Navigating Challenges and Embracing Growth: Maxol’s Road Ahead By Brian Donaldson
2024 was a year of resilience, transformation, and strategic expansion for Maxol, and as we look toward 2025, I’m confident that the future remains bright. While the start of 2024 was challenging, our recovery in Quarter 2 and ongoing investments have put us on a solid trajectory, ensuring that 2025 will be another strong year for the business.
The economic landscape in 2024 has presented considerable challenges. Increased costs have affected businesses across the retail sector, and we are no exception. Yet, despite these pressures, Maxol has managed to turn things around. A key factor in this success has been our ongoing investment in the future – particularly in new site acquisitions and several large capital projects.
Strategic Acquisitions and Redevelopments
One of the major milestones in 2024 was our acquisition of Candy’s forecourt and convenience store in Carnew, Wicklow in April, followed by the purchase of seven sites under the Circle K brand from Naas Oil in August. These acquisitions are not only adding to our network but are crucial in ensuring that we can deliver the high standards our customers expect. Each of these sites has been upgraded to the latest Maxol offering, making them an important addition to our portfolio.
We’ve also made significant strides with site redevelopments. 12 store refits were completed including Garryowen Limerick, Carrigaline Cork, additional car parking at Maxol Ballycoolin in Northwest Dublin and in September, we completed a full redevelopment of Maxol Belvoir, located just outside Belfast. This was followed by the full redevelopment of Maxol Fortwilliam in Belfast by December and Maxol Hilden in Lisburn in early January. These projects underline our commitment to providing the highest quality facilities for our customers and ensuring that our forecourts are fit for the future.
Maxol ROSA Coffee Concept Rollout
This year, we’re excited about the ongoing rollout of Maxol’s ROSA Coffee concept. As part of this initiative, we have introduced new coffee machines at 81 of our company-owned stores, following the launch of oat and iced coffee variants. ROSA Coffee cup sales, along with Barista Bar coffee in Northern Ireland, reached 4.3 million for 2024, marking an increase of 3.3% compared to 2023. Our commitment to delivering high-quality coffee has been well-received, and we’re eager to continue building on this success as we expand the concept further.
Car Wash Business Performance
Maxol’s car wash business continues to perform exceptionally well. Approximately 665,000 vehicles passed through a Maxol car wash in 2024, which is a significant increase on previous years, and highlights the ongoing demand for our services. This is part of our broader strategy to expand our service offerings and meet the growing needs of our customers.
Sustainability and Environmental Initiatives
Sustainability continues to be a cornerstone of our strategy. Our work with Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind and Guide Dogs NI saw the launch of a major all-Ireland campaign to raise over €150,000 through the sale of PAWsome vehicle air fresheners, which will fund three trainee guide dogs this year. This initiative is a perfect example of how Maxol is combining commercial success with social responsibility, giving back to the community while driving brand engagement.
Additionally, Maxol Lubricants, a division of The Maxol Group, completed a packaging refresh for its line of products, with all packaging now containing at least 30% and up to 50% recycled plastic. This is in line with the company’s wider efforts to reduce its environmental footprint across the business.
Our commitment to sustainability doesn’t end there. We continue to focus on reducing our carbon footprint through initiatives such as the rollout of Maxol hvoPRO, a renewable diesel product. HVO, a second-generation biofuel produced from renewable feedstocks that reduces carbon emissions by up to 90% compared to regular diesel, was introduced to eight forecourts in 2024, with additional sites being added in the coming months. In 2024, we transitioned 50% of our fleet to Maxol hvoPRO, achieving a reduction of approximately 45% in our annual carbon emissions. I believe that the opportunities for HVO in motoring, agriculture, and aviation are enormous, and that respective governments needs to reduce the duty on more sustainable fuels to help encourage and grow adoption.
Maxol’s commitment to sustainability and innovation was further demonstrated with the launch of our first-ever Ultra Rapid EV Hub in Newbridge, Co. Kildare in 2024, under the Maxol Recharge sub-brand. Maxol Newbridge now features six ultra-rapid 200kw chargers, providing a 15-minute charge time to better serve the needs of Ireland’s electric vehicle drivers. At Maxol we remain committed to EV mobility and in 2025 we have plans to introduce further EV hubs.
To date we have invested €225m in future-proofing the business which ensures that our sites remain relevant and capable of supporting this transition to greener options.
Sustainable Strategy Recognition
Maxol’s commitment to sustainability was recognised on the national stage when we won the Best Sustainable Strategy award for the Braid River Service Station in Ballymena at the National Forecourt Awards. Green initiatives at the site include an Ultra-Rapid EV Charging Hub, CO2-cooled glass door refrigeration, LED lighting, solar panels, heat pump technology, solar-efficient glazing, and a water reuse system. This approach is being introduced across all our redevelopments, with the objective of reducing energy costs and the carbon footprint of each site by 40%.
Homegrown at Maxol Programme
In 2024, our Homegrown at Maxol programme entered its second year, giving local producers an opportunity to have their products distributed across the Maxol network of stores in the Republic of Ireland. This initiative allows us to support and showcase high-quality products from local Irish producers such as the 2024 winners: The Foods of Athenry, All Real Nutrition, fiid, Parachute, and Blanco Nino. The programme has proven to be an important vehicle for promoting local businesses while providing our customers with even more high-quality grocery products in our stores.
Looking Ahead: A Strong 2025
As we look ahead for the next 12 months, the outlook for Maxol is promising. We’ve made great progress in terms of site acquisitions, redevelopments, marketing, sustainability, and technology, and these investments are already paying off. The foundations we have built will serve us well as we continue to grow and evolve.
On a broader note, 2025 will present both challenges and opportunities, not only for Maxol but for the wider business community. At this pivotal time, I’m proud to have recently been appointed Chair of the CBI Northern Ireland, stepping into this role as the region’s economy navigates significant changes, including energy transitions and the rising costs of doing business.
As Chair of CBI Northern Ireland, I’m committed to championing the interests of local businesses, working with our partners to ensure that we have access to the skilled workforce necessary for growth, and helping create the conditions for a competitive, low-carbon economy. The work we do at Maxol will be intrinsically linked to the work I will be doing at CBI, and together we can help shape the economic future for Northern Ireland and wider all Ireland economy.
While there will undoubtedly be challenges ahead – especially as we continue to navigate an unpredictable economic landscape and the ongoing shift to electric vehicles and net zero – we are confident that our strategy will position us for long-term success. The retail fuel market is changing, but with our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and quality, along with partnering with the best retailers, I believe Maxol is well-placed to increase its share of the retail convenience market in the years to come.
