The move comes as the firm looks toward a future where petrol and diesel sales make up an increasingly smaller portion of its revenue.

Retail floorspace of forecourts in the Republic is currently limited to 100 sqm while there is no such cap in Northern Ireland.

The 100 sqm limit can only be breached in exceptional circumstances when permitted by a local council.

Maxol chief executive Brian Donaldson said the relevant planning laws haven’t been reviewed since 2012 and insisted they are “very much out of date”.

Maxol, owned by the McMullan family, has 242 outlets across the island of Ireland, including 112 that are company-owned.

Last year, its profit before exceptional items jumped 57% to €27m, as it continued to benefit from the easing of pandemic restrictions and surging numbers of staycationers across the island. The group’s profit after tax was €22.8m. The group posted a €17.8m profit in 2019.

Mr Donaldson said that Maxol’s forecourts in Northern Ireland are much bigger, giving it more scope in its retail offering.

The group, more than a century old, traditionally focuses on sites in areas close to residential and business areas, rather than on motorways or major roads.

“What we have seen since September is that the double-digit decline has reduced to a single-digit decline,” he said. “Volumes have not fully recovered back to 2019 levels. It is edging closer after a difficult start. That’s probably no surprise because of hybrid working.

“It’s also no surprise because fuel behaviour patterns have changed with the price of fuel. People did and have cut back. But I think what we’ve benefited from is the large business customer sector that we serve through our fuel cards business.”

Maxol is now planning to roll out two electric vehicle charging hubs, in Ballycoolin in Dublin and Newbridge in Co Kildare, as it continues to probe the best service model for consumers.

A dedicated Maxol electric vehicle hub will in December at Kinnegar in Co Down.

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The succulent breaded chicken baguette is topped with an Asian style Katsu sauce, and since debuting on Circle K’s deli menu in 2020, over 2,500 litres of the delicious  sauce has been used to make the scrumptious meal on-the-go.

The news comes as Circle K, in response to the cult following the Katsu Chicken Roll has amassed since it was introduced to the deli menu, and in an effort to please Katsu flavour lovers even more, has now launched Katsu Loaded Fries to deli stores across Ireland, excluding Circle K Express.

Foodies will be thrilled to hear that they can now get a Katsu fix in more ways than one at Circle K, and the Loaded Fries also come with other choices for toppings too, including Taco Chilli Beef and Garlic. Also joining the deli menu is a brand-new range of chicken wings which come in five different flavours: Frank’s Hot Sauce, Korean BBQ, Sriracha, Sweet Chilli and Traditional BBQ, meaning that whatever your topping preference, Circle K caters to all, and will leave you ‘savour-wing’ every bite.

Mary McDonald, Senior Category Manager, Circle K Ireland, said: e are delighted that our unique spin on deli staples, such as the Katsu Chicken Roll, has proven to be a huge hit with our customers nationwide and we are excited to bring even more unique food options to our deli menu. Building strong relationships with our suppliers is crucial in developing new products and staying ahead of trends, I’d like to thank our suppliers for their continued support and dedication to our company.”

For more information on Circle K’s new deli menu additions and where to purchase a car tray, visit circlek.ie, Circle K Ireland on Facebook or @circlekireland on Twitter and Instagram.

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Every year the Junior Supporters Club in association with Inver attracts 5,000 free members who can enjoy members-only events, competitions, camps, and exclusive contents. With Inver now raising the memberships to 6,000 free places, it is giving more Junior Munster Rugby fans the opportunity to get involved with the Munster community.

Speaking about the rise in numbers and Inver’s sponsorship, Munster Rugby Supporters Club chairman Mark Meehan said: “The Junior MRSC is a fantastic way for young supporters to get involved with Munster and we’re excited with what we have planned for the year ahead, we’re delighted to continue to work with Inver over the next three years on what has been a great partnership.”

“Munster Rugby, the Munster Rugby Supporters Club, and Inver continue to have a shared interest in our local community,” added Chris O’Callaghan, Inver’s Managing Director.

“Our company’s goal is to create fun and engaging ways for members to interact with their community. By increasing our memberships to 6,000, we provide an additional 1,000 places for young boys and girls from across Ireland who have the chance to become members of the Munster Rugby fan base. This membership is available to all children under 16, regardless of whether or not they play rugby. I really hope that all Junior Munster fans will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

“As Ireland’s fastest growing forecourt network, Inver is proud to have sponsored the Junior Supporters Club since 2016 and we are proud to extend our unique sponsorship for another three years.”

To find out more about the Junior Munster Rugby Supporters Club and be part of the next generation of the Red Army contact juniorclub@munsterrugby.ie.

If you registered for membership last year, you will need to register again this year and you can do so by clicking HERE.

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The annual Community Coffee Morning is held in a number of EUROSPAR and ViVOXTRA stores across the country in partnership with Cancer Fund for Children, a partnership which began in 2011.

This year, the coffee mornings kicked off September’s Childhood Awareness Month, welcoming shoppers to enjoy coffee, tea and sweet treats for a donation towards the charity, all while raising awareness for this special month.

Lynch’s supermarkets are at the heart of their communities, and store teams engaged with shoppers throughout the day with various activities. EUROSPAR Draperstown, EUROSPAR Skeoge, SPAR Trench Road and EUROSPAR Greysteel, all went the extra mile to bring exciting additions to the traditional community coffee mornings, including a £100 voucher giveaway for one lucky shopper.

Derry GAA star Benny Herron showed his support at EUROSPAR Draperstown, meeting the customers and signing jerseys, and at EUROSPAR Skeoge, customers were lucky enough to get a performance from the Harkin-McGinley Academy of Irish Dance, getting everyone involved, including some of the store’s team members.

It was the first time holding a Community Coffee Morning for SPAR Trench Road and EUROSPAR Greysteel, which opened at the end of 2021. The Greysteel store held exciting competitions for shoppers to mark the occasion, and the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Sandra Duffy, called into the Trench Road store to get involved and show support.

Conor Lynch, Store Owner, commented, “We are delighted with how much the stores have been able to raise and so grateful for the support of all those who attended, but the standout stars are our staff, who really get behind the event every year and engage with the customers.”

Alex Murdock, Corporate Fundraiser at Cancer Fund for Children commented, “This is an incredible donation, and we want to send a huge thank you to everyone involved for putting so much effort into their fundraising.”

To find out more about EUROSPAR’s work with Cancer Fund for Children, visit: https://www.eurosparni.co.uk/community/cancer-fund-for-children/

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With over 2,400 employees, Circle K’s retail network is made up of 169 company-owned company-operated (COCO) sites, 8 are owned by franchise partners and 243 are owned by independent retail partners.

Circle K is proud to be part of the global brand owned and operated by Alimentation Couche-Tard, which offers Circle K Ireland the ability to learn and adopt innovations from across this global network. The business maintains a truly Irish heritage with legacy, history and deep knowledge of this market with longstanding ties to communities across Ireland.

The company’s nationwide network has afforded it the opportunity to support many company and public service fleets over the years.  The Circle K Fuelcard is the perfect solution for any HGV or car/van fleet operators with fuel requirements anywhere in the country.  As drivers travel on the national routes and motorways throughout the country, Circle K are always nearby.

Circle K’s miles branded fuels are designed to take you further at no extra cost by reducing fuel consumption by up to 3%, providing savings to our customers and benefits to the environment.

In addition, miles fuels:

• Cleans and protects your engine
• Enhances engine efficiency
• Reduces harmful exhaust emissions

The technology that supports Circle K’s Fuelcard uses real-time authorisation and provides customers with access to online invoicing, transaction management and reporting services. Circle K’s fuel card platform has various levels of industry accreditation including ISO 27001 compliancy and Cyber Essentials accreditation.

Recently, following a competitive tender process carried out by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP), Circle K were awarded the new framework agreement for provision of fuel card services to An Garda Siochána and all public sector bodies excluding the Health Service Executive and the Health Sector.  It includes County Councils, Prison Service and Defence Forces and many others. This contract will commence mid December 2022 for a period of four years.

Commenting on the contract Paul Balfe, Commercial & BCS Director for Circle K Ireland said, “An Garda Síochána and Ireland’s public sector bodies work to support communities throughout Ireland everyday and at Circle K, with our market leading network of service stations nationwide, we are delighted to be supporting them with this new contract.”

Read more in the latest edition of Ireland’s Forecourt Retailer.

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