Shell is driven by consumer satisfaction

Péter Gyúrós, convenience retail manager of Shell in Central and Eastern Europe and Péter Juhász, Shell’s sales manager in Hungary talked to our magazine about the company’s petrol station shop strategy.

T.M.: – What changed in Hungary’s motor fuel retail in the last few years?

P.Gy.: – Although motor fuel sales are still very important, the role of petrol shops is getting bigger as people like to do their shopping quickly and comfortably these days. People go shopping more often but they buy less – petrol station shops also benefit from this trend.

_{Péter Juhász (left), Péter Gyúrós (right)}

P.J.: – People eat out of home more often than before, and those who are travelling like to stop at petrol stations for a freshly prepared hot meal.

T.M.: – What kind of strategy is Shell’s reaction to these market changes?

P.Gy.: – In 2015 Shell started to implement a new convenience retail strategy. This gives greater significance to petrol station shops, and the products and services that they offer. As part of this process, we are doubling the number of category managers.

P.J.: – In order to serve changing consumer needs better, we are developing new shop formats which are customised to local needs. In these new shops drivers will have a bigger space where they can sit down, relax and eat something or have a coffee.

T.M.: – What solutions will be in line with the consumption habits of city dwellers?

P.Gy.: – In one of our city concepts there will be a modern city café in Shell shops, which people can visit even when they aren’t filling up their cars. In the other city concept we target less busy places and smaller shops, where the focus with products is on impulse buying.

T.M.: – How does the new strategy influence Shell’s relationship with business partners?

P.J.: – The last two years showed that we had managed to establish a more professional relationship with suppliers than before. They experience Shell’s high-level category management and they can also profit from this, as sales increase.

P.Gy.: – It is also part of our new strategy to fill Shell’s category management team with the most experienced managers. Colleagues with experience from the manufacturer and retailer sectors have been added to our team. (x)