Jet to ditch new forecourt design

Jet, the petrol retailer owned by Conoco, is preparing to scrap a new store design and logo that it has just introduced to 200 of its 750 UK forecourts.

The move comes after requests from Jet’s European affiliates to make its forecourts uniform throughout the continent.

The recent redesign of the UK forecourts began in 1996 with work by graphic design specialist Light & Coley, which brought in Lumsden Design to work on the non-petrol retail side of the business. Conoco is estimated to have spent about 8.5m on the redesign.

Jet promotes itself on low prices. However, with competition from supermarkets eating into its market share, the company improved the shops on its forecourts to take on rivals, which include Shell and BP.

Jet is analysing its forecourt design in Germany and may introduce the country’s model across Europe. German Jet stations promote low prices, car washes and the sale of alcohol.

Roy Roley, Jet marketing manager, says the company is also considering the system it has in Belgium, which strongly promotes convenience goods.

Roley says a pan-European Jet brand would offer the company economies of scale through uniform petrol pumps and underground storage tanks, and communication. He says this could result in an ad campaign running across Europe, though he stresses the European rebranding project is still at an early stage.

Birmingham agency Big was appointed to handle Jet’s above-the-line advertising in February. The company is understood to be relaun-ching its loyalty card next week.