BP Launches Rollout of Franchise Scheme
Posted on: 21/11/2006
BP is to roll out its BP Connect/Wild Bean Café brands to its dealer network in a franchise arrangement following a successful trial at two sites earlier this year. Ten sites are expected to be converted by end of the first three months of next year in the North West and Midlands with others following. By the end of 2010, BP hopes to develop a network of 150 Connect franchise sites along with a further 100 company owned Connects coming on stream.
Howard Nunn, BP’s European Franchise Development Manager said: “We want to build on the success of Wild Bean Café and BP Connect on our own company owned sites by extending the brands to areas in which the Connect brand does not currently exist such as the North West, North East, some parts of Scotland and the Midlands.
Some of the franchise sites will be company owned sites which will be sold. “We will franchisees with a market leading shop and "food on the move" offer, full branding of the offer, industry leading dry stock supply chain solution with achieved shop margins in excess of all other suppliers, ongoing support and development from BP Retail’s Buying and Marketing teams and a bespoke operating platform which provides operational and legislative assurance for the Franchisee,” said Howard.
“We have also developed a comprehensive marketing & promotional support campaign which will be tailored to each individual site targeted at developing brand awareness and driving shop sales & profit,” he said.
BP has already had approaches from dealers of other oil companies interested in moving over to BP so that they can have the Connect and Wild Bean Café brands.
Owners of the trial sites, Sailesh Sejpal and Sharad Raja, who own two primes sites at Crowland Orchard Connect in Wigan and Maynestone Connect in Ashton Under Lyne, say the investment has been worthwhile.
"BP is quite strict on deciding the criteria on taking on as a franchisee but the decision has been a great success,” said Sejpal.
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