The Daily Forecourt Brief — 2026-09-12

Fuel Retail

Fuel Retail Evolution: Infrastructure Investments and Strategic Priorities across European Networks

Overview of European Forecourt Transformation

European fuel retail operations are undergoing structural shifts, driven by regulatory frameworks such as AFIR and RED III alongside changing consumer demands. Operators are increasingly adapting sites from traditional refuelling locations into multi-service customer hubs. This report examines recent capital investments in alternative fuel networks alongside strategic priorities established for upcoming industry forums.

Capital Deployment: HVR Energy Hydrogen Network Expansion

In network development news published on September 11, 2026, Spanish hydrogen refuelling operator HVR Energy closed a €20 million Series A funding round. According to reporting by MobilityPlaza, the investment round was led by Sandton with a €15 million commitment, alongside €3 million from Barents Re and €2 million from project sponsor Langur.

This funding transaction establishes HVR Energy's valuation at €100 million before the capital increase and €120 million post-money. The operator has mobilized over €53 million since 2025 to support hydrogen refuelling infrastructure. Having opened its initial location in Coslada, near Madrid, in 2023, the business maintains a target to operate 75 hydrogen stations across Spain by 2030, catering to commercial fleets and passenger vehicles. HVR Energy describes hydrogen as "a complementary solution to battery-electric mobility" for applications requiring extended range, high utilization rates, and rapid refuelling times.

Strategic Priorities: forecourttech '26 Focus Areas

Commercial strategies surrounding digital platforms, payments, and margin optimization will be addressed at the forecourttech '26 conference, scheduled to take place in Alicante in October 2026. Organised by Stephen Bozdan, managing director of SAB Events, and chaired by Christian Warning, the event features a two-day agenda focused on forecourt operational economics.

According to the published programme, Day 1 centres on protecting and earning operational margins through digital infrastructure, regulatory readiness, and payment systems. Featured subjects include the Waylet mobility loyalty platform, which reached ten million users ahead of target, and the "Fleet 2.0" mobility payments space, identified as a $315 billion market opportunity spanning open-loop cards, EV charging, tolls, and vehicle maintenance. Day 2 shifts to margin expansion, evaluating global store format design, connected payment orchestration stacks, and customer dwell time economics linked to EV adoption.

Operational Analysis and Testing Hypotheses

*Analysis:* The migration toward integrated roadside retail requires operators to balance infrastructure investments against measurable operational yield. While network expansion milestones—such as HVR Energy's 75-station target across Spain by 2030—provide clear deployment goals, forecourt profitability relies on digital integration and payment efficiency.

*Hypothesis 1:* Integrating unified payment orchestration platforms across forecourt pumps, self-checkout kiosks, and loyalty applications increases non-fuel retail conversion rates during EV charging dwell periods. *Proposed Test:* Operators should conduct an 8-month comparative study across 20 participating locations, comparing 10 control sites using disaggregated legacy point-of-sale systems against 10 pilot sites using a unified payment orchestration layer. Success metrics will include average shop basket size, loyalty program signup rate, and non-fuel revenue per EV charging event.

*Hypothesis 2:* Migrating B2B commercial accounts from closed-loop fuel cards to open-loop mobility cards reduces fleet customer churn and drives cross-merchant retail revenue. *Proposed Test:* Execute a 12-month pilot with 50 commercial fleet accounts, providing 25 accounts with open-loop mobility cards covering EV charging, maintenance, and tolling services. Measure retention rates, average monthly card spend, and in-store purchase frequency against the control group remaining on standard closed-loop fuel cards.

EV Charging

Global EV Market Trends in 2025 and AI Support Advances in Fast-Charging Operations

Global EV Market Dynamics in 2025

According to figures reported in the IEA Global EV Outlook 2026, global electric car sales exceeded 20 million units in 2025. This expansion represented a 25% market share of total new vehicle sales worldwide, lifting the global electrified car stock to approximately 5% and displacing 1.2 million barrels of oil per day. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 65% of global EV sales in 2025, while extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) fell to under 7% of sales.

China maintained its position as the largest market, accounting for over 13 million sales and achieving an annual EV sales share of nearly 55%. Total electric vehicle stock on Chinese roads reached an estimated 44 million vehicles. Growth in China was influenced by national policy; the national trade-in program provided CNY 20,000 (USD 2,750) for replacing an older car with a new EV, compared to CNY 15,000 (USD 2,050) for a conventional vehicle. However, the scheme faced temporary local suspensions partly due to the emergence of zero-mileage cars—new vehicles resold immediately on used markets—which estimated accounts suggest represented roughly 4% of 2025 electric car sales.

Regional Policy Shifts and Market Performance

Market dynamics diverged across major geographic regions in 2025:

• Europe: Electric vehicle sales grew by over 30% to reach 4.2 million units (28% sales share), driven by tighter EU CO2 standards targeting a 15% emissions reduction relative to 2021 levels. In Germany, sales rose 50% to 850,000 units alongside a 6% decline in average BEV prices. In the UK, EVs accounted for over one-third of new sales, though BEV registrations (23%) missed the 28% target established by the Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes. UK policy added a purchase subsidy in July 2025 for eligible BEVs priced under GBP 37,000 (USD 47,400), which applied to more than one-quarter of BEV sales.
• North America: US sales stagnated at approximately 1.5 million units (~10% share). The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) in July 2025 eliminated non-compliance penalties for fuel economy standards and ended consumer tax credits after September 2025, leading to a 45% year-on-year drop in Q4 sales. In Canada, sales dropped by more than 30% following the termination of the iZEV program, which had provided subsidies up to CAD 5,000 for BEVs and CAD 2,500 for PHEVs.
• Emerging Markets: Emerging economies outside China experienced an 80% surge in sales to nearly 1.2 million vehicles, with Chinese imports making up 60% of these sales. Southeast Asia saw sales double to over 500,000 units, led by Viet Nam where EVs captured nearly 40% of new car registrations.

Automated Customer Support in Fast-Charging Operations

As reported by MobilityPlaza, German charging operator EnBW has implemented an AI-powered voice assistant across its fast-charging network in Germany. Accessible 24/7 in German and English via station phone numbers, the tool addresses driver issues, assists with app and charging card navigation, and suggests alternate stations.

EnBW, which operates Germany's largest fast-charging network and provides access to over 900,000 charging points across Europe via its platform, stated that roughly two-thirds of phone inquiries are resolved directly by the AI system prior to any agent transfer. Lars Jacobs, Chief Commercial Officer E-Mobility at EnBW, stated: "Quality is not only demonstrated during the charging process itself, but also when something does not go as planned."

Analysis: Strategic Implications for Forecourt Operators

The continuous rise in global EV adoption increases call volume and troubleshooting demand across public charging networks. Automated telephone triage systems offer a potential operational model for forecourt network managers seeking to manage customer support costs.

*Hypothesis for Forecourt Operators*: Implementing 24/7 AI-driven voice support at site chargers reduces escalation rates to manual technical support lines without increasing customer drop-off. *Proposed Test*: Forecourt operators can pilot an AI voice assistant across a representative sample of 50 high-volume fast-charging sites over a 90-day period. Key performance metrics to compare against a control group of human-assisted sites include first-call resolution rate, call duration, ticket escalation rate to tier-2 support, and overall site uptime.

C-Store

Global C-Store Outlook: Expansion Strategies, Operational Simplification, and Infrastructure Partnerships

Industry Outlook and Store Expansion Strategies

Despite macroeconomic uncertainties and cautious spending behaviors among retail shoppers, overall operator sentiment within the retail sector remains positive. According to industry survey data published by C-Store Dive on September 11, 2026, technology provider Toast surveyed 340 convenience store, grocery, and liquor store operators, finding that 94% rate their current business health as good or excellent.

Physical footprint expansion continues to feature prominently in long-term growth planning. Within the convenience segment, 62% of surveyed operators indicated plans to open a new location within the next 12 months. This represents a 4 percentage point increase compared to the prior year's survey response. However, convenience retailers trailed competing format operators in reported expansion intent, with 69% of grocers and 70% of liquor store operators planning new locations over the same annual period.

Differentiating Brands and Operational Simplification

As retail formats evolve, market differentiation presents an ongoing operational challenge for store operators. Survey results show that 59% of convenience retailers report having trouble standing out from competitors. By comparison, 52% of grocery operators expressed difficulty differentiating, while 69% of liquor store operators reported similar struggles. To stand out, operators are deploying levers such as expanding beverage choices, offering higher-quality food, updating loyalty programs, and boosting social media marketing.

At the same time, operational streamlining has become a central focus. The survey revealed that 31% of convenience, grocery, and liquor store operators plan to "simplify operations in the next 12 months" to stabilize execution before expanding responsibilities. For c-store operators specifically, identifying operational simplification as a top annual goal increased by 11 percentage points year-over-year. Other primary goals reported by Toast include improving profitability, enhancing employee productivity, and implementing new tech tools.

Strategic Partnerships and Network Integration in South Korea

Cross-sector retail partnerships offer alternative growth avenues by leveraging existing commercial real estate. As reported by MobilityPlaza on September 11, 2026, South Korean convenience operator BGF Retail signed a strategic agreement with Korea Post on September 9, effective immediately.

Under the primary terms of the agreement, all 18,900 CU convenience stores across South Korea will act as parcel drop-off locations for the national postal service, expanding upon a pilot home-collection service operating since May. Furthermore, the partnership allows BGF Retail to evaluate using idle space inside Korea Post's 3,300 national branch locations to launch store-within-a-store CU outlets. BGF Retail CEO Min Seung-bae noted that combining the networks will "create powerful synergy" and establish a regional lifestyle platform. Planned future additions to the service scope include international parcel drop-off capabilities through Korea Post.

Analysis and Operational Hypotheses

*Analysis:* When assessing store footprint growth against operational limits, retailers face tradeoffs between expanding physical access points and managing operational complexity. Introducing secondary services—such as parcel handling or enlarged foodservice programs—can increase customer traffic, but without simplified store workflows, extra services risk straining staff productivity.

*Hypothesis 1 (In-Store Logistics and Foot Traffic):* Converting convenience retail locations into national postal drop-off points increases overall foot traffic and raises secondary basket purchase rates. *Proposed Test:* Measure total daily store visits and non-postal point-of-sale transaction volume across a trial group of parcel-enabled sites over 90 days, comparing results against a baseline period and a control group of non-participating stores.

*Hypothesis 2 (Operational Simplification and Labor Efficiency):* Streamlining core store workflows and reducing redundant daily tasks improves store-level labor productivity and operating margins. *Proposed Test:* Introduce a simplified labor workflow protocol in 20 test locations for six months, measuring task completion times, labor hours per unit sold, and store net profit against historical benchmarks.

QSR & Foodservice

Seasonal Beverage LTOs and Co-Branded Promotions in Convenience and Fast-Casual Retail

Seasonal Beverage Strategies and LTO Execution in Convenience and Fast-Casual Retail

Retail operators across convenience forecourts and fast-casual dining are leveraging seasonal limited-time offers (LTOs) and strategic brand partnerships to stimulate customer engagement during the autumn period. This overview examines recent seasonal beverage campaigns implemented by major c-store networks and regional restaurant concepts.

Convenience Store Beverage Promotions and Single-Day Events

As reported by CSP Daily News, convenience retailer 7-Eleven is hosting its annual Bring Your Own Cup Day event on September 19. During this one-day event, customers can fill their customer-provided container with any Slurpee flavor for $1.99 across participating 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes store locations.

To ensure store safety and operational feasibility during the event, strict container guidelines are enforced. Containers brought into stores must be clean, watertight, leak-proof, and capable of standing upright within a 10-inch cutout test fixture to fit beneath the Slurpee dispensing unit. Additionally, participation is restricted to a limit of one cup per person. Brandon Brown, senior vice president of fresh foods and beverages at 7-Eleven, noted that the event encourages customer creativity while challenging traditional vessel boundaries.

In tandem with single-day events, 7-Eleven has reintroduced the Mountain Dew Slurpee across 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes locations through October 28. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises, or licenses more than 13,000 stores in the United States and Canada, holding the top position on CSP's 2026 Top 202 chain ranking.

Fast-Casual Beverage Collaborations and Seasonal Pairings

In the fast-casual restaurant segment, breakfast and brunch chain Biscuit Belly has launched a beverage collaboration with Natalie's Juices, a brand under Perricone Farms, as reported by QSR Magazine. Scheduled from September 4 through November 8, 2026, all Biscuit Belly stores are featuring the Piña Picante, a seasonal spicy pineapple margarita.

The beverage is formulated using Natalie’s Margarita Mix, which supplier representative Ashley Sommer, VP of Marketing at Perricone Farms, stated contains simple, real ingredients like fresh lime juice and pure cane sugar with zero artificial preservatives. The cocktail combines sweet pineapple, citrus, and jalapeño heat, served with a spiced rim and fresh lime. The Piña Picante is available via dine-in menus, menu boards, and digital in-app ordering across all system locations, positioned alongside Biscuit Belly's autumn menu item, The Big Dipper Birria Biscuit.

Biscuit Belly currently operates regional locations in Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Ohio, with plans to expand into new markets in 2027.

Operational Analysis

Analysis: Hypothesizing the Impact of Single-Day Value Events

While high-profile promotional days like Bring Your Own Cup Day create consumer novelty, their actual impact on store revenue and foot traffic requires empirical measurement rather than assumption.

• Hypothesis: Single-day discounted LTO events generate net incremental margin by driving secondary high-margin companion purchases (e.g., packaged snacks or hot food) among participating customers.
• Proposed Test: Retailers can run an A/B store control trial during the event window. Control stores execute the promotional cup pricing without point-of-sale register prompts for basket additions, whereas test stores implement active register cross-selling prompts. Comparing basket conversion rates and total transaction dollars across both groups will establish whether single-day beverage promotions yield profitable customer baskets.

Analysis: Evaluating Co-Branded Seasonal Alcohol Pairings

Co-branding seasonal beverages with premium mixer suppliers offers fast-casual operators an alternative path to menu elevation.

• Hypothesis: Featuring named mixer brands in cocktail descriptions increases premium beverage attachment rates and higher average ticket sizes during brunch dayparts.
• Proposed Test: Operators can measure baseline cocktail sales volume over four weeks prior to brand disclosure, then introduce named mixer branding on digital menu boards for four weeks. A statistical comparison of sales volume, attachment rate relative to food entrees, and gross margin per beverage will isolate whether brand attribution drives net consumer conversion.