EG Group today confirms that it has completed the sale of the majority of its UK&I fuel, foodservice, grocery and merchandise business to Asda for a cash consideration of £2bn ($2.5bn). EG Group will continue to operate in the USA, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium as well as 32 sites in the UK. Under the terms of the transaction, the company will also retain certain foodservice brands including Cooplands, its wholly-owned bakery business, as well as franchise businesses with the Starbucks, KFC, Sbarro, Chaiiwala and Cinnabon brands, and this is reflected within the final purchase price. The deal represents a transformational step for EG Group and strengthens its platform to further invest in its proven and successful strategy to rollout foodservice, grocery and merchandise to create multi-purpose convenience retail sites across its international estate. The Group will also continue its strategy to deploy emerging fuels and…

With the Public Health Tobacco and Other Products Bill scheduled for debate this Tuesday, new RedBridge research has found the overwhelming majority of Australians want vaping products to be regulated in the same way as tobacco and alcohol. The poll, which focused on ‘attitudes toward the regulation of nicotine vapes in Australia’ found nearly 90 per cent of Australian voters agree or strongly agree that regulated nicotine vaping products should be available for sale to adults aged 18 and older through licensed retail outlets – the same way that alcohol and tobacco products are. The polling was commissioned by the Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) and found broad bipartisan support for strict regulation among supporters of the major political parties, AACS CEO Theo Foukkare said. “It found 88 per cent of Coalition voters, 90 per cent of Labor supporters and 93 per cent of Greens voters either agree, or…

The new facility is located about 2.5 kilometers from the Shenzhen Airport Terminal and features 258 public fast-charging points. Shell has opened its largest electric vehicle (EV) charging station globally in Shenzhen, China. The charging station is located about 2.5 kilometers from the Shenzhen Airport Terminal and features 258 public fast-charging points. The Shell Recharge Shenzhen Airport EV Station served more than 3,300 EVs every day during its trial operation. In addition to e-mobility services, the station offers Shell Select convenience retailing, Shell Café, vending machines, and a drivers lounge. “The opening of this new site is part of our ongoing commitment to meet the evolving needs of our customers in China. We know that EV drivers are looking for a charging experience that is fast, convenient and comfortable and this is reflected in the utilisation rates of our sites in China, which are two to three times the local…

While autonomous checkout companies have made headlines for retrofitting stores and appearing inside arenas and airports, technology company Juxta aims to incorporate that technology into a new type of store model.  In August, it officially unveiled the Nomad, a portable, autonomous micro-retail store. These small, cashier-free stores allow c-stores to test the waters in new locations without committing to a lease, have a presence where a normal brick-and-mortar store might not work, or cover for existing locations during construction or other downtime. With many c-store chains already testing a variety of new formats, Juxta’s markets could give convenience retailers another store model to experiment with.  The technology has already caught the attention of some big names in the c-store industry. Yesway is among the early adopters, as first noted by Chief Marketing Officer Derek Gaskins at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago earlier this year. Choice Market, the Denver-based tech-forward retailer, and Georgia-based…