Forecourt operators are preparing for what the RAC says could be the busiest weekend on the roads since Covid, with school half-term and millions embarking on getaway trips from Friday.
It says the day with most cars on the road will be Friday May 24, when more than four million journeys are planned, according to a study it commissioned last week. And it predicts that routes from cities to coasts will be the most congested.
In total, more than 20 million leisure journeys are expected over this late May bank holiday as traffic returns close to 2019’s levels.
As well as anticipating increased sales from heavier traffic, Shell dealer Goran Raven expects an uplift in business from locals firing up their BBQs over the bank holiday weekend.
He is stocking up on BBQ products at his Raven’s Budgens store in Essex for the anticipated good weather, with his Madic EvoBackOffice system’s weather widget showing temperatures likely to peak on Saturday at 21.9C.
He says that he has been building up supplies from a local butcher and strawberry grower, as well as introducing multi-pack displays of soft drinks and alcohol.
“The weather widget on the Madic system is invaluable. It means that we can order in BBQ products with confidence, as sales are so weather dependent,” he said.
“We always like to prepare a week ahead as if you leave it two to three days before it is too late,” said Goran, who has set up a special summer chiller at the entrance of his Abridge shop, as well as introducing stack displays of drinks.
He is spending around £6,000 a week on BBQ meat, such as buffalo chicken wings and Cumberland sausage swirls, to keep this refrigerator topped up. And he is creating interest with strong promotions, such as the meat packs on a three for £10 deal.
”The sunshine over the past 10 days has had a remarkable effect, with the shop 22% above where we were this time last year,” he added.
