TNK-BP to Build 60 Petrol Stations in St. Petersburg
22 Nov 2006
Over the next three years the company TNK-BP is planning to build 60 new petrol service stations (40 under the TNK trademark and 20 under the BP brand), and in doing so will invest up to $150m in development and provide more than a thousand jobs for residents of the city.
The market is already in the stage of non-price competition, in which ever-increasing importance is being attached to the quality of supplied products and the level of service at stations. General Director of JSC “TNK-BP Northern Capital” Eldar Verdiev: “Filling stations are today becoming multi-functional: motorists don’t just come to service stations to fill up their vehicle, but also to drink coffee, take a break from driving and buy products. Service station stores are also beginning to make inroads into the segment of “walking distance” shops for residents of nearby towns – in some cases they offer goods that are unavailable at normal shops in the vicinity. For example, our service stations sell freshly baked goods which are cooked in a mini-bakery right on site.”
Over the next two years the company will focus on developing its own network of petrol stations in St. Petersburg, which will promise high-quality petrol for the consumer. In order to control the quality and quantity of the fuel delivered, TNK-BP has implemented a special programme which is successfully utilized in all the regions where the company operates. The idea of the programme lies in the use of portable express laboratories, which will visit the service stations on a daily basis to perform selective checking of the quality and accuracy of the volume of fuel output. For additional control purposes, the company will launch the permanent “secret customer” programme at its service stations. The idea of the programme is for service stations to be visited by an inspector in the guise of an everyday motorist to check the quality of the services provided.
TNK-BP plans to develop the TNK and BP petrol stations in St. Petersburg in parallel – they are oriented towards the middle class and premium class respectively.
TNK service stations are oriented towards people who spend a considerable amount of time at the wheel. The fundamental concept of these service stations may be characterized as “domestic”. Drivers who have been on the road for several hours can not only fill up, but also take a few minutes to relax in the comfortable surroundings of the interior and the care of the friendly staff.
Development of the premium segment of the fuel market does not imply a future hike in fuel prices. Moreover, the arrival in St. Petersburg of major oil companies will sharpen competition in the service sector, for which (unlike petrol prices) no limit has been set.
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