A CURRENT AFFAIR – BOWSER BANDITS
Petrol stations are turning to high-tech artificial intelligence to put the brakes on a surge in fuel theft sweeping the country. The technology – already in operation at more than 400 sites nationally – has prevented or recovered $15 million worth of petrol drive-offs, according to SenSen Artificial Intelligence. SenSen’s Director of Clients and Markets Nathan Rogers said the system linked up to service stations’ existing CCTV network and automatically scanned number plates when cars pulled up to the pump. He said an alarm notified attendants inside when vehicles had previously been flagged as having stolen fuel from another site also using the technology. The bowser would then be disabled. “What the operator would do if one of them turned red is they would get on the intercom and they would ask that driver to come in and give them a card which will allow them to clear any debt,”…
Read MoreSTATE OF THE INDUSTRY UPDATE FROM NACS
Chris Rapanick, managing director of research at NACS, led attendees of “State of the Industry Update: Leveraging the Latest Financial Benchmarks” through a deep dive of the convenience industry’s financial report card with “a goal to help you make use of this data to make better strategic decisions.” The session covered top-of-mind and key performance metrics on inflation, fuel and store counts based on the data presented at the State of the Industry Summit in April 2023. While a lot has changed since earlier in the year, inflation remains a top concern. “Everyone was concerned with how inflation was affecting business and asking, ‘How bad will it get?’” noted Rapanick. NACS, using BLS data and other syndicated sources, determined the actual level of inflation on the categories accounting for at least 85% of sales (for example, salty snacks). This meant, “If you were operating in 2022 and you grew your…
Read More2023 Snackonomics Report
Amidst a return to post-pandemic normalcy and rapid inflation, consumers find themselves at the centre of a storm. With price becoming a top concern, shoppers are modifying their behaviours to minimise the impact on their wallets. The new research report, Snackonomics, drills into the $135B snacking segment, revealing insights into shopper preferences around channel choices, brand-versus-private-label, meal behaviours, pack sizes, ingredient formulation, and more. The fast-growing snack market may be viewed as a microcosm of shopper trends across the total food market, reflecting widespread consumer preferences for value, convenience, flavour profiles, and healthy ingredients. Learn more about snack market trends and shifts; the evolution of when and where people are eating; and nutrition and formulation. Download the report here to learn which 5 levers snack brands can utilise to find growth beyond inflation. Source: NIQ
Read MoreEV SALES PREDICTIONS PLUNGE AMID ROLL OUT OF SECOND-RATE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE
Small business petrol station owners have renewed a call for the Federal Government tohelp fund critical power grid upgrades that would allow them to install fast charginginfrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs). Australian Association of Convenience Stores (ACCS) CEO Theo Foukkare said businessowners wanted to offer the renewable energy option, however most were not able to fundthe half a million-dollar upgrade and installation cost. “We’ve got thousands of AACS members across the nation that want to go green – butthey’re not able to find the half a million dollars to do it on their own,” he said. The Federal Government’s released its Electric Vehicle Strategy in April, which it said aimedto boost supply and demand of EVs, which Mr Foukkare welcomed. “AACS is supportive of any plan to help Australians reduce emissions,” he said. “However, we really think a government funded program that helps small business ownersto pay for these critical…
Read MoreLONDON GATWICK ELECTRIC FORECOURT ® TO OPEN SIMPLY FRESH CONVENIENCE STORE IMPLEMENTING AMAZON’S JUST WALK OUT TECHNOLOGY
GRIDSERVE and Simply Fresh bring Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology to the London Gatwick Electric Forecourt. Fast and frictionless shopping service enables GRIDSERVE customers to ‘grab and go’ First Electric Forecourt at an international airport in Europe opens in late 2023 Store to be branded Little Fresh, Simply Fresh’s small-store format At the forthcoming London Gatwick Electric Forecourt®, GRIDSERVE’s latest landmark EV charging destination, customers will benefit from a fast and frictionless way to shop while charging their electric vehicles, thanks to the implementation of Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology within a Little Fresh-branded convenience store. The London Gatwick Electric Forecourt®, which is the first of its kind to open at any of Europe’s international airports, will feature 35 EV charging bays as well as a dedicated facility with areas to work, rest, and shop at the Little Fresh convenience store, Simply Fresh’s small-store format. This latest Electric Forecourt® will…
Read MoreEG GROUP ACQUIRE TESLA’S ULTRA-FAST CHARGERS
EG Group is pleased to announce that it has agreed to a deal to acquire Tesla’s latest ultra-fast charging units for EG’s rapidly growing evpoint business across the UK and Europe. The chargers will be branded “evpoint” and will leverage Tesla’s industry leading technology. Zuber Issa CBE, Founder and co-CEO of EG Group, said: “Securing this best-in-class equipment from Tesla marks another milestone for evpoint and is hugely exciting for us. It is the first deal of its kind entered into by Tesla with a third-party charge point operator in Europe and will transform how our customers charge their vehicles and how they interact with EG. Since installing our first EV charger back in 2012, we have continued to invest in the technology. This deal will accelerate the delivery of vital charging infrastructure for motorists to help power the transition to Net Zero.” Imraan Patel, Chief Strategy & Business Officer…
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