Operators under pressure

‘Germany has fewer petrol stations than ever’

Het aantal tankstations in Duitsland neemt al jaren af. Foto: Julian Hopff / Shutterstock

The number of petrol stations in Germany continues to fall and has reached a “historic low”. So reports German news portal T-Online. According to recent figures, 14,018 petrol stations were still operating last year, 359 fewer than a year earlier.

According to T-Online, this is a downward trend: the number of petrol stations has been decreasing for several years and Germany now has fewer petrol stations than ever before. In 1970, the country still had more than 46,000 petrol stations. By the mid-1980s, that number had already fallen below 20,000. Since then, the decline has continued.

The decline is especially visible in rural areas, where the distance to a filling station location increases for motorists. Smaller, independent petrol stations in particular are closing their doors there. Rising costs, combined with stagnating margins, are putting pressure on operators. According to the news portal, petrol and diesel sales earn relatively little. A significant part of the litre price consists of taxes and procurement costs, often leaving operators with only a margin of a few cents per litre. What remains are mostly larger chains with additional facilities such as a car wash, bistro and extensive shop.

Focus on shop

Due to the limited profitability of fuel, petrol stations are increasingly focusing on ancillary activities, such as shop, food service and, increasingly, charging infrastructure. According to T-Online, more and more turnover is being generated in the shop, where the product range has also expanded. Whereas the offer was previously limited to coffee and a mince pie sandwich, it now includes latte macchiato, salmon bagels and an assortment of fruit, cheese and cold cuts.

At the same time, less than half of customers actually buy something in the shop. When purchases do take place, according to T-Online, it is often out of necessity rather than price advantage. The relatively high prices play a role in this.

Although the number of petrol stations in Germany is decreasing, the number of publicly accessible charging points is steadily rising. As of 1 January this year, there were 193,985 charging points connected to the grid nationwide, up 17.4 per cent from the previous year.

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This article was automatically translated from the Dutch language original to English (British).

Author: Nina Koelewijn

Source: MobilityEnergy.com

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