• Forecourts feeling the strain from delayed and rationed deliveries

  • Hand car wash firms fined £2.7m for employing illegal workers

  • Park Garage Group plans further pure water machines for ‘streak-free’ jet washing

  • Fuel rationing likely if oil disruption continues

  • Fuel thefts spike following pump-price rises

  • Forecourt sector speaks to media to hit back at rip-off claims

  • PRA to refute “price gouging” accusations at roundtable with Rachel Reeves

  • CMA “steps up” monitoring of fuel retailers in light of Iran war

  • Spar Malone Road crowned Convenience Retailer of the Year 2026

  • Pump prices haven’t yet peaked, warn industry experts

Highlights

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COMMENT: Treat car wash as a core retail proposition

2026-03-19T09:31:00+00:00By Ryan Lenihan

The UK car wash market is entering a period of meaningful transformation, driven by changing customer expectations and lessons from more mature European markets, says Wash Tec’s Ryan Lenihan.

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FOCUS ON: Five things to know about food to go

2026-03-18T09:29:00+00:00By

Some intriguing facts: around 95% of the UK’s cars still need petrol and diesel, while 100% of people run on food. And, despite changes to lifestyles and working patterns, Brits still drive 7,000 miles annually, spending an average of 362 hours in their cars each year.

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COMMENT: Price gouging is definitely happening at the forecourt: the government is doing it

2026-03-16T12:37:00+00:00By

It really comes to something when you’re not only accused of doing something you’re not doing, but when the person accusing you is the one carrying out the unwanted behaviour – but that’s exactly where we are when it comes to talk of ‘price gouging’ at the petrol pump.

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COMMENT: Don’t blame forecourts for rising fuel prices

2026-03-13T16:55:00+00:00By Juliet Morrison

Emotions were running high ahead of today’s meeting between fuel bosses and government ministers who are pointing the finger at forecourts for increased prices at the pump.

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FOCUS ON ANTI-CRIME TECHNOLOGY: Operation deterrent

2026-03-11T05:52:00+00:00By

Last month, anti-crime technology hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons when a customer at Sainsbury’s Elephant & Castle store was told to leave because facial recognition software had identified him as an offender.

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SUMMIT: 10 takeaways from Forecourt Trader’s annual conference

2026-03-10T14:25:00+00:00By

From social media to solar panels and security equipment: speakers at this year’s Summit shared insights to the 186 attendees on what is making their businesses tick.

  • The hidden impact of fuel price transparency

  • Accelerate the fight against drive-offs

  • Heat up your sales with hot food and soft drinks combos

  • How forecourts are adapting to the new payment landscape

  • How parcel lockers are cementing forecourts as multi-purpose destinations

  • Why compliance is your untapped growth driver

  • The Five Pillars of Fuel Pricing

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