Valora takes over 71 more Oel Pool service station stores

  With this acquisition, Valora is not only significantly increasing its presence in the convenience business at petrol stations, but will also have the largest convenience store network in Switzerland with around 370 avec stores by the end of 2023. Valora has reached a further milestone in its growth-oriented food strategy thanks to the intensified cooperation with Oel-Pool, one of Switzerland's largest service station operators, the company announced. With the expansion of its convenience presence at filling stations, the higher-margin food component of Valora's overall category mix is also continuing to grow. The gradual takeover of Oel-Pool's 71 petrol station stores is expected to take place from April 2023. The stores are located at BP service stations in western, north-western and eastern Switzerland. They are to be successively converted into avec stores with a comprehensive convenience range. All locations are secured for the long term. The collaboration with Moveri, the fuel company of Oel-Pool, and the takeover of 39 petrol station stores, primarily operated under the Aperto brand, were announced back in summer 2021. Most of these stores were transferred to the avec sales outlet network between January and May 2022. Thanks to the extended cooperation with Oel-Pool, Valora will increase its presence at Swiss service stations to over 170 stores by the end of 2023, including Tamoil locations. The food convenience provider also expects to achieve sales of over CHF 300 million per year in the service station business in the medium term. Thanks to the collaboration with Oel-Pool and Moveri and the ongoing conversion of "k kiosk" outlets into avec stores, the entire avec outlet network in Switzerland will grow to around 370 outlets by the end of 2023. This will make the avec brand, which was modernized in summer 2018, the convenience provider with the most points of sale in Switzerland.

Weko still has to approve the deal

"The expanded collaboration with Oel-Pool confirms our conviction that the food convenience business will remain attractive in the future," says Michael Mueller, CEO of the Valora Group. "In addition to locations in city centers, at transport hubs such as railroad stations and airports, and in shopping malls, petrol station stores are an ideal fit for our store portfolio. The avec brand and the food component of our business will also be further strengthened." Valora has been active in the service station business in Switzerland for some 20 years. In addition to Tamoil stores with a strong presence in French-speaking Switzerland and the greater Zurich area, Valora has also gradually expanded its portfolio of locations in German-speaking Switzerland. A large proportion of customers shop at petrol stations without filling up. They stop by because of the good location, long opening hours and convenience product range. The takeover of the 71 petrol station stores from Oel-Pool still requires the approval of the Competition Commission Weko.