Shell Select appoints head of retail

Shell UK has replaced David Robey, its head of retail who left last month to emigrate to Australia, with an internal candidate.

Ian Sutcliffe, general manager of Shell operations in the eastern Caribbean, takes up the post this week. He will be responsible for developing the Shell Select petrol station forecourt brand and Select standalone store – the company’s first foray into retailing not based on petrol sales.

The store, which opened last year on The Strand in London, was a pilot for Shell to test its retail operations. However, problems with the layout and product have led to a revamp and delays in rolling out the chain.

Robey resigned from the post after just one year, saying he was frustrated with working in a large corporation. He previously ran Co-op chain CRS.

The Select station forecourt brand defies conventional wisdom among petrol retailers, most of which have signed deals with supermarkets and farmed out their retailing operations.

A Shell spokeswoman says: “At the moment we want to focus on the Select brand because it is global. We will see how The Strand refit performs and then see if it is worth trying in another location.”