Operational Efficiency in European Fuel Retailing

Table of Contents

• CHAPTER 1 Executive summary
  • National majors are aggressively entering the less mature,but expanding Central and Eastern European fuel retailing market
  • Europes more mature fuel retailing sectors arecharacterised by site rationalisation, whilst supermarkets are generallydriving efficiency gains
• CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCTION
  • This brief is aimed at those seeking a greaterunderstanding of the varying degrees of operational efficiency currentlyprevailing in the European fuel retailing sector
• CHAPTER 3 MARKET CONTEXT
  • Luxembourg has the highest average fuel throughput persite in Europe, reflecting its close proximity to key transit routes
  • The Benelux region has the highest geographical coverageof petrol stations per square kilometre
  • Slovenia is the most concentrated market in terms of siteownership
  • France has the most fragmented fuel retail sector in termsof the fuel volume share controlled by its leading suppliers
• Chapter 4 Market trends
  • Bulgaria has the lowest average national throughput inEurope as site expansion outstrips fuel demand growth
  • Petrol Bulgaria must rationalise and refurbish in order tostave off aggressive competition from international majors
  • Romanian fuel demand growth is supporting high averagethroughput in an immature European fuel retailing market
  • Romanias growing demand has attracted aggressiveentrants, requiring Petrom to invest in protecting its market position
  • The Czech fuel retailing market is increasing site numbersin line with demand and sustaining levels of throughput
  • Consistent fuel demand growth is pushing both national andinternational retailers to expand their Czech operations
  • Growth in Polish throughput per site is failing to keeppace with underlying fuel demand growth
  • Polands former state incumbent is facing increasinglystiff competition from highly efficient foreign players
  • Rigorous site rationalisation is required if Italy is toaddress its relatively low throughput per site and market overcrowding
  • Agip is protecting volume market share and underpinningthroughput per site due to ongoing site rationalisation
  • Despite lagging other Western European markets, Swedishthroughput per site continues to register consistent growth
  • Statoil and Q8 are effectively protecting fuel marketshare and improving throughput in Swedens forecourt
  • Strong Spanish fuel demand growth is keeping averagethroughput per site amongst the highest in Europe
  • Site rationalisation has seen Spanish incumbentssuccessfully protect throughput and volume share in an expanding sector
  • The UK is maintaining one of the highest average nationalfuel throughputs in Europe through sector-wide rationalisation
  • In the UKs competitive fuel retailing market,supermarkets continue to be the key challenger to the traditional majors
  • With site rationalisation again prevalent, France ismaintaining growth in throughput per site in the face of falling fueldemand
  • Supermarkets are driving efficiency across the fuelretailing market, pushing traditional majors into a defensive strategy
  • Germanys average national throughput and wider marketcompetition is stagnating behind slumping fuel demand
  • Throughput per site plateaus as Aral and Shell continue todominate the German fuel retailing market
  • Related reports and contact details
  • European Forecourt Retailing Database - Data methodology
• List of Figures
  • Figure 1: Target audience
  • Figure 2: Average national fuel throughput per sitevaries dramatically across Europe
  • Figure 3: A crowded Benelux region contrasts sparsepetrol station coverage in Scandinavia
  • Figure 4: Market concentration by site numbers variessignificantly and does not necessarily reflect the maturity of individualmarkets
  • Figure 5: Frances leading fuel retailers have the leastmarket control in terms of fuel volumes
  • Figure 6: Bulgarian average throughput per site is thelowest in Europe
  • Figure 7: Petrol has the lowest average throughput inthe Bulgarian fuel retailing market
  • Figure 8: Romanian average throughput per site isamongst the highest in Europe
  • Figure 9: Former state incumbent, Petrom, maintains arelatively high average throughput per site
  • Figure 10: Stable throughput per site reflects generalCzech market efficiency
  • Figure 11: Benzina has the lowest throughput per site inthe Czech Republic
  • Figure 12: Polish average throughput per site is belowthe European average
  • Figure 13: PKN Orlen has the lowest average throughputper site in Poland
  • Figure 14: Italys forecourt is amongst the leastefficient in Europe
  • Figure 15: Agip is more efficient at retailing fuel thanthe majority of its competitors
  • Figure 16: Sweden has the fourth lowest geographicalcoverage of sites
  • Figure 17: Key players Q8 and Statoil are successfullyprotecting fuel volume market share
  • Figure 18: Spain has the second highest averagethroughput per site in Europe
  • Figure 19: New entrants have been unable to acquirenotable market share from Respol and Cepsa
  • Figure 20: The UK is the fifth most efficient fuelretailing market in Europe by average site throughput
  • Figure 21: Tesco is the key driver of efficiency gainsin average site throughput
  • Figure 22: Frances mature forecourt is the mostfragmented market by fuel volume share
  • Figure 23: Supermarkets are driving efficiency gains inFrances fuel retailing market
  • Figure 24: Germanys has the least crowded market byregistered vehicles per site
  • Figure 25: BP and Shell are largest retailers in termsof both site presence and fuel volume share