Euro Garages Shells out on new sites
INDEPENDENT North West petrol station operator Euro Garages has expanded again, this time buying nearly 70 sites from Shell.
Having struck a deal last month with Esso , the family-owned Darwen-based group said it had snapped up 68 of 185 petrol stations being sold by the oil company.
The assets are spread across the UK and will keep the Shell brand – and sell Shell fuel for at least five years after completion of the sale.
Shell said in September it wanted to sell up to 250 petrol stations and in time cut the number it owns to about half of its roughly 1,000 branded stations.
Zuber Issa, chief executive of Euro Garages, said: “We look forward to working closely and extending our relationship with Shell. The site portfolio secured extends our UK presence and consolidates our existing forecourt estate. As a result, more customers will be able to enjoy our branded retail convenience offer, whilst still being able to access quality Shell fuels and lubricants.”
The locations of the garages and the financial terms of the disposal were not disclosed.
David Moss, Shell’s retail general manager for northern Europe, said: “I’m pleased these dealers have chosen to grow their businesses with Shell. Our priority is to ensure a consistently excellent customer offer is available across our network, whether the service station is owned by Shell or by an independent dealer.”
Motor Fuel, based Hertfordshire has acquired 90 of the Shell garages.
Shell said Motor Fuel and Euro Garages would make the investment needed to develop the sites. Both companies have been buying up petrol stations, some of them from big oil companies that want to reduce petrol retailing or exit the business completely.
