Spain: Low-cost fuel stations are setting a trend for customers
The increase in the cost of fuel and the coronavirus pandemic have triggered the expansion of low-cost and automated sites.
More and more clients in Spain are visiting low-cost stations due to the fuel price increase while also paying attention if the site has an automated service. Consumer habits are changing and this transformation may lead to a substantial change in the country’s industry.
According to a recent report published by the Spanish Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU), the difference in price between the cheapest and most expensive brands of fuel in the country is as much as 20%. Spanish Today has stated that manufacturers point out the additives of the fuel as the main disparity between what low-cost and traditional sites offer to customers.
Consulted by the outlet, low-cost filling station Gas Express’s founder, Jose Manuel Costa, explained that there used to be an urban myth around drivers that the more expensive petrol and diesel were, the superior quality they offered. The entrepreneur has stated that nowadays customers are focused on savings rather than quality. Costa is aiming to expand its brand across the Valencia region, with plans to open a total of 100 stations by 2022.
Automated stations is another trend that Spanish customers are favoring due to the impact of the pandemic. As the site points out, currently there is an average of one in five automatic gas stations in the Valencia and Catalonia communities, both being the most advanced territories in this area. Nonetheless, this transformation still has a long way to go in comparison to other countries of Europe. According to a recent report by the Spanish Association of Advanced Services for Companies (Aesae), this type of service represents only 12.5% of all filling stations in Spain, while in other nations, such as Sweden and Denmark, automated sites represent 60% and 70% of the whole market.
