From the tap to the multi-service hub

From the tap to the multi-service hub

“The gas station of the future has the potential to develop into a multi-service hub,” says Gernot Gollner, head of the gas station business at OMV Austria. What this means is that the meaningful term “gas station” per se will soon no longer be the main business. Bernd Zierhut, managing director of the Doppler Group (tower oil filling stations), throws in a radical figure: “50 percent of our customers are not tank customers.”
It should be mentioned that the Doppler Group has been integrating Spar Express stores into its own gas stations for many years and is thus positioning itself as a comprehensive local supplier, as Zierhut continues: “We see the modern gas station as a service center: fuel, groceries at supermarket prices, postal and parcel services and washing units for vehicle care.” Shell Austria is in the same vein: “Every second customer doesn’t come to fill up, but rather to take advantage of the shop’s offerings and services,” says Astrid Adamek, head of Shell’s gas station business.

Petrol fountains in trend

If you drive through the area, you will see more and more gas stations or unmanned gas stations. The manned gas station as a discontinued model? Bernd Zierhut from the Doppler Group says: “In the next five years, the number of petrol stations or, as I like to call them, petrol fountains, will double.” Astrid Adamek from Shell is certain that the great decline in gas stations is already behind us. "The gas station remains important. The idea: fast, practical and customer-friendly." This means that the shops and services mentioned are in demand. 

For example, you can withdraw cash from Shell. There are Erste Bank ATMs for deposits and withdrawals in many OMW stations. New to Doppler and OMW are delivery services. Both companies cooperate with the delivery service Mjam. “We have a minimum order value of ten euros. Our customers can have our shop range delivered to their home at the same price as at the gas station,” says Zierhut. So far the service, which was introduced just a few weeks ago, has been very well received. The lockdown is further fueling this development. OMV gas station manager Gollner says: "We are opening up another distribution channel. In another cooperation with 'Too Good to Go', we are taking a stand against food waste: With the app, customers can now purchase high-quality products from the Viva shop and the gastro range in the form of a surprise bag at a third of the original price."

Sustainable into the future

You can also see a move towards more sustainability in the Shell petrol station network. "We often implement measures to avoid waste and food waste as well as sustainable offers in cooperation with strong partners. For example, in order to counteract the flood of disposable cups, we introduced the reusable cup with myCoffeeCup and our Vienna gas station operators. We want to roll out this concept on a large scale." 

In order to keep the ecological footprint small, all three companies rely on energy efficiency, photovoltaic systems and similar solutions. The question remains exciting as to which fuels will be purchased at the filling station in the future. Shell expects that, as e-mobility expands, around a fifth of all charges will be made at filling stations in the future. "If it happens as it seems to be currently desired, I believe that fossil fuel at the gas station will be over for cars in 20 years. What comes next, whether electricity, renewable liquid fuels (e-fuels) or other technologies, is completely open from today's perspective." For the Doppler managing director, the gas station is conceivable as a hotspot for fast charging, but primarily on the main traffic routes or motorways. 

In summary, it can be said that the gas station definitely has a future. But it is undergoing a dramatic change, away from just a pump point and towards a service center for the region and its residents. All in all, a positive, promising development with a lot of potential - it is far from being exhausted.