Few motorists pull in at a service station just to fill the
tank. As journey times and distances have increased, a service
station represents the chance to take a well-earned break and
buy some essentials for the onward journey.
Today's forecourt shops offer convenience, ease of access and
long opening hours, which appeal to busy consumers. Indeed,
research conducted by Research and Markets Ltd in 2003 revealed
that nearly one in five adults often make impulse purchases
when paying for petrol at forecourt retail outlets. Nearly three
in ten consumers said they visit the forecourt shop (sometimes
or often), even if they do not need to buy petrol. Forecourt
operators have capitalised on this by developing their product
ranges to include merchandise such as cigarettes, confectionery,
soft drinks, hot and cold snacks, groceries, newspapers and
magazines and car care products. They have also invested in
the latest retail technology to enhance service and improve
operational efficiency.
Take Q8 for example, or Kuwait Petroleum International to
give the company its full name. It was established in 1983
to oversee the downstream marketing operations of Kuwait Petroleum
Corporation (KPC) and now has a network of 5,000 service stations
across eight countries, including Italy, Germany and the UK.
Kuwait Petroleum (GB) Ltd has been at the forefront of expanding
the range of services offered at its outlets, forming alliances
with companies such as Budgens and SPAR to develop convenience
stores and fast food outlets where market conditions permit.
It has also invested in Iridium forecourt management software
(from Exeter-based Arciris) for its UK service stations, running
on Epson's touchscreen Intelligent Register (IR).
Describing how Q8 made its decision, Retail Automation Manager,
William Waters explained: "We required a solution which
was reliable; capable of supporting promotions; online authorisation;
and - in the near future - Chip and PIN. We chose the Epson
hardware first because the IR looked such an excellent product
and we wanted an intuitive touchscreen interface for our cashiers.
"We had an existing business relationship with Arciris
as the company implemented our Visual Loyalty scheme and we
knew Iridium would link well with this. Then, when we saw
the Iridium EPoS software in operation, we quickly recognised
it offered the right blend of reliability, compact design,
ease of use and functionality. Another factor was that 26
of our sites were using our own back office IT system - Arciris
was able to interface Iridium to this, while the other sites
were supplied with a version of Prism (the Arciris back office
software)."
The KPGB system provides standard Iridium functionality such
as integrated pump control and integrated EFT to ensure an
efficient point of sale. It also has a dial-up connection
to Q8's Head Office. In addition, it has a third party supplier
interface so sites can raise orders electronically (if the
supplier has the technology) rather than battle through the
necessary paperwork. Product prices and promotional information
can be quickly communicated to each store so that customers
can benefit.
With the rollout complete, William Waters is confident that
all the EPoS essentials are now in place. He concluded: "The
most important thing is that we now have a technology platform
which will allow us to move forward and develop as a business."
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