This month sees the launch of the Forecourt Trader Awards 2018. The most prestigious and respected awards in the UK’s petrol retailing calendar will again seek out the brightest and best in the industry those pushing the boundaries of hard work and innovation in the pursuit of excellence. The competition will culminate in a glamorous ceremony at the London Hilton Park Lane on September 13, 2018, to which all finalists will be invited.

There are many categories for everyone to enter, covering all types of forecourt operations, from rural to motorway sites, and many specialist categories. Your site doesn’t have to be the newest or the biggest it’s about being the best. It’s also about giving your staff the chance to earn the recognition they deserve. So go ahead and share the amazing work you and your team have done.

This is the chance to put your forecourt operation in the spotlight. Could your site be a winner?

You’ll never know if you don’t enter!

The 2018 awards

Regardless of ownership or operational status, the main retailer categories will be grouped by two main criteria region and fuel volume.

Retailers can compete for the high-status title of being the Best Forecourt Retailer in one of six regions: Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northern England, Midlands, West Country and Wales, London and the South East.

There are two volume categories up to 4mpla and over 4mpla.

There will be two winners in each region representing the two volume categories.

There is also a separate category for Best Motorway Services.

The overall Forecourt Trader of the Year winner will be chosen from the winners of the aforementioned categories.

specialist categories

In addition to the main site awards, all retailers can submit entries for the following specialist categories:

Best Car Care & Lubricants Outlet

Best Coffee and Hot Beverages Outlet

Best Community Engagement

Best Customer Service

Best Design & Development

Best Food-to-Go Outlet

Best Forecourt Loo

Best Forecourt Innovation

Best Forecourt Team

Best Site Manager

Best Soft Drinks Outlet

Best Valeting Facilities

Why you should enter

The chance to win the most prestigious retailer award in the forecourt sector.

The opportunity to enjoy a great night out at the awards dinner at the Park Lane Hilton in London on Thursday, September 13, 2018.

A great event at which to network with friends, colleagues and like-minded retailers as well as oil-company executives, suppliers and other key business contacts.

Enjoy the prestige of being part of the industry event of the year.

As a winner you are able to use the Forecourt Trader of the Year Awards logo in-store and on marketing material to help impress your customers.

Winners in all categories also benefit from coverage and publicity within Forecourt Trader magazine and on our awards website: forecourttraderawards.co.uk.

How to enter

Online: go to the awards website www.forecourttraderawards.co.uk. Follow the instructions to submit your entry.

For further information call: Rebecca George on 01293 610422 or email rebecca.george@wrbm.com.

Make sure you get your entries in by the deadline: Monday May 14, 2018.


HOW TO BE A WINNER

The Forecourt Trader of the Year Award will be presented at a glittering ceremony at the London Hilton Hotel, Park Lane on Thursday, September 13, along with many other awards, which recognise the high standards of operation in the fuel retailing sector. But will you also be celebrating a moment in the spotlight? First you need to enter and to make your entry as good as it can be. Winners are people who know how to get themselves noticed. They have done the right things to attract the attention of the judges, not just because their forecourts are the best in class, but because they’ve managed to communicate that fact in their entry. Many of you probably think your site is as good as, if not better than, many sites that have won in previous years, and yet you didn’t get past the first hurdle. But did you give yourselves the best chance?
You can be sure we go to great lengths to make sure the competition is as fair as possible. There is no favouritism we just want the best sites and the best retailers in our industry to come to the fore. After all, they may have something to teach us all advice that can help improve everyone’s business. But we believe everyone should have an even chance of winning something at our awards. It all starts with the entry form.
tips for success
You can enter online by going to the awards website www.forecourttraderawards.co.uk.
Double-check that your entry form has been completed correctly with the site’s full name, address and telephone details. Please tick the right region and annual fuel volume for your site. You don’t want to be knocked out of the competition because you’ve entered the wrong category.
Read the entry form thoroughly so that you understand the rules and what’s expected of you. This is your chance to highlight any big achievements, successes or elements of your business of which you are particularly proud.
The form also includes the judging criteria for the specialist categories use these as guidelines, not just for how to run that particular category of your business, but also as a BIG CLUE as to what the judges are looking for.
Categories to enter
Regardless of ownership or operational status, the main retailer categories will be grouped by two main criteria region and fuel volume. Retailers can compete for the high-status title of being the Best Forecourt Retailer in one of six regions: Scotland; Northern Ireland; Northern England; Midlands; West Country and Wales; and London and the South East. There is also a category for Best Motorway Services Outlet.
There will be two volume categories up to 4mlpa and more than 4mlpa. There will be two winners in each region representing the two volume categories. The overall Forecourt Trader of the Year will be chosen from the regional and motorway winners. Some of the specialist categories require written entries details are on the entry form. In 500 words, bearing in mind the judging criteria, you should clearly explain the merits of this particular part of your business.

photographyWe can’t stress enough the importance of good photographs. The early rounds are judged anonymously using only the pictures you’ve sent in.
YOU CAN’T BE JUDGED ON WHAT WE CAN’T SEE!
Don’t just send in a picture of the front door (yes, it’s been done!). The photographs should give a good impression of both the interior and exterior of your site. They need to be bright and clear, so try not to take the outside shots on a dull, rainy day, if at all possible. And if you’re entering a specialist category, make sure the photos show how you are meeting the judges’ criteria. If you have multiple displays for some products, for example, let’s see them.
For the main regional categories you need to submit: external photos of the forecourt; fuel pumps; external photos of the shop front; till point; and general interior shots of the store.

judging
Once the first round of judging has been completed, a shortlist is drawn up and judges take to the road to visit the top-scoring sites. If the site is every bit as good as suggested in the entry, it goes on to the final round, otherwise judges will move onto the entry with the next highest score. So don’t let standards slip once the photos have been taken. Best of luck!

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