Petrol forecourts have seen a big transformation in consumer behaviour in recent years, moving away from solely being a place to refuel your car.
So, what do modern shoppers expect from the petrol forecourt? Here’s our take on the three biggest trends convenience stores at petrol forecourts need to look out for.
1. Coffee-to-go
Stopping for a coffee is one of the biggest opportunities for forecourts. Over the next 5 years, 58%* of operators believe providing hot coffee will be just as important as good customer service.
Knowing there is a reliable and high-quality hot beverage offering will attract commuters, tradespeople and time-poor shoppers throughout the day and is increasingly the reason shoppers choose one forecourt over another.
2. Food-to-go
Food-to-go has been a rapid growth area for convenience stores in general, as well as at forecourts. Just under half (44%)** of forecourt operators have revealed the biggest trend they are seeing is a rise in food-to-go sales, demonstrating how important it is to get the offer right.
With one third*** of food-to-go purchases in forecourts made on impulse, it’s important to ensure you have strong front-of-store placement, clear meal deals and compelling value cues.
3. Fresh food
Now more than ever, shoppers are heading to petrol forecourt convenience stores for top-up and meal-solution missions. Planned top‑up missions now account for more than one in four**** forecourt visits and deliver significantly higher value than the average trip.
With that in mind, stores that have a well-stocked fresh and chilled range will capitalise on these growing sales. This is a view shared by many operators; in fact, over 50%***** of operators believe that ensuring a store has a strong convenience or top up offer, will be very important.
Now’s the time to review your fresh range and make sure it’s set up to succeed in meeting modern shopper needs.
As shopper habits continue to evolve, those forecourts who capitalise on hot beverages, food-to-go and quality fresh ranges – all whilst balancing refuelling needs – will certainly benefit from these three big sales opportunities.
Sources:
*Lumina - Lumina Intelligence UK Forecourt Market Report 2025 Brochure
** Oxhoo - From EVs to Retail Hubs: How Fuel Forecourts Are Transforming Customer Experience
*** Lumina - https://www.lumina-intelligence.com/blog/uk-forecourt-retail-trends-2026/
**** Lumina - UK Forecourt Retail Trends in 2026: Fresh, Digital and Food‑to‑Go Growth - Lumina Intelligence
***** Lumina - Lumina Intelligence UK Forecourt Market Report 2025 Brochure