealth funds of Qatar, China and Singapore, described the cap as draconian. Its chief executive, Colin Matthews, said, 'We want to continue to improve Heathrow for passengers. We will review our investment plan to see whether it is still financeable in light of the CAA's settlement.

more »

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK's specialist aviation regulator, has ruled that Heathrow airport would have to reduce airline fees by 1.5% in real terms every year between 2014 and 2019. It also pledged to introduce more robust regulation of the fees charged by Gatwick, so that airline contracts remained consistent with the price and quality of the service offered. CAA chair Dame Deirdre Hutton claimed that the cost of flights would fall as a result of this action. She said: 'These decisions are good news for air passengers. They will see prices fall, whilst still being able to look forward to high service standards, thanks to a robust licensing regime. 'We have focused on putting the passengers’ interest at the heart of our decisions and today’s announcement means passengers can look forward to lower prices and high service quality from London’s busiest airports.

more »

Eurostar and world-renowned Chef Patron, Raymond Blanc OBE, are today launching new winter menus for Eurostar’s Business Premier passengers, complete with Europe’s first high-speed Afternoon Tea offering, which will be served between 14.00 and 17.30. Responding to customer feedback which indicated a preference for lighter afternoon meals, Raymond Blanc has worked closely with Eurostar’s catering suppliers in the UK, France and Belgium to create a brand new Afternoon Tea offering. The new British inspired Afternoon Tea will feature a traditional cake as well as classic English scones from Raymond Blanc’s own recipe, served with clotted cream and strawberry jam. In addition to the classic British scones.

more »

Forecourt stores from England, Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic will be competing for the title of International Convenience Retailer of the Year 2013. The awards are organised by Insight Research in the UK and NACS (National Association of Convenience Stores) in the US, and the first stage is an online voting process. Votes can only come from retailers or industry suppliers and the stores with the highest votes will go through to the final which will be held in London in September. Symonds Retail, winner of Forecourt Trader of the Year 2012 with its store at Wells, Somerset, is entering. Also competing are: Parkfoot Garage, a Spar store in West Malling, Kent, Belfast's Spar Brackenvale.

more »