As fuel volumes decline and competition intensifies, South Africa’s forecourt retailers are shifting their focus beyond the pump toward food, convenience, and partnerships that drive loyalty and spending. Trade Intelligence’s latest Forecourt Retail Report sheds light on a channel under pressure, yet actively adapting.
Forecourts in SA are evolving into dynamic convenience hubs, embracing partnerships and diversified services to preserve margins and unlock new growth. The fuel that once defined the forecourt is no longer enough to sustain it.
Beyond the pump: understanding foot traffic dynamics
While fuel volumes have declined by 6.3% over the past year, the number of South African forecourts has grown by +12% over five years.
This increased competition, coupled with the increasing dependency on alternate revenues (due to declining fuel sales), creates an environment where the battle for shopper footfall has become the defining challenge – and opportunity – for fuel retailers.
To attract shoppers, forecourt operators are investing in three key levers:
1. Retailer partnerships: footfall through familiarity
Retailer partnerships are now a hallmark of the forecourt experience.
From Woolworths Foodstops at Engen to Pick n Pay Express at bp and FreshStop at Astron Energy, 849 forecourts now host supermarket-branded stores, a +26% increase over five years.
Trade Intelligence research shows that forecourt shoppers have a clear preference for supermarket-branded stores over fuel-branded ones, seeking the familiarity and quality offered by established retail brands.
2. Loyalty pogrammes: driving traffic through rewards
Fuel providers are increasingly tapping into the power of loyalty programmes. Most major players, Shell, Sasol, Astron Energy, TotalEnergies and bpSA, run their own rewards programmes. At the same time, they are integrating with established retailer and financial institution loyalty ecosystems.
Examples include earning Clicks ClubCard points when filling up at Engen, or fuel cashback via Discovery at bp and Shell.
The impact is measurable: the Standard Bank UCount partnership with Astron/Caltex, which offers up to R10 per litre cashback, resulted in an +83% increase in customer traffic to Astron Energy versus competitors.
“This demonstrates how well-executed loyalty initiatives can influence forecourt choice,” says Andrea Slabber, insights lead at Trade Intelligence.
“These collaborations are strategic levers to attract footfall by tapping into an existing loyalty base to draw that spend onto their site.”
3. A broader offering: fueling convenience
From quick-service restaurants (QSRs) to mini-supermarkets and parcel collection points, forecourts are expanding their role in everyday convenience.
The integration of diverse offerings is creating one-stop destinations that resonate with today’s time-pressed shoppers.
Full article Food, convenience and loyalty redefine South Africa's fuel stops
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