Leading Austrian industry journal Sprit, talks with Doris Beger, new to Aral as Senior Trading Manager for Food and Convenience, in an interview about the USP of a petrol station.
Q. you are the new Senior Trading Manager for Food and Convenience. What will be your main focus?+
A. I am responsible for our German business and here for the entire business unit. These include, among other things, category management, the strategic partnership with REWE/Lekkerland for the expansion and further development of REWE-to-go shops at Aral petrol stations, supply chain, shop pricing, food service, trading support, offer development and sustainability.
My main task will be to further develop and expand the convenience business in Germany together with our partners. Just recently, we extended the strategic cooperation with our strong partner Lekkerland for REWE-to-go shops at Aral petrol stations by another five years until 2028. Of course, we also benefit from bp's international positioning and convenience experience in other countries.
Q. What role do the food and convenience sectors play at Aral?
A. Food and convenience play an important role in the further development of our petrol station network and, in my opinion, offer great potential. Convenience is one of the growth engines in bp's strategy and is therefore of great importance to us. By the end of last year, we had expanded the number of REWE-to-go shops at our Aral petrol stations to around 900 and want to continuously develop the business. I am very much looking forward to working with my colleagues at bp and our partners!
Q. They have been working in the food and convenience sector for over 30 years. Where do you see the USP of a petrol station compared to traditional retail?
A. The petrol station is often a very attractive location and can play an important role in the local supply area. With around 2,400 filling stations in Germany, we have a nationwide network and are very well anchored in the region. At the petrol station, our customers can take advantage of several services at the same time - we want to make refuelling, car washing, charging and shopping as easy as possible. This is certainly our USP. An attractive shop offering fresh food for on the go or for later consumption, which we are constantly optimising and adapting to customer needs, is an integral part of this.
Q. To what extent do influencers influence the product world in the petrol station and where do you see advantages and disadvantages here?
A. I do believe that influencers can play an important role in the further development of our petrol station business. We can already see, for example, that the combination of ultra-fast charging and wide range of convenience offers is an issue in social media and has a positive impact on our brand. We will certainly make even greater use of this in the future in order to position ourselves even better in the market.
Q. Around one in ten Germans attaches great importance to a vegetarian or even vegan diet. Has this eating habit already arrived at petrol stations?
A. We are continuously developing our range, also with regard to vegetarian or vegan products. Over the years, we have seen an increasing demand for these foods, we are monitoring the market very closely. These include, for example, vegetarian sandwiches and wraps, fresh fruit, cold drinks, our coffee specialties with oat milk, the Crossino tomato mozzarella or the Crossino falafel. In our REWE-to-go shops, there is now a range of vegetarian and vegan foods that are labelled accordingly and with which we respond to changing customer needs.
Q. Do you think the trend will continue?
A. Overall, I see a trend towards healthier products, which is pleasing and contributes to our quality standards. In the future, we will continue to rely on a broad mix in order to meet all customer needs at our Aral petrol stations and to support a healthy diet. We offer more than you would expect at a petrol station today and need for on-the-go supplies, in addition to fresh food for later consumption and, of course, organic products.
Q. What will the gastro concept of the future look like in petrol stations?
A. Together with our strategic partner Lekkerland, we have set the course for the contract extension. In addition to the operation of the sites, Aral is also largely responsible for the development of the food service offering. We will invest in the offer for direct consumption with fresh snacks, cold and hot dishes as well as hot and cold drinks, test new products and thus continuously expand the range in cooperation with Lekkerland.
For the full interview visit; sprit-plus.de | News for petrol station operators, car washes and oil companies
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